Commedia dell'arte masks

Last updated April 25, 2024

Commedia dell'arte masks are a type of mask worn by performers of commedia dell'arte. Masks are an integral part of the performance, and each character wears a particular mask design. All masks were originally leather, but are now more commonly made of neoprene. They are an extension of the actors and their costumes, hair, and accessories.^[1]^{[ failed verification ]} The masks create an entirely different face for the people wearing them.^[2]^{[ page needed ]} Masks in commedia dell'arte speak of the types of characters that each represents, saying that they are an unchanged type.^[3]^[4]

Masks told the audience who the character was, their social class and type, what they would or wouldn't do, and their attitudes.^[5] A comic mask is a nobody and a somebody at the same time, important even if a lowly servant. Characters who embody the upper class–usually the lovers or innamorati –and the female servants do not wear physical headpieces, but their personalities are still referred to as "masks".^[6]

Commedia stock characters introduce themselves as soon as they notice the audience, and the mask helps them to do so.^[2]^{[ page needed ]} To the audience, the actor's physical movements and embodiment of the stock characters help establish their character, and the mask enhances this.^[7] The masks and the lazzo comedic routines were connected; without the lazzo a character in a mask would be less entertaining.^[2]^{[ page needed ]}

Commedia dell'arte originated in the 1530s and 1540s. Performers needed to be recognized immediately as the characters they portrayed.^[2]^{[ page needed ]} Many actors see the characters as a mask; with it on, they are that specific character; without it, they are themselves or another character. Lovers can wear a mask as a disguise, however, and do not become another character. Actors are directed more by the mask than by the director; they use the movements associated with the character and follow their character's type. An actor must surrender his entire body to the character, not just change his face with the mask.^[3]

Mask types

Each character's mask has specific elements and a distinct appearance that makes it recognizable in performances across the world.^[2] There are four or five classes: old men such as Pantalone and Il Dottore; young and adventurous men like Il Capitano; the servant, sometimes named Zanni; and another old man but hunchbacked and more crippled: Pulcinella.^[8] Servant characters such as Zanni typically have a long nose, sometimes with more curve for Pantalone, and the servants whose names end in "ino" such as Truffaldino or Arlecchino are more often small and round. In traditional masks, servant characters like Zanni should have big noses and smaller eyes. This gives them a more animal look and makes them seem more primitive, as servants are lower than the master.^[2]

The Zanni mask, one of the first, covered the full face and sometimes the head until the bottom of the mouth was removed.^[3]
Capitano's mask has a strong brow in a frown and smaller eyes as well.^[2]^{[ page needed ]}
Brighella is described as bearded in early mentions of masked characters.^[9] He often has a mustache now, swirled up to give him a mischievous air.^[3]
Il Capitano often has a long nose like Zanni, though typically larger. He also has a mustache sometimes, but stiff and strong under the large nose, almost like spikes poking out.^[10]
Dottore sometimes has a small mustache, eyebrows, and no upper lip. His mask covers the actor's forehead and nose, exposing their cheeks so that the actor may use blush to create the look that he enjoys his spirits.^[3]^[11]
Pantalone is known for his red and black costume, beard, and easily recognizable mask. His long pointed beard looks almost like an extension of his equally long nose, and he sometimes has a mustache and bushy eyebrows to give him a distinct look.

Dottore and Pantalone though both older men, look very different.^[12]

Each of the features may be exaggerated or missing. Dottore typically does not have cheekbones or an upper lip. One does not want to make il Dottore unrecognizable for who he is or cause confusion between the two characters because they are too similar. Much like the people you see daily, not all masks must be perfect; they can have bumps just like any person can. The characters have the same skin problems as teenagers and elders we see daily.^[2]

Unmasked characters

Not all the characters in commedia dell'arte are masked, and some have powdered faces instead. When women finally joined the men on stage, they did not initially wear masks; they wanted to show their faces as they played female lovers mostly. Men had worn masks to play women before, but once women were playing women, they did not want to hide their faces, even if they played a servant. Their counterparts, the male lovers, also stopped wearing masks. This led to more unmasked characters, such as the servetta (French: soubrette), and unmasked female servants such as Colombina. Though unmasked, she wore heavy makeup around her eyes, drawing the focus there.^[3]

Pedrolino did not wear a mask; instead, he had a floured face.^[3] He was the first of the white-faced clowns of today.^[13] These characters were still considered 'masked' because they still follow the character types. Lovers tended to wear heavy makeup containing beauty marks and heavy mascara.^[3]

Mask construction

Leather is the traditional material for these masks, as it is the easiest to shape and creates a light, easy-to-wear mask that holds shape on stage.^[2] There are also some made with Papier-mâché and plaster casts. Working with leather to build commedia masks is an extensive process. Leather is first soaked for 48 hours minimum. The leather is then draped over a base molded to the shape of a face and stretched by hand or with a smooth wooden tool. The shaping is repeated, and the artist continues pushing it into the crevices formed by the mold. After the artist has manipulated the leather to its desired shape, it is dried, either with a heat source or for an extensive air-drying period. Once the leather is dehydrated, a hardening agent is applied.^[14]

Related Research Articles

Harlequin is the best-known of the comic servant characters (Zanni) from the Italian commedia dell'arte, associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by the Italian actor-manager Zan Ganassa in the late 16th century, was definitively popularized by the Italian actor Tristano Martinelli in Paris in 1584–1585, and became a stock character after Martinelli's death in 1630.

Zanni, Zani or Zane is a character type of commedia dell'arte best known as an astute servant and a trickster. The Zanni comes from the countryside and is known to be a "dispossessed immigrant worker". Through time, the Zanni grew to be a popular figure who was first seen in commedia as early as the 14th century. The English word zany derives from this character. The longer the nose on the characters mask, the more foolish the character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brighella</span> Character from the theatre style Commedia dellarte

Brighella is a comic, masked character from the Italian theatre style commedia dell'arte. His early costume consisted of loosely fitting, white smock and pants with green trim and was often equipped with a batocio or slapstick, or else with a wooden sword. Later he took to wearing a sort of livery with a matching cape. He wore a greenish half-mask displaying a look of preternatural lust and greed. It is distinguished by a hook nose and thick lips, along with a thick twirled mustache to give him an offensive characteristic. He evolved out of the general Zanni, as evidenced by his costume, and came into his own around the start of the 16th century.

Columbina is a stock character in the commedia dell'arte. She is Harlequin's mistress, a comic servant playing the tricky slave type, and wife of Pierrot. Rudlin and Crick use the Italian spelling Colombina in Commedia dell'Arte: A Handbook for Troupes.

La Ruffiana is an older female character of the Commedia dell'Arte with a shady past or who used to be a prostitute. She is used most often in relationship to the vecchi of which group she is a nominal member. Ruffiana is most often romantically involved with Pantalone, though his love may easily be unrequited if it suits the plot. She is generally described as being talkative/gossipy, sneaky, and mischievous, but deep down is actually kind. She has been described as an "outsider" that always mixes things up and causes trouble for the rest of the characters. "Her quips reek of garlic"

Innamorati were stock characters within the theatre style known as commedia dell'arte, who appeared in 16th-century Italy. In the plays, everything revolved around the lovers in some regard. These dramatic and posh characters were present within commedia plays for the sole purpose of being in love with one another, and moreover, with themselves. These characters move elegantly and smoothly, and their young faces are unmasked unlike other commedia dell'arte characters. Despite facing many obstacles, the lovers were always united by the end.

Lazzi are stock comedic routines that are associated with commedia dell'arte. Performers, especially those playing the masked Arlecchino, had many examples of this in their repertoire, and would use improvisatory skills to weave them into the plot of dozens of different commedia scenarios. These largely physical sequences could be improvised or preplanned within the performance and were often used to enliven the audience when a scene was dragging, to cover a dropped line or cue, or to delight an expectant audience with the troupe's specialized lazzi.

Vecchio is a category of aged, male characters from Italian commedia dell'arte theatre. The primary members of this group are Pantalone, Il Dottore, and Il Capitano. Pantalone and Il Dottore are the alter ego of each other: Pantalone being the decadent wealthy merchant, and Il Dottore being the decadent erudite.

Pantalone, spelled Pantaloon in English, is one of the most important principal characters found in commedia dell'arte. With his exceptional greed and status at the top of the social order, Pantalone is "money" in the commedia world. His full name, including family name, is Pantalon de' Bisognosi, Italian for 'Pantalone of the Needy'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Il Capitano</span> Stock fictional character in commedia dellarte

Il Capitano is one of the four stock characters of commedia dell'arte. He most likely was never a "Captain", but rather appropriated the name for himself.

Il Dottore, most commonly known in Italian as Dottor Balan or simply Balanzone, is a commedia dell'arte stock character, in one scenario being an obstacle to young lovers. Il Dottore and Pantalone are the comic foils of each other, Pantalone being the decadent wealthy merchant, and Il Dottore being the decadent erudite. He has been part of the main canon of characters since the mid-16th century.

Pulcinella is a classical character that originated in commedia dell'arte of the 17th century and became a stock character in Neapolitan puppetry. Pulcinella's versatility in status and attitude has captivated audiences worldwide and kept the character popular in countless forms since his introduction to commedia dell'arte by Silvio Fiorillo in 1620.

The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival held in Venice, Italy, famous throughout the world for its elaborate costumes and masks. The Carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday, which is the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

<i>The Servant of Two Masters</i> 1746 play by Carlo Goldoni

The Servant of Two Masters is a comedy by the Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni written in 1746. Goldoni originally wrote the play at the request of actor Antonio Sacco, one of the great Harlequins in history. His earliest drafts had large sections that were reserved for improvisation, but he revised it in 1789 in the version that exists today. The play draws on the tradition of the earlier Italian commedia dell'arte.

Pedrolino is a primo ("first") Zanni, or comic servant, of the commedia dell'arte; the name is a hypocorism of Pedro (Peter), via the suffix -lino. The character made its first appearance in the last quarter of the 16th century, apparently as the invention of the actor with whom the role was to be long identified, Giovanni Pellesini. Contemporary illustrations suggest that his white blouse and trousers constituted "a variant of the typical Zanni suit", and his Bergamasque dialect marked him as a member of the "low" rustic class. But if his costume and social station were without distinction, his dramatic role was certainly not: as a multifaceted first Zanni, his character was—and still is—rich in comic incongruities.

La Signora is a character in commedia dell'arte. She is the wife of Kuba and the mistress of Alexas. She is tough, beautiful and calculating, and wears very wide dresses along with very heavy makeup. She walks with a flick of the toe and her arms held far out to the sides of her body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coviello</span>

Coviello is a minor character in the commedia dell'arte. He falls into the category of the Zanni. His name is a double diminutive of the name Giacomo. In English, he might be called Jimmy or Jackie.

Burattino, also Burrattino or Burratino, is a minor commedia dell'arte character of the Zanni class.

Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as commedia alla maschera, commedia improvviso, and commedia dell'arte all'improvviso. Characterized by masked "types", commedia was responsible for the rise of actresses such as Isabella Andreini and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. A commedia, such as The Tooth Puller, is both scripted and improvised. Characters' entrances and exits are scripted. A special characteristic of commedia is the lazzo, a joke or "something foolish or witty", usually well known to the performers and to some extent a scripted routine. Another characteristic of commedia is pantomime, which is mostly used by the character Arlecchino, now better known as Harlequin.

Each character in commedia dell'arte is distinctly different, and defined by their movement, actions, masks, and costumes. These costumes show their social status and background.

References

↑ "Newman's Commedia Mask Company: handmade leather commedia dell'arte masks". commediamask.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fava, Antonio. The Comic Mask in the Commedia dell'Arte. Northwestern University Press.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 John., Rudlin (1 January 1994). Commedia dell'arte : an actor's handbook. Routledge. OCLC 27976194.
↑ Copeau, Jacques. Reflexion d'un comedian sur le Paradoxes de Diderot'. Gallimard.
↑ Schmitt, Natalie Crohn. Performing Commedia dell'Arte, 1570-1630. London. ISBN 978-0-429-02304-0. OCLC 1122565400.
↑ Schmitt, Natalie Crohn. Performing Commedia dell'Arte, 1570-16 30. London. ISBN 978-0-429-02304-0. OCLC 1122565400.
↑ "Commedia Dell' Arte". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
↑ "The Commedia dell'arte". www.theatrehistory.com. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
↑ Kennard, Joseph (1967). Masks and Marionettes. Kennikat Press.
↑ Ducharte, Pierre. The Italian Comedy. Dover Publications.
↑ Tiddy, R.J. Mummer's Play.
↑ Rudlin, John (1994). Commedia Dell'Arte: An Actor's Handbook. Routledge.
↑ "Faction of Fools | A History of Commedia dell'Arte". www.factionoffools.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
↑ Weber, Elizabeth (2009). "Commedia dell'Arte, Masks, and Masking: A Modern Application for the Production of Commedia Masks. An Independent Research and Application Process". Kaleidescope, UKnowledge. 8: 82–87.

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[1] "Newman's Commedia Mask Company: handmade leather commedia dell'arte masks". commediamask.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016.

[:0-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fava, Antonio. The Comic Mask in the Commedia dell'Arte. Northwestern University Press.

[:1-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 John., Rudlin (1 January 1994). Commedia dell'arte : an actor's handbook. Routledge. OCLC 27976194.

[4] Copeau, Jacques. Reflexion d'un comedian sur le Paradoxes de Diderot'. Gallimard.

[5] Schmitt, Natalie Crohn. Performing Commedia dell'Arte, 1570-1630. London. ISBN 978-0-429-02304-0. OCLC 1122565400.

[6] Schmitt, Natalie Crohn. Performing Commedia dell'Arte, 1570-16 30. London. ISBN 978-0-429-02304-0. OCLC 1122565400.

[7] "Commedia Dell' Arte". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 22 April 2020.

[8] "The Commedia dell'arte". www.theatrehistory.com. Retrieved 9 December 2016.

[9] Kennard, Joseph (1967). Masks and Marionettes. Kennikat Press.

[10] Ducharte, Pierre. The Italian Comedy. Dover Publications.

[11] Tiddy, R.J. Mummer's Play.

[12] Rudlin, John (1994). Commedia Dell'Arte: An Actor's Handbook. Routledge.

[13] "Faction of Fools | A History of Commedia dell'Arte". www.factionoffools.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2016.

[14] Weber, Elizabeth (2009). "Commedia dell'Arte, Masks, and Masking: A Modern Application for the Production of Commedia Masks. An Independent Research and Application Process". Kaleidescope, UKnowledge. 8: 82–87.

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