Time Period
What ended the 65 years of war between the French and the Spanish?
The Peace treaty of Cateau-Cambresis.
T/F Music and instruments were used during each performance.
False! Music and instruments were only included based on the actors' skills.
Who were the Innamorati?
The Lovers.
T/F Flaminio Scala belonged to the Fedeli troupe.
False! He was in Gelosi.
Where was the performance typically taken place?
City streets, or a marketplace, occasionally court venues, nothing elaborate.
What types of jobs did the nobles have?
Nobles occupied high positions of power like military officers, advisors, and politicians.
Name 2 themes that Commedia focused on.
Adultery, jealousy, old age and young love.
There were 2 characters that had a slapstick as their prop. Who were they?
Arlecchino or Harlequin and Brighella.
What is the name for a lead actor in a troupe?
Capocomico.
T/F Performers would enter and exit behind a wall in the middle of their stage.
False! Entrances and exits were completely improvised and would depend on the set of their stage.
What was the main mode of transportation in Tuscany?
Mules with baskets.
What distinct feature on the mask revealed a trait about a character?
The longer the mask was on the nose, the more stupid the character was.
Why did female actors not wear a mask like the male actors?
Because her beauty would intrigue the audience and keep them entertained.
What artists used Commedia Dell’Arte as the central theme in their paintings?
Jean-Baptiste Joseph Pater and Antoine Watteau.
How did the actors bring their sets?
On horse-drawn carriages.
T/F Women of the renaissance were allowed to have jobs.
True!
T/F Makeup was only used on female characters to accentuate their beauty making the audience more engaged with the play.
False! There was a broad use of cosmetics. It wasn’t always just makeup for beauty, it was for drawing on scars or beauty marks too.
Name the common lazzi Il Dottore (The Doctor) used.
Urine Lazzi.
Name three ways troupes earned money.
Donations, salary, performing in kingdoms, sponsors, extra job, carnivals, admission fee.
Bonus!!!
+ 100
What jobs did rural peasants have?
Sharecroppers on noble’s farmland.
What was the typical plot structure of the play?
The play began with a prologue and was then divided into several different acts.
What are 3 modern examples of stock characters?
Il Capitano (The Captain) - Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory
Pantalone - Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob
Il Dottore (The Doctor) - Jerry Russo from Wizards of Waverly Place
Arlecchino or Harlequin - Dez from Austin & Ally
Columbina - Jessie from Jessie
Innamorati (The Lovers) - Ross and Rachel from Friends
Give one example of what would be scripted in a Commedia performance.
Comic stage business, music, acrobatics, or fighting
What was the common setting for a stage?
3 houses, representing three living situations.