Commedia dell'arte, or roughly translated, comedy of the professionals, was a style of theatre known for its use of masks and stock characters. Many ideas began or were popularized by acting troupes in 16th century Italy, and you can be certain that modern entertainment would look extremely different if it wasn't for the revolution which was Commedia dell'arte. The brave female actors who improvised with men onstage in public, paved the way for future generations of woman in entertainment through
the
famous roles like that of Colombina or Isabella. Jennifer Lawrence probably would have never won the latest academy award for best actress (not that there would be such an award), she may have never even performed if it wasn't for the woman of Commedia dell'arte who broke through the laws and
boundaries that prohibited woman on stage at the time. Commedia is mostly known by the masks and stock characters who were at the centre of the semi improvised plots. The name Harlequin and his diamond patterns has stood the test of time, and so is the same for the mask of the miserly Pantalone. These stock characters were perfected by actors for decades and passed on through acting families generation to generation. Although this theatrical movement started on the streets in Italy it didn't take long for it to move all throughout europe bringing its characters into fairs, parks, and even palaces. Commedia has since evolved into various forms, characters like Scrooge, or The Marx Brothers, and styles of entertainment from sit-coms to opera can find their roots in Commedia dell'arte. For more on Commedia dell'arte from historic and personal perspectives stay up to date with Lightning Theatre's Commedia Dell'Arte blog.
