The Eternal Lovers
The Female and Male lovers are the two simplest characters, yet they are intrinsic to a scenario. Over time they have gone by many names, in Lightning Theatre's production we have decided to call the woman Isabella and the man Fabrizio. The lovers and the themes of love versus lust are at the centre of a traditional commedia dell'arte scenario. They play middle status roles, although sometimes they can whine, or cause jealousy to those with higher
status and climb up the ladder, they can also fall in status when their trust in their servants fails them. Isabella and Fabrizio can be the children of the old men and favour having a personal servant.
They are in love with being in love and are in love with themselves. They fall in love, or fell in love with each other at first sight, they seek this kind of drama. At the hint of adultery or infidelity, perhaps from gullibly believing the false gossip from another character, they will argue and explode in an angry poetic quarrel all while still finishing each others sentences. Their emotions are exaggerated to extremes, like children they can be extremely excited one moment and the next, surprisingly sad. They are clouds floating over the stage on a breeze, not only are they light footed, they look down on the other masks. They use the other characters, and sometimes even the audience as a tool to show their beauty. Their speech is in poetic rhetoric, and tis flamboyant and hyperbolic. Their walk is closer to a ballet and when still they stand in first position.
The lovers are simple characters that help create a simple plot for the scenario, so that no matter how confused the characters may become, in the end the lovers will be together creating a satisfying end for the audience. Being in love is at the centre of most commedia scenarios it keeps the over arching plot on a straight path. The lovers find it hard to even breathe, let alone talk to one another (which is why they are always finishing each other's sentences when on stage together), so again they use the other masks to bring themselves together. Servants such as, Arlecchino, or Columbina may be sent on quests, for instance delivering letters between the two lovers which set the all the players up for the confusion and lazzi to come. Pantalone and Il Dottore act as obstacles to the lovers pursuit, so we can see, the lovers give reason for existing to all the masks. These Romeo and Juliet-esque figures, bring in many stakes due to their exaggerated emotions, this is important in an improv world where characters are making exaggerated actions. They balance the age of the old men with their youth, their naivety and sometimes brutal honesty create a contrast with the often lying, often scheming characteristics that other roles can sometime possess.
