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Zanni
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".Rudlin, John. ''Commedia dell'arte: An Actors Handbook''. London: Routledge, 1994. 67. Print."Immigrant" in Italy at the time of the city-states did not mean someone from outside of Italy but rather someone from outside the city, an itinerant 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 person. The longer the nose on the characters mask the more foolish the character. Origin of the name The name ''Zanni'' (as well as ''Zuan'') is a variant of the name ''Gianni'' and was common in the Lombard-Venetian countryside which provided most of the servants to the wealthy nobles and merchants of Venice. In Italian it is specifically a name of someone whose identity ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pedrolino
Pedrolino is a ''primo 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. Many Commedia historians make a connection between the Italian Pedrolino and the later Pierrot of the French Comédie-Italienne, and, although a link between the two is possible, it remains unproven and seems unlikely, based on the scant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arlecchino
Harlequin (; it, Arlecchino ; lmo, Arlechin, Bergamasque pronunciation ) is the best-known of the '' zanni'' or comic servant characters from the Italian ''commedia dell'arte'', associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by 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. The Harlequin is characterized by his checkered costume. His role is that of a light-hearted, nimble, and astute servant, often acting to thwart the plans of his master, and pursuing his own love interest, Columbina, with wit and resourcefulness, often competing with the sterner and melancholic Pierrot. He later develops into a prototype of the romantic hero. Harlequin inherits his physical agility and his trickster qualities, as well as his name, from a mischievous "devil" character in medieval passion p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harlequin
Harlequin (; it, Arlecchino ; lmo, Arlechin, Bergamasque pronunciation ) is the best-known of the '' zanni'' or comic servant characters from the Italian ''commedia dell'arte'', associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by 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. The Harlequin is characterized by his checkered costume. His role is that of a light-hearted, nimble, and astute servant, often acting to thwart the plans of his master, and pursuing his own love interest, Columbina, with wit and resourcefulness, often competing with the sterner and melancholic Pierrot. He later develops into a prototype of the romantic hero. Harlequin inherits his physical agility and his trickster qualities, as well as his name, from a mischievous "devil" character in medieval passi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 , , and . Characterized by masked "types", was responsible for the rise of actresses such as Isabella Andreini and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. A , such as ''The Tooth Puller'', is both scripted and improvised. Characters' entrances and exits are scripted. A special characteristic of is the , a joke or "something foolish or witty", usually well known to the performers and to some extent a scripted routine. Another characteristic of is pantomime, which is mostly used by the character Arlecchino, now better known as Harlequin. The characters of the usually represent fixed social types and stock characters, such as foolish old men, devious servants, or military officers full of false bravado. The characters are exaggerat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zanni Callot
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".Rudlin, John. ''Commedia dell'arte: An Actors Handbook''. London: Routledge, 1994. 67. Print."Immigrant" in Italy at the time of the city-states did not mean someone from outside of Italy but rather someone from outside the city, an itinerant 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 person. The longer the nose on the characters mask the more foolish the character. Origin of the name The name ''Zanni'' (as well as ''Zuan'') is a variant of the name ''Gianni'' and was common in the Lombard-Venetian countryside which provided most of the servants to the wealthy nobles and merchants of Venice. In Italian it is specifically a name of someone whose identity ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zanni Mask
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".Rudlin, John. ''Commedia dell'arte: An Actors Handbook''. London: Routledge, 1994. 67. Print."Immigrant" in Italy at the time of the city-states did not mean someone from outside of Italy but rather someone from outside the city, an itinerant 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 person. The longer the nose on the characters mask the more foolish the character. Origin of the name The name ''Zanni'' (as well as ''Zuan'') is a variant of the name ''Gianni'' and was common in the Lombard-Venetian countryside which provided most of the servants to the wealthy nobles and merchants of Venice. In Italian it is specifically a name of someone whose identity ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Burratino
Burattino, also Burrattino or Burratino, is a minor ''commedia dell'arte'' character of the zanni (or second zanni) class. Name In Italian burattino means "puppet", although it is not clear whether the ''commedia dell'arte'' character was called Burattino because he moved like a puppet or puppets acquired the name because of Burattino. Though only mildly popular on the stage, he found his real fame in the marionette theater. According to Pierre-Louis Duchartre, the puppet named Burattino became so popular in Italy, that "by the end of the sixteenth century, all marionettes operated by strings and a wire were called ''burattini'', instead of'' bagatelli'' or ''fantoccini'', as they had been known up to that time." Today, the Italian word ''burattino'' can also refer to a hand puppet. Duchartre also reproduces two illustrations from 1594 with Burattino, in which he wears a costume similar to Zani's but with a characteristic flat round hat. Tommaso Garzoni (1549–1589) associate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zan Ganassa
Zan Ganassa (, ; – c. 1584) was the stage name of an early actor-manager of Commedia dell'arte, whose company was one of the first to tour outside Italy.Senelick 1995a, p. 409. Ganassa's real name was probably Alberto NaseliHartnoll 1983, "Ganassa, Zan" pp. 313–314. (also spelled Naselli). He was known for playing ''zanni'', comic servant roles, hence his stage name, and is one of the first actors believed to have played the ''zanni'' subtype known as Harlequin (''Arlecchino'' in Italian), which subsequently became one of the most important leading roles in Commedia dell'arte plays. Ganassa is first mentioned in 1568 as the leader of a troupe in Mantua. After his troupe had performed in Paris in 1571, they were invited by Charles IX of France to take part of the festivities surrounding the marriage of the King of Navarre (later Henry IV) to Charles's sister Marguerite de Valois in August 1572.Baschet 1882pp. 24–26 From 1574 to 1584 Ganassa performed in Spain during the reig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brighella
Brighella (in Bergamasque dialect: ''Brighèla'') 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 ' (also ' or ', depending on region) or slap stick, 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 (traditionally olive-green) 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. He is loosely categorized as one of the ''zanni'' or servant characters though he often was portrayed as a member of the middle class such as a tavern owner: his character could be adapted to whatever the needs to the scenario might be, j ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pantalone
Pantalone , spelled Pantaloon in English, is one of the most important principal characters found in . 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". Robert Henke ''Performance and literature in the commedia dell'arte'', Improvisation and characters, Individual roles, pp. 19–24 Character Pantalone originated as part of a master/servant duo and was the original il Magnifico stock character. Carlo Goldoni, in his memoirs, named Pantalone as one of the four primary Commedia dell'Arte characters. Among other things, Pantalone is a character of Venetians; one theory is that his name derives from Saint Pantaleon (''San Pantalone''), a popular saint in Venice. Another theory is that his name derives from Venetian merchants who were called Piantaleoni. While the theories of the St Pantaleone and the lion of St Mar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scapino
Scapino, or Scapin, is a zanni character from the commedia dell'arte. His name is related to the Italian word "scappare" (to escape) and his name translates to “little escape artist” in reference to his tendency to flee from fights, even those he himself begins. He has been dated to the last years of the 16th century, and his creation is sometimes credited to Niccolò Barbieri.Niccolò Barbieri' He is a Bergamo native, and was popularized by the actor Francesco Gabrielli. Costume Later versions show his costume with green (or sometimes turquoise) and white stripes, similar to Mezzetino's red and white, but Jacques Callot, Callot shows Scapino in an outfit similar to the early Brighella's, white with a tabaro and a sword on his belt, and topped with a torn hat adorned with feathers. He is in fact a variant on Brighella, more cowardly and less clever. Some people call him Brighella's brother, some his son. Character Scapino tends to make a confusion of anything he undertakes an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mezzettino
Mezzetino, also Mezzettino, (Pron. ''met-zeh-TEE-no'') is a character from the ''commedia dell'arte'' and is considered by Duchartre to be a variant on the stock character Brighella. His name means "Half-Measure (of liquor)" in Medieval Italian, and he is sometimes called in French and English plays "Mezzetin". He first appeared in the 16th century. Mezzetino is an adept schemer and trouble-maker, willing to commit acts of violence if necessary, but on the whole a little calmer than his brother Brighella, and much more gentle and cultivated, especially in his later life. He is often very musically inclined, and can sing and dance with skill. His character can vary greatly: he can be a loyal servant or simply scheming for his master's downfall; he can be a deceitful husband or be deceived by his wife. He also seems to be rather more interested in the ladies than is Brighella, often coming over as rather creepy in his efforts to flirt. His costume has gone through similar variat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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