Commedia dell'arte

Introduction

Commedia dell'arte was a part of theatre in Europe around the 16th and 17th century. It translates as 'comedy of the professional artist or actors.' When I first heard about this and it's translation I was excited to learn about this type of Theatre as I've heard so many people saying its a great style of physical theatre, and how unique and fun it is. 

Stock Characters

In Commedia there are different stock characters. A stock character is a character that appears in every Commedia dell'arte play. For example Homer Simpson appears in every Simpsons episode. Some stock characters are relatable to the audience as they know someone who is like the character. These characters have rules and are in a hierarchy of status.

Harlequin

Some Stock Characters:

Harlequin - This is one of the main characters in Commedia, the character of Harlequin can be linked to Joey from friends as he is very handsome but isn't clever, Harlequin is also amorous, this sometimes gets him into trouble as he doesn't think. The costume of Harlequin is tight fitted and has diamonds and colour.

Columbina - There aren't many female characters, however she is often featured. She's beautiful and extremely graceful. However she is cunning and will use her body to get her way. She would most likely be seen in a dress that's worn to show her status as a servant. Her stance is a slight tilt from the hips to try and show off her best features.

Pantaloon - He is a mean old man and is often portrayed as rich. In some extracts of Commedia he has been seen as Columbina's father. Usually he has aches and pains and he is short sighted. His mask makes him seem mean and also ridiculous. He wears very tight fitted clothes and yellow slippers with a black cloak. His stance when talking to someone is bent forward but when receiving information lent back. He is the top of the pecking order. He has money and his orders are usually obeyed.

Masks

In Commedia one feature is Masks. this feature was used for most characters to give the audience a better view of the characters status and feelings. For example Pantaloon's mask has very bushy eyebrows this shows his age and gives a subtle feeling of how wise he is. Without actors being able to show their facial expression because of their masks they have to make sure their body actions tell the story of their character. This is one of the many reasons of why Commedia was so popular because it was so melodramatic, that it made the audiences laugh. This was one of the many reasons why Commedia was so popular in the 16th and 17th century.

Workshop

From spending a whole day looking at Commedia I felt I was familiar with this form of theatre. We first started the day off with learning about the history of Commedia and when it was most popular, we also watched some videos of students trying different scenarios and also a teacher explaining the hierarchy in Commedia dell'arte. After this we did a practical and were asked to portray different Commedia characters, we were also given scenarios and to each pick different characters and play with status, for example a Zanni may be cleaning a Pantaloon's yellow slippers to show hist status, this I found really helpful because I gained a better understanding of the hierarchy. Our class also did an exercise where two captains were trying to get past each other. This was really funny to do because of the reactions of the cowardly captain. It was lovely portraying this juxtaposed character, from the cowardly side to the arrogant side. 

Influence

Commedia has had a big influence on many different contemporary shows and films. For example the hit comedy show Friends, the character of Joey is very much Harlequin. Another influence is in Kafka's Metamorphosis Lodgers.  David Schwimmer who also appeared in friends was educated in Commedia and added it to different slapstick scenes. Commedia also had an influence of 'The Pied Piper of Hamelin' who is dressed exactly like Harlequin.