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Who's
who in Commedia dell’Arte
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| Witty,
bawdy and downright fun, we take a look at the genre
which brought us Punch, Pierrot, Charlie Chaplin
and - who knows - maybe even Homer Simpson . . . |
 Donning
elaborate fancy dress and masks is a time-honoured
part of the Italian Carnival
tradition . Every town in every region is represented
- and in some cases defined - by a particular character.
Leaving behind the Middle Ages and the Graeco-Roman
period, let's concentrate on the Renaissance and
the Commedia
dell'Arte - an improvised form of popular comic
theatre - which introduced many of the masks that
are still popular in Italy today. In the Commedia
dell'Arte tradition there are four main character
types - Servants, Elders, Lovers
and Captains - from which the other
stock characters are derived. We call them stock
characters because the same characters crop up in
different shows. Each character has their own mannerisms
allowing the audience to recognise and identify
with them as soon as they walk on stage - just think
of pantomime. Favourite characters include: Zanni
(a Renaissance equivalent of Homer Simpson who we
can thank for the word zany), Harlequin
(Bart as opposed to Homer), Pantalone
( a rich, old lecherous man - in Simpsons' terms,
Mr Burns), the Doctor
(a loquacious quack also known as Balanzone),
the various lovers (Isabella, Aurora, Flavio and
Lelio
to name but a few) and last, but not least the
Captain (a pompous macho man not unlike the
Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz). We can still
experience Commedia dell'Arte-style improvisation
in the plays of the popular 18th Century
Venetian dramatist Carlo
Goldoni, as well as in the work of minor
family-run theatre companies who continue the
tradition as well as puppet shows (Punch
- as in Punch and Judy - is none other than the
Commedia's Pulcinella).
The ancient tradition of masquerading is alive and
well even out of Carnival season. Actors,
mask-makers and puppeteers all breathe
life into the stylised leather and wooden faces
which belong to the characters. Those of you interested
in the history of mask should visit one of the many
puppet
museums, located throughout the world. If you're
lucky enough to speak Italian then you'll undoubtedly
enjoy a look at BUMA
(a virtual puppet museum),the Museo
della maschera mediterranea or the recently
opened Museo
della maschera in Rocca
Grimalda (in Liguria).
And there's nothing quite like a visit to Venice
Carnival to give you a feel for the characters,
costumes and the stories they bring with them.
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| by
FABIO
BONVICINI |
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Feb.
12nd, 2002
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THE SURVIVOR'S 
