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Commedia Characters Lesson Plans
Commedia Characters Lesson Plans
Commedia dell'arte is an improvised comedic theatre form that flourished in Italy in the
1500’s. The exact origins of Commedia are fuzzy and hard to pin down. There is not
much documented previous to the 16th century. The term itself (Commedia dell’arte)
wasn’t put to common use until the 18th century. It is generally acknowledged that the
form solidified in Italy in the 1550’s and reached its peak in the 1650’s. Despite an
opaque history, the elements that define Commedia are quite clear:
The key to creating a Commedia character is to remember that they are stock
characters. In every scenario or story they’re in, the characters remain the same. They
have the same attitude, the same look, the same drive, the same physical action.
That means you would be able to recognize a Commedia stock character in an instant
by how they move, what they wear, and how they act.
Commedia characters are fixed types who fall into one of three categories:
● The Servants (eg: Arlecchino or Columbina)
● The Masters (eg: Pantalone)
● The Lovers (eg: Isabella and Flavio )
The masters are usually foolish greedy old men, and the servants are hungry and
mischievous. The young lovers are always in love. Most of the characters wear masks,
but even those without masks (e.g. the Lovers) treat their personas as masks. In
Commedia, the characteristics of a character (such as a walk, a pose, or a gesture) are
just like wearing a mask.
After you choose a category, you need to choose a character. Each character has
defined attributes that never change. So you’re not creating a new commedia character,
you’re choosing an existing character and inhabiting his or her attributes.
The Masters
Pantalone
Description: Old Venetian Merchant. Rich and greedy
miser. Obsessed with money. Always after women
and thinks he’s good at it. Gullible and often tricked.
Costume: Red pants and top with a flowing black
cloak. Has a money bag.
Mask: Long pointed nose. Often has a moustache and
bushy eyebrows.
Movement: Leads with the forehead and has a
hunched back with bent knees. Think crow or chicken.
Fluttery hands, which he tries to contain by clasping
them behind his back. Always bent over, trying to keep
his money safe!
The Servants
Arlecchino
Description: Servant, poor, always wanting money, always hungry. Carries a
bat/slapstick. Stupid and smart at the same time. Doesn’t want to work but eager to
please.
Costume: Tight fitting patchwork/colourful costume.
Mask: Black mask. Small eyes. Catlike face.
The Lovers
You have a category and a character. Your next step is to define that character.
Practice the pose, the gestures and the movements of your character. Anyone watching
should be able to identify your chosen character.
At the end of a designated period of time, turn this from a pairs exercise into a full class
exercise. Everyone moves about the room at the same time (in character) and starts to
interact with each other. Remind students of their status. If they are playing a master
character, how do they treat the servants? If they are a servant character, how are they
going to treat The Lovers? What is their defined personality trait?
Every commedia actor has a number of lazzi in their repertoire .A lazzi is a physical
comedic bit in the middle of the play, unrelated to the plot. The three main themes for
Commedia are love, money and food in the extreme so that means lazzi are also
taken to the extreme. They are acrobatic, exaggerated, and sometimes obscene.
Once students have fully practiced the physical side to their character, give them this
lazzi to create.
Keep students in pairs, so that one partner is always observing the other. Give students time
to rehearse and then present.
Click here for a PDF printable version of this article, as well as a rubric.