Commedia dell'arteCommedia 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.
LazziLazzi (; from the Italianlazzo, a joke or witticism) 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 commediascenarios.
LibrettoA libretto (from the Italian word libretto, lit.'booklet') is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term libretto is also sometimes used to refer to the story line of a ballet or the texts of major liturgical works, such as the Mass, requiem, or sacred cantata. The Italian word libretto (pronounced, plurallibretti) is the diminutive of the word ("book").
CanovaccioA canovaccio is a scenario used by commedia dell'arte players. It consisted only of a list of acts and scenes; the details were left to the improvisation of the actors. Actors in the commedia dell'arte thus had to be endowed with an inventive mind since the success of the play depended largely on their creativity and above all on their lazzi (jokes and gags). The spotlight fell on the actors rather than on the play itself.
Improvisational theatreImprovisational theatre, often called improvisation, improv, or impro in British English, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted, created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story, and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script.
Italian languageRomance languageItalian (italiano, pronounced, or lingua italiana, pronounced) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family. It is a standardised form of literary Florentine Tuscan and, together with Sardinian, is the least differentiated language from Latin. Current estimates indicate that between 68 and 85 million people speak Italian, including approximately 64 million native speakers as of 2024.
Performing artsArt forms involving live performanceA performance of the ballet Swan LakeThe performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which produce physical or static objects. Performing arts include a range of disciplines which are performed in front of a live audience, including theatre, music, and dance.
BalletBallet (French:) is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary. Ballet has been influential globally and has defined the foundational techniques which are used in many other dance genres and cultures.
OperaArt form combining sung text and musical score in a theatrical settingMacbeth at the Savonlinna Opera Festival in St. Olaf's Castle, Savonlinna, Finland, in 2007La Scala of MilanPalais Garnier of the Paris OpéraOpera is a form of Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers.
RenaissanceEuropean cultural period of the 14th to 17th centuriesThe Renaissance (UK: , US: ) was a European period of history and cultural movement taking place at the end of the Late Middle Ages and the beginning of the early modern era. It is variously defined as covering the 15th and 16th centuries or, more broadly, as lasting from the 14th century to the 17th.
Theatrical producerA theatrical producer is a person who is primarily responsible for providing or procuring financial resources for developing a theatreproduction. The producer oversees the managerial and financial aspects of the production such as budgeting and managing contracts with venues, personnel, and investors. HistoryThe role of theatrical producers dates back to ancient times.
American EnglishAmerican English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the U.S., as well as the common language used in government, education, and commerce in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and in all U.S. territories except Puerto Rico. Since the late 20th century, American English has become the most influential form of English worldwide.scenarioRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.