Italian Renaissance Theatre

Commedia Dell’Arte

Comedy of the Art or Comedy of Profession is a form of theatrical improvisation that originated in Italy during the 16th century, characterized by masked types and a focus on stock characters.

Zanni

A comedic stock character who’s a servant. Usually, there’s two of them: one that’s clever and one that’s stupid.

Pantalone

A middle aged or elderly man that’s often trying to court young women. He speaks in a Venetian dialect.

Dottore

A pompous doctor (though not always one), often portrayed as a learned but foolish character.

Arlecchino/Harlequin

A cunning yet stupid character who’s usually an acrobat. He’ll carry a slapstick.

Brighella

The Arlecchino’s friend; a cynically witty servant.

Pulcinella

Always a neapolitan, but could be servant, inn host or merchant. Foolish and shrewd mix.

Capitano

A military braggart and a coward. He boasts of his prowess in love and battle, just to be made a fool in both areas.

Innamorato/a

The young lovers. Unlike the other stock characters, they don’t wear masks. This is a marker of their good looks, taste for fashion, and position as aristocrats.

Columbina

The female servant who is clever and witty, often serving as a confidante to the Innamorata.

“De Architectura”

Vitrivius’ guide on theatrical architecture.

Proscenium Arch Stage

A type of stage where the audience views the performance from one side, framed by a proscenium arch that separates the stage from the auditorium.

Filippo Brunelleschi

An Italian Renaissance-era architect who’s credited for inventing the eight-sided cathedral dome.

Leon Battista Alberti

A political theorist, civic humanist, and architect best known for writing "De Pictura" and "De Re Aedificatoria". He emphasized the importance of symmetry in his work, and told architects how buildings should be built.

Central Perspective

When the central point of a stage backdrop looks farther away than the rest of what’s surrounding it. This is supposed to draw the audiences eyes to said central area.

Sebastiano Serlio

An Italian renaissance architect who popularized the idea of central perspective and a raked stage.

Giacomo Torelli

An Italian stage designer, architect, and engineer. Created the chariot and pole method, which was used to move scenery around.

Isabella Andreini

She was the leader of the Gelosi Company, which specialized in Commedia style pieces. She embodied Christian and humanist ideals.

Lazzi

Improvised bits that performers would do. Could change every show and often reflected current events.

Pastoral

A play that originated from poetry. It would take place in nature and have themes of love.

Humanism

A cultural and intellectual movement that emphasized human values, potential, and agency, focusing on classical antiquity.

Pole-and-Chariot

A system where slots were cut in the floor of a stage. Poles were attached through the floor to chariots on casters that ran parallel on the stage, which helped move flats across for scene changes.

Commedia Erudita

Scripts written in Latin or Italian that were based on the scholarly works of earlier Italian and Ancient Roman authors.