Commedia

A presentation by: Elena Pundjeva Nikolay Raykov

What is Commedia Dell’arte? • unwritten or improvised drama • flourished in the XVI and XVII centuries • Commedia dell’arte (comedy of professional actors) vs. • Commedia erudita (learned drama)

Origins • mimes and other entertainers of Roman times • from improvisations based on the Roman comedies of Plautus and Terence. • The first Italian commedia dell'arte troupe (1545)

Features: Troupes • • • • •

10-12 members (7-8 men and 3-4 women) traveled a lot commonplace books costumes - players created their own masks payment - sharing plan

Features: Place of Performance • commedia troupes could play almost anywhere • theatrical stages prepared by professionals

– Teatro Olimpico

Features: Scripts • outlining the situations, complications and the outcome • no written dialogue • remaining scripts – some dramatic, tragic and musical – most - comic

Features: Lazzi • humorous interruptions • performed by the most experienced actors • pantomimic acting, acrobatic feats, juggling, or wrestling • used to enliven the performance

Features: Improvisation • distinguishing feature of commedia dell’arte • same actor always playing the same role • quick reactions

Features: Masks • each character associated with a specific mask

Scenarios • earliest scenarios that have survived – published in Venice in 1611 – come from the Gelosi company – 40 comedies, 8 operas, one pastorals and one tragedy

Carlo Goldoni and Carlo Gozzi • Two of the most famous playwrights of Commedia dell’arte scenarios • conflicting points of view

Carlo Goldoni • Biographic facts • The Servant of Two Masters • believed that commedia dell’arte needs to be reformed – dialogue – improvisation – masks

Carlo Gozzi • Biographic facts • Turandot, The Love for Three Oranges, and King Stag. • emphasized on improvisation in his scripts