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Commedia
Glossary
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- Amarosa/Amaroso
- One of the many terms for the young lover, also called
innamorata/o, enamorada/o, etc. Historically
usually speaking in Tuscan Dialect.
- Argument
- The events that have led up to the action about to be
revealed in the play; the background story.
- Battacio
- A slapstick. Carried by, and one of the defining characteristics
of, Arlecchino.
- Battute
- Stock dialogs or repartees.
- Bergamask
- Someone from, or in the style of the city of Bergamo.
- Bergamo
- A city in northern Italy, the traditional home of the
zanni (cf.) Arlecchino and Brighella.
- Bravura
- Boasts and bragging, especially for the Capitano.
- Buffoni
- Collective term for early solo (and pairs) standup comedians.
- Buongiorno
- Literally, "Good Day", i Sebastiani's traditional
introduction for any of its plays. It is a short, hyperbolic
speech which introduces the audience to the troupe and sets
the scene for the play. i Sebastiani uses "Buon Giorno"
regardless of the time of day. See also "bravura".
- Burle
- By-play between characters, this is usually dumbshow bits
going on behind the main verbal action, such as servants
mocking their masters.
- Canovaccio
- a description of a scene or bit; used by some to refer
to the entire scenario.
- Capocomico
- Head Comic, the leader of a Commedia Troupe.
- Capitano
- The Braggart Soldier, any of the several characters who
were military men in the scenarios, including especially
Coccodrillo, Matamoros, and Spavento.
They were usually proud to be a soldier, a great prize for
women (at least in his own mind), and somewhat timid in
real combat. Historically usually speaking with Spanish
or Neapolitan accent, or Tuscan if he is also a lover. Prone
to military or martial metaphors.
- Commedia dell'Arte
- This is a term used for professional improvized Italian-style
Masked Comedy of the 16th and 17th centuries. Antonio Fava
points out that this really represents 'all theater' in
the time period of interest. The term was not in use in
the 16th century. The term can roughly be translated to
Comedy (or happy songs) by people in theatercraft. Some
terms used during our period of interest include Commedia
Italiana, Commedia Improvvisa, or the more specific,
Commedia di Zanni (for servant comedy), or Commedia
di Gratiani (for pedant comedy). The pejorative terms
Commedia d'Istrioni, Commedia Mercenaria,
and Commedia a Braccio (off the cuff) were also sometimes
used.
- Commedia Erudita
- Contemporary with Commedia dell'Arte, this was academic
recitation of memorized plays without elaborate costumes,
masks, sets, or professional actors. Today this is a term
used to distinguish scripted plays from improvised plays,
within Commedia circles.
- Concetti
- Stock rhetorical passages such as a long lover's lament.
- Cuccagna
- A mythic place where people are paid to sleep and punished
for working. Often cited by Secondo Zanni.
- Doge
- The head of government in Venice.
- Dottore
- A character who represents the appearance of learning,
and a thirst for debate. Most often he reveals his foolishness
by misuse of words or concepts. Nonetheless, he is a respected
man by the characters in the play. Historically usually
speaking in Bolognese dialect.
- Ducat
- The basic big unit of currency, Florin can also be used.
- Grummelot
- Nonsense sounds that imitate a particular foreign language
or dialect, such as Rar Rar Rue Rall Roar Rah Roe
for Texan-American (as barking dog).
- Ingiurie
- Insults, especially detailed clever ones
- Intermezzo
- A piece of music or performance between acts of the play.
Plural is intermedi.
- Lazzi
- Plural of Lazzo. A non-improvised scene or action
which typically does not move the plot. This can be a dance,
a song, a flight of fancy, or other such as the actor(s)
create(s). In any case, it must be a crowd pleaser if it
lasts more than five seconds. There are many guesses as
to the origin of this term. It may be short for 'the action'
in Italian.
- Magnifico
- The well-to-do miser in the play, usually Pantalone
dei Bisognosi. Historically, usually speaking in Venetian
dialect. Prone to pecuniary metaphors.
- Mask, Maschere
- Can refer to either the physical mask, or the character
who wears it. Collectively it can also refer to Commedia
dell'Arte characters including those who don't wear physical
masks.
- Minaccie
- Threats especially by the Capitano, First Zanni, or Pantalone
- Mountebank
- The man with the sales pitch before the show in a street
environment. Classically selling remedy for snake bite.
Often he/she is a Charlatan.
- Neapolitan
- From Southern Italy, especially Naples. Neapolitan Commedia
dell'Arte is dominated by the character Pulcinella,
and is regarded as post-Sixteenth Century.
- Parti Ridicole
- Ridiculous characters. Every character except the lovers
and scheming [first] servant.
- Pastoral
- A Commedia Scenario involving Gods, Nymphs, Fairies, or
historical figures, with some traditional Commedia characters
thrown in to the story. Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's
Dream might be quite similar. Flaminio Scala's Scenarios
include one of these at the end called The Enchanted
Wood. Of course Beethoven's Sixth Symphony comes
to mind, but that is two centuries too late for us.
- Pazzia
- Mad scene, artistically played by the prima donna.
- Prima Donna
- First female lover. Usually the troupe's diva, or at least
someone who can be sincere.
- Primo Zanni
- The clever intriguing servant, such as Pedrolino
or Brighella.
- Saltembanco
- Literally, 'the guy who leaps onto the bench'. In street
presentations, this is the person who draws the crowd with
some pitch or another. He/she can also be called a Mountebank.
- Scenario
- An outline for an improvised play. Some people use this
term to refer to a single scene within the outline.
- Scudo/Scudi
- The basic small unit of currency.
- Secondo Zanni
- The servant who is dimwitted, superstitious, or easily
led, distracted, or confused, such as Arlecchino,
Zanni, or maybe Burattino. Historically speaking
usually in Bergamask dialect, though Arlecchino did not.
- Servetti
- Everyone of servant class in a scenario.
- Stage Business
- Simple actions to convey a mood or idea, such as a double-take,
or hip-wiggle.
- Stanza
- A large indoor room where a performance would take place,
frequently upstairs in a customs house, to accommodate the
traveling nature of the troupes.
- Stock Characters
- A term used today to describe Commedia's collection of
established stage characters. Generally a Commedia scenario
tells a story. This story is fleshed out using the characters
available to the troupe. If the cast of Gilligan's Island
were to present the story of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
using their stock characters, they would still be "Gilligan,
the Skipper, A Millionaire and his wife..." but their
relationships might be different, for example, the Howells
might not be a couple, and the Professor might be Mrs.'
Howell's fussy smarty-pants valet, Gilligan could work for
Ginger, and MaryAnn would be dressed like a boy.
- Stock Speeches
- Speeches or conceits that an actor has at the ready. Often
these are lifted (at least conceptually) from popular literature
of the day.
- Tirate
- Solo tirades, often unconnected to the plot, usually performed
by the Dottore or Secondo Zanni.
- Vecchi
- The old men in a scenario, usually Pantalone and
the Dottore.
- Zanni
- Both the character Zanni, and a collective term
referring to all servants, especially in the early days
of Commedia dell'Arte when they were mostly called Zan.
- Zibaldone
- Common-book, also called Generici, a book of notes
and stock speeches, maxims, proverbs, riddles, and Lazzi
descriptions for a single player for a single character.
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