Commedia dell'Arte

Commedia dell'Arte is a very ancient theatre style, dating back to the sixteenth century. However, it is also a very adaptable theatre form, and its focus on current events and contemporary jokes mean it is always relevant today. The simple, sometimes coarse, humour and silly stock characters are used to make the audience laugh, both at figures of authority, but also at the characteristics they recognise in themselves.

Commedia is centred on the audience, and the improvisation element of the style means that it is able to respond and adapt depending on the audience. There is a sense of collusion with audience members demonstrated by frequent asides and no fourth wall.

There are several key aspects of Commedia Dell’Arte that make it distinctive. Nearly every play is based on a set scenario. The scenario is adapted to a particular audience by referencing current events and generally involves some form of mistaken identity, or conflict.

Stock characters appear in most scenarios and always are always the same. The Zanni are low status, always wanting food or sex. They are the main cause of misunderstanding due to their stupidity. The lovers are dignified, unconcerned with anything except their mutual adoration. Pantalone is a greedy merchant, the Doctor pretends to know everything, the Captain is a cowardly soldier, and so on. Each character has an unmistakeable physicality setting them apart. Didi Hopkins on Youtube describes the characteristics and physicality of the Commecdia characters and seeing professional actors construct them step by step was useful to me.

Within a scenario a character will often have a Lazzi, a repeated action that builds up the comedy of their character. For example, if the Doctor tries to be dignified, his hat might repeatedly fall off so he has to bend over to pick it up. Lazzi are also used in individual scenes to increase humour; cross talk occurs when a character repeats questions to avoid answering them. Long strings of silly insults such as “cat’s bottom” are also used. 

Useful Resources:

Books

• Commedia Dell’Arte: An actor’s handbook – John Rudlin
• Lazzi – Mel Gordon
• Commedia Plays – Barry Grantham
• Playing Commedia – Barry Grantham
• A Servant to Two Masters – Carlo Goldoni
• The Magic of Pants – Jonah Maidoff

Videos

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teMhmZm2ZP0 – Reading a newspaper turns into an all out war between groups of Zanni
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95EzlJDaPZo –  filmed production of Café Floriani in which The Doctor and two Zanni attempt to put a café out of business
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jpW3O4rv7s – exploration of music in Commedia dell’arte as Zanni use music to attract women
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=h_0TAXWt8hY&feature=endscreen –National Theatre video on Commedia characters and their physicality

Websites

• http://math.bu.edu/people/jeffs/scenario.html - The scenario of the Red Hat
• http://www.theatrehistory.com/italian/commedia_dell_arte_001.html - history and outline of Commedia
• http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/backstage/commedia-dellarte - national Theatre information on shape, emotion, language and characters
• http://www.delpiano.com/carnival/html/commedia.html - information on the individual Commedia characters
• http://www.theater-masks.com/about_commedia_dell_arte - about the commedia masks