The Italian Renaissance – Commedia Dell'Arte
The Italian Renaissance – Commedia Dell'arte
Even though The Italian Renaissance lasted for a short period of time, approximately 100 years, and some give more consideration and accolades to the English Renaissance, the Italian Renaissance was a period of dramatic cultural advancement. This is seen in its revolutionary architecture design, explorations of discovery, extraordinary art, innovation of Opera, and my personal favorite Commedia dell' arte. Nearly all of Western theatre was influenced by the Italian Renaissance leaving lasting impressions all the way down to our present day.
I love to laugh,so it comes as no surprised that I was drawn to Commedia dell'arte. Let's first examine how this form of theatre came into existence. Then how it was organized and performed. Lastly we will see how its influence can be traced to modern day.
The origins of Commedia dell'arte has been highly debated by scholars. Some say it has roots in Greek comedy, while other critics argue that it is derived from Roman farces. Still others claim it can be traced directly to the religious Mystery Plays of the Middle Ages. Of theses theories of origin, Winfred Smith states, “Not a little nonsense has been written about the “evolution” of the commedia dell'arte. Of the three main theories that attempt to account for our farces, the hoariest and most outgrown is that concerning their putative Roman father, surely a ghost that by now ought to be permanently laid; next in respectability as in age is the hypothesis that makes the masks direct descendants of comic personages in the Mystery Plays, finally a modern student takes pains to trace back what he considers commedia dell'arte motifs and figures into the folk literature of the Middle Ages and from this material to deduce a medieval profane comedy which he asserts must have existed perhaps centuries, side by side with the sacred representatives, until it flowered into the sixteenth century
Even though The Italian Renaissance lasted for a short period of time, approximately 100 years, and some give more consideration and accolades to the English Renaissance, the Italian Renaissance was a period of dramatic cultural advancement. This is seen in its revolutionary architecture design, explorations of discovery, extraordinary art, innovation of Opera, and my personal favorite Commedia dell' arte. Nearly all of Western theatre was influenced by the Italian Renaissance leaving lasting impressions all the way down to our present day.
I love to laugh,so it comes as no surprised that I was drawn to Commedia dell'arte. Let's first examine how this form of theatre came into existence. Then how it was organized and performed. Lastly we will see how its influence can be traced to modern day.
The origins of Commedia dell'arte has been highly debated by scholars. Some say it has roots in Greek comedy, while other critics argue that it is derived from Roman farces. Still others claim it can be traced directly to the religious Mystery Plays of the Middle Ages. Of theses theories of origin, Winfred Smith states, “Not a little nonsense has been written about the “evolution” of the commedia dell'arte. Of the three main theories that attempt to account for our farces, the hoariest and most outgrown is that concerning their putative Roman father, surely a ghost that by now ought to be permanently laid; next in respectability as in age is the hypothesis that makes the masks direct descendants of comic personages in the Mystery Plays, finally a modern student takes pains to trace back what he considers commedia dell'arte motifs and figures into the folk literature of the Middle Ages and from this material to deduce a medieval profane comedy which he asserts must have existed perhaps centuries, side by side with the sacred representatives, until it flowered into the sixteenth century