What is it?
Two kinds of theater here: the ‘traditional’ theater and the Commedia Dell Arte. The traditional theater (which really isn’t that traditional) was performed in posh, yet makeshift theaters either as civic functions but mostly as displays of wealth and diversions for the rich. These plays were mostly about scene dressing and spectacle anyway though there were legitimate attempts to revive Greco-Roman texts. The Commedia Delle Arte was performed pretty much anywhere they could and was largely mime, singing and dance. It started off as a civic event but then as it grew more popular it was performer more often and in a wider variety of locations. Both theaters have a commonality in that neither was performed with strict relation to a calendar of events (such as holidays or feast days). This was a big shift from Greco-Roman and Medieval theater.
How Did It Develop?
Traditional Theater – The discovery of Vitruvius‘ De Architectura as well as perspective lead to an interest in the creation of theater spaces, though the actual creation of permanent theaters were much later, mostly due to these performances being funded by the Italian princes and performed in their mansions and places. The development of this theater had more to do with the spaces that it did with the actors or plays themselves. It was all about spectacle. The Teatro Olimpico was created in 1580 in Vincent This is the oldest, full intact theater in the world. The trompl’œil onstage scenery, designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, to give the appearance of long streets receding to a distant horizon, was installed in 1585 for the very first performance held in the theatre, and is the oldest surviving stage set still in existence. It held about 1000 people and had elaborate stage lighting and some mechanics for stage magic. It opened with a performance of Oedipus Rex, but was only actually used a few times due to it’s expense and changing tastes of the day. It remained a “museum” space during it’s time but is now being used as a theater again. Scamozzi went on to create a smaller, more intimate Teatro All’Antica (theater of the ancients) at Sabionetta in 15. This one held about 250 people, had a raked stage but was generally, a much simpler theatrical affair. The Teatro Farnese in Parma was the first truly modern theater. Horseshoe shaped with a pit for processions or naumachia (mock water battles, yeap their back and even more fabulous!) It contained what is believed to be the first proscenium arch. The exact function of this development is unknown: frame perspective, hide stage machinery and actors? No one is sure, regardless it stuck.
We know more about the stagecraft than we do about the acting or the performances of this type of theater. Sebastiano Serlio wrote Regole generali Architettura (General Rules of Architure) in 1537. In this book he outlined the use of perspective in theater as well as the three basic stage settings: comic, tragic and satyric (pastoral). He suggested a sloping stage to assist with perspective and a space in the back of the stage so that actors could move back and forth with out being seen by the audience. He also detailed a number of lighting and special effects. Nicola Sabbattini worked mainly on the machinery used to change stage sets and ways create special effects. He was a pioneer of illumination, inventing the spot light and other lighting techniques. Prior to the 16th century sets were largely stationary but by the last quarter of the 16th century an allegorical interlude called the intermezzi had developed which required more moveable scenery. The 17th century gave us Giacomo Torelli who improved on Sabbattini’s designs allowing for even greater movement of the set pieces. This “Chariot-and pole” system reduced the chance of errors and accidents and permitted changes to happen in front of the audience. Ferdinando Bibiena introduced the secena per angolo which replaced the single point perspective painting with the more effective and elaborate multiple point perspective. Italian scene designers became in demand by the royals in later centuries wishing to display their wealth and power with theater.
Stage crews were added to the theatrical company in order to work all of these elaborate stage techniques. The intermezzi were in particular, demanding requiring sometimes upwards of 50 people to be staged. They were known for being quite the spectacle. Choruses, orchestras, dancing, large set paintings were among the many delights of the intermezzo. It’s though that they developed into or influenced the development of Grand Opera.
Commedia
Commedia develops out of the theater of the Roman Empire, and descend from Greek theatre and from Etruscan festivals. The relationship between Roman theater is most apparent in it’s stock characters and it’s ribald plots, which generally center around two lovers being aided or thwarted from meeting by the various stock characters. How exactly it developed is unclear, as none of my sources (which were numerous) bothered to spend to much time on it. I suspect that it developed out of the mumminigs or other left over Roman para-theater that was wandering about Europe during the Medieval period. Given the clear relationship between Commedia and Roman theater (types of characters, character names, plots, quality, themes) it’s not hard to imagine players passing bits and pieces of Roman theater around until it was catalyzed by the spirit of the Renaissance and formed into Commedia Delle’ Arte. With it’s improvisational nature and it’s emphasis on actor rather than writer, it seemed the sort of art for that developed organically through practice rather than through the support of the aristocracy.
We know more about how Commedia was acted rather than how it was staged. Productions were developed b ‘families’ of performers. These weren’t related so much as they were discrete companies who performed and traveled together regularly. The plays were improvised around a basic plot but there was substantial room for improvisation with in the play itself. Bits of business were developed called, lazzi (lazzo, singular) which were comedic and inserted at various portions of the play. Plots could be very simple from a chance meeting to a complex comedic intrigue. They generally were about subjects that were familiar to the working classes and embodied their attitudes towards the aristocracy. Commedia wasn’t merely the theater for the common though, in later years it was performed in the houses of the royals and commedia actors were often involved with the traditional theatrical comedy productions. Much of the appeal of Commedia was the stock characters. They were easily recognizable across europe because of the masks and costumes they were and since the dialogue was improvised. The shows were all about the acting but more specifically the actor who specialized in a specific character. Importantly, we see the appearance of women on stage in the form of one of the lovers. Scandalous to the church they won over the public and princes with their charms and became an enduring if controversial presence.
Commedia dell’arte is notable in that female roles were played by women, documented as early as the 1560s, In the 1570s, English theatre critics generally denigrated the troupes with their female actors with Ben Jonson referring to one female performer of the commedia as a “tumbling whore “.By the end of the 1570s Italian prelates attempted to ban female performers, however, by the end of the century, actresses were standard on the Italian stage. 1
Commode performances were very simple. Designed for travel the troupes performed wherever they could find room or make money. Streets, courtyards, town squares were all fair game. The stage was often a platform with a backdrop behind it. Performers were in close proximity to the audience and the audience was free to move about during the performance.
Commedia troupes travailed through out Europe, moving as far north as England and it’s later development belongs more to France than Italy so it’s influence is very broad. If theater has a universal form it is Commedia Dell Arte. It seems to me that a bunch of different, ancient influences and universal human traits were revived and given life in the Commedia.
I’ll more than likely return to this form at the end of the semester or in an other. It’s one I’m interested in having a deeper knowledge about. I also found this reference in one of the articles I read. I’m kind of curious to know more about ballet d’action.
Videos Watched
Origins of the Comedia – Arte means both joke and business.
Commedia by Fava Screener – Il Capitano
Commedia Mask Making – Real short but very cool.
αίθυια 