Commedia
Del’arte - Stock Characters
All
plays involve comic business or ‘Lazzi’ often actors would build up repertoire of
tricks.
“Each
character is a representation of the rest of their social class.”
Pantalone
Status:
high, top of
the pecking order. Pantalone IS Money. His orders are obeyed.
Stance:
an old man’s
stoop with restricted movement of legs which are together toes turned out
Description - lecherous old fool, greedy
and deluded (Mr Punch). Old in body, but
hands flutter and gesticulate continuously. Animal, Chciken or turkey.
Il Dottore
Status: A bachelor or widow. High.
Stance: Weight back, belly forward,
hand s gesture in front.
Description: A bumbling quack who doesn’t
know a thing about medicine, pompous windbag (e.g Captain Mannering). Not
actually inetellectual.
Capitano
Status:
Pretends
high status, a loner
Stance: Chest pushed forward, puffed
out, feet apart (trying to take up a lot of space).
Description: a complete coward and a fake
(Basil Fawlty) with a huge nose, likes to strut around, somehow he is in
charge! Ofetn does Pantalone’s dirty work.
Status:
low, the
youngest son of the family
Stance:
moves in
direct straight lines, upright. Hands in pocket or on hips
Description: (developed into Pierrot)
– a lowly son or servant who dreams of love, has a white face on account of
working in the kitchen (flour) downtrodden (Buster Keaton, Stan Laurel). Often
beaten or abused by father or employer.
Arlecchino (Harlequin)
Status: Low, A servant
Stance: a lowered position as if
caused by carrying heavy loads, and upward energy, feet and toes turned out,
wide stance
Description:
A cunning servant who still retains the devils horn, mischievous deliberately
mixes up his masters orders, agile and acrobatic part monkey part dog
(Shakespeare’s Puck). Quick Physically, slow mentally.
Columbina (un masked)
Status: Low, a servant usually a
ladies maid.
Stance: Hands on hips, small steps,
slight tilt forwad from hips.
Description: (damsel in distress) a servant,
often the subject of love interest. Animal dove.
Other
Characters may not wear masks e.g. ‘The
lovers’, often these characters are quite straight and the subject of the plot
rather than the ‘entertainment’ (see
Hermia, lysander, etc in Midsummer Nights Dream)
