Commedia Dell Arte

Commedia dell arte The Stock Characters

The MASTERS

Who are the Masters?
Pantalone
Il Dottore
Il Capitano
Isabella
The Lovers

Pantalone
Origins – Venetian Merchant
Status – Top of the order, Pantalone has money
Costume – Black jacket, red tights , yellow shoes

Stance – Old man’s stoop
Walk – Small steps
Movement – looking around, falls on back with bad news
Gesture – Hands Active/Behind Back

Characteristic – Everything can be bought
Animal – Chicken
Repertorio – Never well, news is always bad

Pantalone’s mask

Il Dottore
Origins – Carnival figure
Status – Bachelor or widower; One of the father to the lovers
Costume – Black academic dress

Stance – Big belly; weight on heels
Walk – Small steps in a figure eight
Movement – Static
Gesture – Needs all the space for himself

Characteristic – Knows everything about everything
Animal – Pig
Repertorio – I have a story about that..

Il Dottore’s mask

El Capitano
Origins – fake Spanish mercenary
Status – A loner; Pretends high status but loses it
Costume – Military attire

Stance – In attention or stand at ease
Walk – Big steps – maximum space
Movement – Straight back, big strides
Gesture – Extravagant and sustained

Characteristic
- Political - if the Turks invade, he becomes a Turk
-Total coward
-Danger to himself
-Thinks he is good looking and God’s gift
Animal – Peacock
Repertorio – I’d crush you like an onion between my teeth

El Capitano’s mask

The Lovers
Name: Immorati
Physical: young, attractive, latest fashion
Mask: No mask
Walk: ballet/based on dance master
Gesture: Airy
Characteristic: Can’t solve own problems

Isabella
Origins – from a 16 th century
Status – Prima Donna – daughter of Pantalone
Costume – Well dressed

Speech – refined
Characteristics -Flirtatious, provocative and stubborn

The Servants

Who are the Servants?
The servants are made up of the ZANNI
Working class and bottom of the rung but even they have a pecking order
They include : Arlecchino; Brighella; Colombina; Perdolino; Pulcinella Tartagalia;

Arlecchino
Origins: Zanni – servant from the country. Means “little devil.”
Status: Usually servant to Pantalone.
Relationships: In love with Columbina or Isabella
Costume: Peasant costume – patches

Props: Slapstick
Stance: Bent ready to jump, hands in belt
Walk: Zanni walk, more ballet/3time step
Movement: Mask first, then body
Gesture: Slow brain – fast movement/hands

Characteristics: never the loser – not malicious
Animal: cat/monkey
Audience: Sometimes aware of them
Repertorio: Actions like falling down

Arlecchino’s Mask

Brighella
Origins: First zanni – “brig” means trouble
Status: Base Zanni/ Head waiter
Relationship: Unscrupulous – will sell mother to make money
/ never victim
Costume: White with green chord

Props: dagger
Stance: first position ballet, chest forward
Walk: Zanni torso side to side, head straight
Movement: cat like panther

Characteristics: Astute, humorous, quick-witted, sarcastic
Animal: Lazy cat toying with mouse
Repertorio: Always hungry, thinks he’s cool

Brighella mask

Colombina
Status: Maid to immortia (lovers)
Relationships: Loves Arlecchino and is friendly; pestered by
other men
Costume: maids dress

Props: basket
Stance: One knee bent - other extended

Walk: Flick of foot – zanni walk
Movements: fast and nimble
Gesture: on hips, good mimic

Characteristics: Only rational person, self-sufficient, non-negative
Animal – Doe
Audience – With them, can see what fools the rest are.

Pulcinella
Origins: Means “little chicken”
Status: banker/lawyer
Relationship: has a loved one/ domesticated
Physical: humped back
Costume: baggy white costume with belt

Props: crude – short slapstick
Stance: weight on one leg
Walk: small/ jerky skip
Movements: slow and top heavy
Gesture: Broad and sparring

Characteristics: Either played stupid pretending to be clever or clever pretending to be stupid
Animal: Rooster
Audience: Direct and quarrelsome

Pulcinella mask

Pedrolino or Pierrot
Origins: developed over time
Status: bottom of pecking order
Relationship: youngest son
Physical: small
Costume: baggy white costume – don’t fit

No Mask – white face
Stance: Third position
Walk: straight lines
Movements: head moves like a chicken
Gesture: elbows up

Characteristics: Strong in the face of misery. Totally honest; always tired
Animal: Pack mule – human animal
Audience: A loner – sometimes doesn’t speak – a mute

Tartaglia
Origins: Means “to stammer”
Status: banker/lawyer
Relationship: older man – friend of the masters
Physical: pot bellied and completely bald
Costume: green and yellow

Stance: weight on heels; belly forward
Walk: a waddle
Characteristics:A stammer – get stuck on words and has to use others
Animal: Duck

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Commedia Dell Arte

by C Rankin on Mar 24, 2010

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Commedia Dell Arte — Presentation Transcript