What does Pantalone look like?

Pantaloon dressed in a tight-fitting red vest, red breeches and stockings, a pleated black cassock, slippers, and a soft brimless hat. Later versions of the character sometimes wore long trousers (pantaloons). His mask was gaunt and swarthy with a large hooked nose, and he had a disorderly gray goatee.

How does zanni speak?

The support knee is bent and the other leg is extended with his toe pointed. He switches his feet a lot while speaking or listening within the same position, and without his head moving up and down. Zanni’s elbows are usually bent and arms half lifted.

Is Pulcinella a puppet?

Punch, in full Punchinello, Italian Pulcinella, hooknosed, humpbacked character, the most popular of marionettes and glove puppets and the chief figure in the Punch-and-Judy puppet show. His character had roots in the Roman clown and the comic country bumpkin.

What is columbina known for?

Colombina or “Little Dove” as she is known in French is another stock comic character in the Commedia dell’Arte. Her role combines that of a disloyal wife, a fetching mistress and a saucy maid. On stage, she presents herself as a mischievous scheming soubrette!

Why do they wear masks in commedia dell arte?

A mask helps to create the beautiful, extravagant, repulsive and yet attractiveness of each character. Masks allow the actor to further explore the character. To the audience, the actor’s physical movements and embodiment of the stock characters help to establish their character and the mask enhances it.

Why does Pulcinella wear a mask?

History of “Pulcinella”, the traditional Neapolitan mask, where does it come from? In Naples, “Pulcinella” mask has got very old origins. It appeared for the very first time in 1300, when its name stood for “little chick” and was used to indicate an idler and timewaster person.

Is Pulcinella a boy or girl?

Antonio Fava, a world-renowned maskmaker and Maestro of Commedia dell’arte, is particularly fond of the character in both performance and study due to his influence and continuity throughout history. Fava explained that “Pulcinella, a man without dignity, is nevertheless indispensable to us all: without [him] …

Who was the company manager in commedia dell’arte?

Commedia troupes consisted of twelve or so professional performers, each a specialist in his or her stock character. There were no playwrights or directors. The company manager (capocomico) would announce the title and theme of an evening’s performance, making a scenario or canovaccio available to the performers.

Who is the maid in the commedia dell’arte?

Colombina is usually cast as a mischievous maid in the Commedia dell’Arte, a comic but not always virtuous figure with a best friend (and sometimes lover) of Arlecchino. Her costume is usually simple, representing what maids wore in the 1700s.

What is the full name of commedia dell’arte?

Commedia dell’Arte can be translated as: ‘theatre of the professional artist’ or ‘the comedy of skills’. Its full name is commedia dell’arte all’improvviso (‘comedy through the art of improvisation’) and it is also known as ‘Italian comedy’