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Commedia Dell'arte Flashcards

(105 cards)

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1
Q

What does commedia dell’arte translate to?

A

Comedy of skills

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2
Q

What style of theatre is it?

A

Improvisational style

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3
Q

When did it flourish?

A

Europe 200 years ago

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4
Q

What originated from?

A

Clown-like and slap stick

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5
Q

Where did travelling companies perform?

A

Travelling companies of professional actors performed outdoors to the townspeople in places such as the public squares, backdrops, crops

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6
Q

How many people were in the travelling companies?

A

10 to 15 people

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7
Q

What did each person in a travelling company do?

A

Each member played a particular stock character. For example the tricky servant, greedy old man and young heroin

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8
Q

What were the masks and costumes designed for?

A

Designed for the characters personality

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9
Q

What type of story line was for each performance?

A

Generic story line for each to performance and did not have a script

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10
Q

Did the Masters wear anything?

A

Mask and costume

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11
Q

Did the Lovers where anything?

A

Paint in white

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12
Q

Did the Servants wear anything?

A

Mask and costume

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13
Q

What did they incorporate in their improvising dialogue?

A

Incorporating jokes, physical comedy and joke bits

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14
Q

What was the rule of this type of acting?

A

There was no script. Performance always played the same character the only changes their situations

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15
Q

What does comedy of skill refer to?

A

Refers to the skill that the professional comic actors develop

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16
Q

What type of skills did each professional comic actor develop?

A

They each had a set of jokes, funny speeches, comic insults, physical stance

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17
Q

Who were the great silent movie comedians?

A

Charlie Chaplin, buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd

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18
Q

What was the great silent movie industry?

A

Acrobatic physical comedy. For example sleep on the banana, punch, slap

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19
Q

What type of humour did the commedia troupes have?

A

Energetic and improvisatory humour

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20
Q

What was the commedia troupes similar to?

A

Similar to work done by contemporary improv comedy groups

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21
Q

What are examples of contemporary improv comedy groups?

A

Second city, the groundings, upright citizens Brigade

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22
Q

What did stock characters deal with?

A

Stock characters live on in modern sitcom characters and deal with challenging situations each week

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23
Q

What is the exact origin of commedia?

A

The exact origin is unclear. Most scholars believe it was influenced by ancient Roman and Greek comedy

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24
Q

What happened traditions did commedia have?

A

Mediaeval traditions of carnival acrobats and jugglers

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25
Where did the first performance of commedia take place?
Padua Italy in 1545
26
How was the Italian society was swarming?
literary, scientific, scullery academics
27
What were the names like when the Italian society was swarming?
Illuminati, Intrepedi, Animosi Gelosi, Uniti, Confideti
28
Who were troupes run by?
One leader or director
29
What's the type of masks did the actors wear?
Elaborate half masks that covered the top half. It had exaggerated facial features to convey the characters personality
30
What were the three plots?
1. Two young lovers (inna morati) were kept apart by 2. Old men, fathers (masters) 3. Servants (zanni) helped outwit old men - bring lovers together
31
What would the plots like?
Scenarii - simple
32
What would happen once the performers resigned?
Someone else would take over the role
33
What did the tropes travel with?
Everything they needed props, costumes, portable stages that was set up in any outdoor
34
What were they designed to perform in front of?
Basic backdrops of street lined houses public square
35
How did the troupes become more successful?
Acquired wealthy patrons who provided theatre
36
What did they keep to the minimum?
Even when they have permanent homes they kept props and scenery to the minimum. Their focus was on comic performance
37
When did the tropes travel throughout Europe?
During the 16th century they travelled throughout Spain, France, England, Germany and eastern Europe
38
What did the boisterous comedy influence?
Writers and performers all over the continents such as William Shakespeare, Ben Johnson and Molliere
39
Where women permitted to perform in theatre?
No they were not permitted
40
What happened when they were breaking tradition?
Actresses became famous for comedic an improvisational skill
41
What was commedia surrounded by?
Surrounded by love and they were short. Everyone with main characters
42
Who is Isabella Adreini?
1562 - 1604. Member of the il Gelosi (troupe). Most well-known women performing the character of the young lover Isabella was named after her
43
Who were the Gelosi troupe?
Isabella and Franco (husband)
44
When did the Gelosi troupe disband?
When Isabella died in 1604
45
Who published of comedian scenarios in 1611?
Flamino Scala worked with Il Confidenti and il Gelosi
46
Who was the representative of the Theatre of Enacted Fables?
Il Featro Delle Favole
47
When was commedia transformed?
17th century
48
What was the transformation of comedia?
Leading performers were Italian. They found success. Found more success out of Italy
49
What kings liked these performances?
French Kings Louis XIV and Louis XV
50
Louis XV banished the Italians performers from Paris because?
They mocked the mistress Marquise de Maintenon but were invited back
51
Why did popularity begin to fade?
Most skilled actors retired/died, companies dissolved, audience enthusiasm waned
52
What are the requirements of actors?
1. Physical abilities 2. Vocal characterisation 3. Trained on job
53
What did playwrights draw on?
Commedia charters and situations
54
What was Carlo Goldoni's most popular play?
1753 play Arlecchino Servitory di due Padroni (servant of two masters)
55
How was a play not proper?
Without actor improvisation
56
The play was not proper, what did this do?
Left no room for performers to display full range of comedic skill, as it adds to the script
57
What did Venetian aristocrat do?
Tuned poetic or dramatist Count Carlo Gozzi, wanted to return original style
58
What helped Sacchi company?
Financial support, writing new material to help them re-gain glory
59
What did Gozzi feel plays were destroying? Why?
Commedia, as it was transforming to ordinary scripted theatres
60
What did Gozzi use material from in order to tailor material to talent of his acting company?
Fairy tales and folk stories
61
True or false. Commedia is not a skill
False
62
What influenced commedia?
Nationality
63
How many groups to the character is divided into?
Three groups
64
Name the three groups of characters
1. Il vecchi (old master/masters) 2. Il zanni (zanny servants) 3. Gli innamorati (lovers)
65
What role did the three group characters play?
The masters try to keep the lovers apart but the servants help one side or the other
66
What does pantalone mean?
Mr. Big Pants
67
What does pantaloons come from?
pantalones
68
What were the Pantalones?
Wealthy, misery old man who is lecherous (offensive sexual desire)
69
What did the Pantalones look like?
Hooked nose, wrinkled face, bushy eyebrows
70
What type of costume did the Pantalones wear?
Baggy red pants
71
What did the Il vecchi consist of?
* Pantalone * Il Dottore * Il Capitano
72
What did Il Dottore mean?
The doctor
73
Who were the Il Dottore?
Smug know it all professor who actually knows nothing
74
What type of mask did the Il Dottore wear?
Round stubby nose (pink), chubby cheeks, bushy eyebrows, moustache
75
What costume did Il Dottore wear?
Mortarboard (graduation), broad brimmed hat, black academic robes
76
What did Il Capitano mean?
The captain
77
Who were the Il Capitano?
Posting macho soldier who is actually a coward underneath
78
What type of name did Il Capitano have?
A long absurdly of the pretentious
79
What does the Il Capitano tell?
Tells tales of victory but is actually frightened easily and treats in high voice of surprise
80
What is prop does Il Capitano have?
Sword
81
What mask does Il Capitano wear?
Long nose, wide eyes, exaggerated handlebar moustache
82
What costume did Il Capitano wear?
Fancy, exaggerated military uniform with plumbed tricorn and has a sword
83
What happened with the characters in the Il vecchi?
Pantalone and Il Dottore worked as a pair (friends/rivals). Il Capitano was new in town
84
What did the Il zanni consist of?
* Arlecchino * Brighella * Columbina
85
Who is Arlecchino?
Harlequin, clown like. Stupid is but funniest. Nimble, aerobatics, tricky servant. Childlike and not too bright but wins in the end
86
What mask does Arlecchino wear?
Sly, cat like face, short hose
87
What costume does Arlecchino wear?
Tight fitting tunic, pants, pattern of multi coloured diamonds
88
Who is Brighella?
Brawler, Knuckles, bruiser who is ready to fight. Tough guy servant, good liar and it's always out for himself. Wise guy older brother
89
What type of jobs would Brighella do?
Bartender, innkeeper, shopkeeper
90
What mask did Brighella wear?
Green half mask with a greedy expression
91
What costume did Brighella wear?
Loose fitting servants uniform or smock. Carries dagger or slapstick
92
Who was Columbina?
Little dove. Why is cracking made who is the smartest character. Flirtatious and playful
93
What is the type of jobs did Columbina participate in?
Servant, best friend, confidante, leading lady, Arlecchino's girlfriend
94
What's mask did Colombina wear?
Sometimes a small half mask
95
What costume did Colombina wear?
Low-cut maids uniform carrying a tambourine
96
Who were the Gli Innamorati?
Young, graceful, attractive, fashionable who wore no mask they were slightly vain and not always bright. They were sincere
97
What were the Gli Innamorati known?
Known by various names. The popular ones were Flavio and Isabella
98
Who was Isabella named after?
Gli Innamorati. After Isabella Andreini in the Gelosi troupe
99
What gender were the Masters?
Never women
100
What gender was the lovers?
Males and females
101
What gender were the servants?
Male or female
102
When does the name of the character change?
Changes due to the context and place
103
What were lazzi?
Many jokes (lazzo). It was physical and spoken. Comic bits and gags
104
In terms of lazzi what did each character have?
Had their own lazzi. A good performance would have dozens of lazzi, to draw on any situation
105
When did it begin?
Began in Italy during the sixteenth century

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