Commedia dell'Arte

History
Commedia dell'arte ("Comedy of Art" or "Comedy of the profession"), had a long life in Italy, probably of about four hundred years (from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century); but it flourished especially in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It was a grassroots form of comedy, originally performed in town squares and streets and later performed in theatres. It means unwritten or improvised drama, but this implies rather to the manner of performance than to the subject matter of the play. Of course in actual practice the play was not, in any sense, the result of the moment's inspiration. The subject was chosen; the characters conceived and named, their relations to one another determined, and the situations clearly outlined, all beforehand.

Characteristics
1) It is a style of performing, broad and non-naturalistic, in which the visual element is given equal, if not greater, emphasis than the verbal. It includes the audience as part of the performance, and their presence is frequently acknowledged.

2) It makes use of the multiple skills of the performer - the spoken word, mime, dance, acrobatics, music and other abilities to tell a story or create a dramatic situation.

3) It may be improvised, but employs memorised and rehearsed material(including lazzi) to back up the spontaneous invention of the actual performance.

4) It may feature permanent characters that can be carried over from one play to another: either those drawn from the Italian Comedy, or new ones developed on the same principles.

5) It can make use of facemasks for some or all of the characters.

In Commedia dell’arte, everyone is credulous and cunning; hunger, love, money are the motivating forces. The fundamental theme is how to lay a trap for whatever reason: to get the girl, the money, the food and drink. The characters are rapidly betrayed by their own stupidity and find themselves ensnared in their own plot. The dialogue and action could also easily be made topical and adjusted to satirize local scandals, current events, or regional tastes, mixed with ancient jokes and Lazzi (punch lines).

Lazzi provides the basic opportunity for playfulness in the Commedia Dell’arte. In Lazzi, nothing is spelt out or written. This part of the text can only be brought to life by an actor, through his performance and his comic presence. The great difference between gags and Lazzi is that the latter always has a human reference. The actor himself is the gag, and he himself is the tool for humour. A Lazzi also always brings out an element of the character’s humanity. The lazzi are usually physical but can also involve wordplay.


The Commedia Style

Commedia is said to be broad and non-naturalistic; that it is larger than life. But even when it employs it greatest excesses of ridicule and parady, it must remain true to the underlying forces of thought and emotion. Commedia compares with straight acting as caricature compares with representational drawing. Caricature is the art of exagerrating the truth; commedia is the same. Emotions and ideas expressed must be recognisably genuine and sincere, and as strictly motivated as any follower of Stanislavki could wish. Only then will the audience be moved by the externally broad playing of the actor.

The actors of the Commedia also represented fixed social types; foolish old men, devious servants, or military officers full of false bravado, and this were done through the use of masks. Actors also tended to assume a stereotyped habit and name. Furthermore, masks forced actors to project their characters' emotions through the body. Leaps, tumbles, stock gags, obscene gestures and slapstick antics were incorporated into their acts. Thus, the focus was placed on the physical business rather than on the spoken text.

In addition, there were also no elaborate sets in commedia. Staging, for example, was minimalistic. Instead, great use was made of props including animals, food, furniture, watering devices, and weapons.
In addition, the audience were able to pick up from each character's costume, the type of person he was representing.

Partnership with the Audience

By no means exclusive to it, but especially evident in Commedia is the actor's direct communcation with the audience. It is the very antithesis of naturalistic acting where the spectators form a fourth wall to the proscenium stage, observing but unacklowedged by the actors. The commedia player addresses the audience in monologue, frequently employs the aside, interrupts dialogue to solicit sympathy, abd even encourages backchat and comment. Commedia acknowledges the audience because it is there. It accepts reality rather than striving for realism.