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| '''''Commedia dell'arte''''', (], meaning "comedy of professional artists") was a form of ] which began in the ] and was popular from then until the ], although it is still performed and enjoyed today. Traveling teams of play | |||
| (Troupes occasionally would perform directly from the back of their traveling wagon, but this is more typical of ''']''', a sort of travelling theatre that that dates back to antiquity. | |||
| The performances were improvised around preordained situations, ], ], ], ]. The dialogue and action could easily be made topical and adjusted to ] local scandals, current events, or regional tastes, mixed with ancient jokes and punchlines. Characters were identified by ], ]s, and even ], such as the ]. | |||
| Thus, the ''commedia dell'arte'', with its stock situations and ] and improvised dialogue, has shown the way to many other forms of drama, from ] and ] - which features debased forms of the commedia characters (see below) - to the modern ], ], and even ]. The characters and ]s of the Commedia have also been used in modern ]s, from ] to literary works, notably by ] in his ] stories that culminate with the ] prize-winning ''The Condition of Muzak''. | |||
| ''Commedia dell'arte'' in its turn was influenced by the tradition of ]. | |||
| Male ''commedia dell'arte'' characters were depicted by actors wearing masks representing regions or towns. The female characters, however, were usually not masked. In fact, the roles were often played by males in women's clothing and wigs, '']'', as it is called. | |||
| In some cases, the characters were also traditionally considered as respectively representing some Italian regions or main towns. Often they are still now symbolic of the related town. Following is a list of the original Italian characters, with other English or French names, or descendant characters (in parentheses), and the towns/regions to which they are eventually associated: | |||
| *] (Harlequin), ], an acrobat and clown, he carried a baton which he used to bash other characters, leading to the modern term '']''. He wore a cat mask, and his ultimate costume, a patchwork of red, green, and blue diamonds is still a ] motif. | |||
| *] (], ]'s ]), ], a money-grubbing villain, a partner of Arlecchino | |||
| *] (Colombina, the Servant, ], Harlequine, Pierrette), ], maidservant to Inamorata and lover of Arlecchino, usually involved in intrigue | |||
| *] (the Captain), boastful he-man soldier, but a coward underneath | |||
| *] (the Doctor), ], Pantalone's friend, and a quack | |||
| *Inamorata (the Lover), the leading woman, who wore no mask ''(see ])'' | |||
| *Inamorato (the Lover), the leading man, who wore no mask ''(see ])'' | |||
| *] (the ]), a forerunner of today's clowns | |||
| *] (Pantaloon), ], a rich and miserly merchant | |||
| *] (or ], ]), ], a dreamer, white mask | |||
| *], ], a hunchback who chases women, he was the model for Punch in the English variation ], | |||
| *] (old woman), usually a mother or gossipy townswoman who intrudes into the lives of the Lovers | |||
| *] (Scaramouche), a roguish adventurer and swordsman who replaced Il Capitano in later troupes. | |||
| *], ], a well-mannered Piedmontese peasant. | |||
| ==External Links== | |||
| * The ] '''' (]), based on the ] ''Scaramouche'' (1921) by ], is about a roguish adventurer and swordsman who hides out in a commedia dell'arte troupe, and features many commedia scenes as well as backstage situations. | |||
| * Also includes drawings of many of the characters and costumes. | |||