Commedia Dell Arte Research

Research Commedia Characters.

Selet 5 characters you might like to portray and write one well developed paragraph about each. Include citation of your sources. (two per character)

Draw or describe the appearance of each character.

Example:

Pantalone

Controls finance in the character world of Commedia is therefore his orders are usually obeyed. Employer, Father, Godfather. His back bends the other way to the zannis, giving him an old man’s stoop, and gate to the motion of his legs. The feet are together, toes apart, knees well bent and facing apart creating a focus on the center. However, early illustrations show a much more vertical basic posture, complemented by an oversized dagger. The legs are also much more muscled with the possibility of sustaining extreme forward positions of the torso or making large strides. The Pantalone of the zannata. A genuinely magnificent figure, but there is no inheritance of how to play Pantalone in this way. Bullying, aggressively, mean-minded, all trace of his forebears had vanished, leaving only a pauper who had squandered his dignity along with his cash. Always on the prowl. Any woman who happens to cross his path becomes at once an object of winks, leers and nudges (he’s basically a pervert).

Commedia dell' Arte Research

Step 2

Assignments:

1. Research information you compile that pertains to the character you portray (or general information if you are a director). Use several sources.

Length: 2 written pages, or one page typed.

Due:_____________

2. A collage of visual images from the time period. Try to find drawings of your character, the costumes and masks s/he wore, and any other things that will connect you to the world of your character. Size: Printer paper or Construction Paper

Due:_____________

Possible research terms/areas:

Commedia dell' arte

Italian Renaissance

masque costume

zanni

lazzi

burle

Stock characters

© 2002 by Karen Baker, Spirit Productions