What is Commedia dell'Arte?

Let’s hit some broad strokes here. A lot of people have never heard of commedia dell’arte. Those who have often get a very specific interpretation by an individual or company. That’s because it’s old, it died for a long time, and now people have fallen in love with it again in different ways.

I love commedia dell’arte, and have spent a good chunk of my life studying it— both what it was historically, and what I think it could be today. This has been a combo of book study, talking to other commedia lovers, and practicing it myself with Tut’Zanni.

So, here’s a nice snapshot of what I’ve got to answer your question: What the heck is it?

Where did it come from?

quick answer: Renaissance Italy!

Commedia dell’arte came to life around the time of the Renaissance (as early as the 1500s!) in Italy. It was primarily a form of street theatre, meaning it was literally performed in the streets. Troupes were eventually hired to perform in theatre spaces as well, and even palaces (they were also kicked out of some palaces for being a little… offensive).

What does “Commedia dell’Arte” mean?

quick answer: Professional Comedy

Let’s be clear— the term “commedia dell’arte”, although we use it today to refer to a very specific style of performance, back then simply meant (roughly) “professional unscripted comedy”. The troupes were members of professional guilds, which is what “dell’arte” refers to (think blacksmiths, bakers, tradesmen, etc.).

What DID (does?) it look like?

quick answer: Anything from a period piece to an over-the-top show about Real Housewives

There are a lot of different ideas of what commedia looked like, and we can’t be 100% sure about any of them. That’s because nobody was documenting the birth and creation of commedia dell’arte. It came to life organically, and was used by many different groups and actors that all had their own ideas— ideas they didn’t necessarily want to share. So, we mostly just have some notes and drawings, maybe a few memoirs to go off of.

Personally, and in Tut’Zanni, we are less concerned with the Renaissance aesthetic, and more in the elements that made it unique. Here are some of the main building blocks that we feel make commedia, “Commedia”.

Its Characters

in short: It uses archetypes

One of the most recognizable and important elements of commedia dell’arte is its characters. If you google, “commedia dell’arte” you will undoubtedly get some pictures of some of the more popular/familiar ones. That’s because they were particularly relevant to their society at the time— much like we love Homer Simpson, and see him crossover into many spaces. These most-seen characters were often used due to their popularity (actors gotta make money!), but are not specifically essential to a commedia show. What is essential is that society archetypes are being used. By archetype I mean a recognizable “type” of person — an old, greedy miser; a braggy blowhard; an abusive middle manager — that is used to make a character that everyone can see and think, “oh yeah, I know that guy.” Yes, some think Arlecchino and Dottore ARE commedia, but in Tut’Zanni we question how relevant a 16th century intellectual from Bologna is to our modern society. We can, however, use their archetypes and make our own character versions of them that relate more to our society today!

Masks! (Duh)

in short: It has masks

Although many facts are fun to debate about commedia dell’arte, we can all agree that it used masks! Particularly, most characters don a half-mask (covering the upper part of the face). Exceptions include most of the female characters, the innamorati (the lovers), and Dottore. They looked just as wild as their masked counterparts, however, using things like makeup, extreme expressions, and heightened costumes to bring them all up to the same level.

Canovaccio (Think Script Outline)

in short: There’s no script! It’s improvised

Commedia dell’arte was not a scripted form. No two shows were exactly alike! There was instead a “canovaccio,” which was like an outline of the show. It would list who was in the scene, and the main action that happens (ie: “Goldilocks eats the bears’ porridge”). The actors had freedom to make up new lines and play with the audience, as long as they performed the main action of the scene before leaving. There was no “fourth wall,” meaning they could (and would) fully interact with the audience, playing pranks and asking questions. This kept things relevant, as they could talk about the latest gossip and make jokes relevant to that time.

The “Lazzi” (The funny bits)

in short: The characters get distracted and go on tangents

The “lazzi” are all the fun little games that happen on stage in the moment. They don’t affect the plot at all, so they can change every day, or even find their way into other shows. For example, a famous lazzo (the singular form of lazzi) is “Arlecchino and the fly,” where Arlecchino would suddenly see or hear a fly and try to catch it. He would keep missing, doing flips and tricks trying to get it, and usually end up smacking himself in the face or something else hilariously painful. It can be in a show about buying a dress or delivering a letter, it doesn’t matter. It was fun and wild, and when it was over, the story continued on. Lazzi can be any length, and be new or already known.

Where did it go?

quick answer: It died! Then sort of came back (but maybe never really left?)

Over time, commedia dell’arte evolved, changed, and eventually disappeared as the form that it was. We do, however, find its influence everywhere. We see its influence on Shakespeare, in his characters and even rhythmic writing, to mimic the rhythm that these Italian performances had. We find commedia’s influence in Moliere and Goldoni, in melodrama and performances clear up to Charlie Chaplin’s performances.

Today, we find the same types of stories and archetypes in modern-day television and sitcoms. commedia dell’arte was about being human, about the struggles in our societies, about oppression. And these are (unfortunately) all still around today. So, we don’t have to look far to find the characters and stories of commedia still happening all around us.

That’s it?!

quick answer: Nah, there’s tons more. Just not in this blog entry.

Hopefully this gave you at least a teeny glimpse at what commedia dell’arte is. For more, check out our blog, website, and digital package!

-ALi