The following notes about Ruffiana come from the Yahoo Commedia Group in response to a reader request for information on Ruffiana. These messages appeared starting on Oct 12, 2003. Some messages in the thread were not specifically about Ruffiana, and are not included here.

Jay Cross (Sun Oct 12, 2003 8:46 pm)
I can't find much specifically written about Ruffiana the Gossip. Gossip characters have been in Commedia since before there were women in the troupes [played by old men in drag]. Later, played by women.
Normally, Ruffiana would be a witty old women who thinks she is doing good, when she does matchmaking, or exaggerating stories. She might also be a whorehouse madam. Almost certainly is experienced sexually, and remembers how to do it well. Servant class in both dress and demeanor.
There is an old document that says she might be played like the Celestina character in Rojas' famous tragicomedy. I found a few interesting lines for Ruffiana there, but not a wealth of it.
I've found nothing written about characteristic movement, colors, or iconic props.

Marco Lully (Sun Oct 12, 2003 8:48 PM)
Well, as far as I know in CdA doesn't exist a character like that. Ruffiana, in Italian, means "female pimp" and this name can possibly be given to a female servant who tries to arrange dates/marriage for her mistress/master. Either because she is something like that or just with a diminutive meaning, to offend that her. But Ruffiana is not a character herself.
(Sun Oct 12, 2003 9:03 PM) To support what Jay says, maybe a few knows that there is an interesting prologue of the early XVII century, where an actress says that she needs to read the Rojas's text "La Celestina" to: better learn how to play the role of la ruffiana. Where the word ruffiana doesn't point to a character but to an attitude of a character i.e. a pimp. In the Rojas's text Celestina is an old and very experienced woman who used to run a brothel.

Wendy in Akron (Mon Oct 13, 2003 12:10 PM)
Regarding the "Ruffiana" discussion: Whether or not such a character existed in days long ago shouldn't dissuade anyone from creating one for a contemporary troupe, especially if you are in need of more female roles. We have one such character we call Gossipetta.

Paul B. Joiner (Tue Oct 14, 2003 5:23 PM)
I've not been contributing to the group in quite some time. I'd like to take this opportunity to brag on one of my fellow troupe members here in Austin (i Megalomani).
Kate created a Ruffiana based solely upon ruminations about the Italian etymology already mentioned. She applied her make-up by first closing her eyes and then deliberately trying to miss. Her jet black nylon wig was not quite right until after it had been run through the dishwasher (or so the legend goes). Her primary prop was a bottle of Jim Beam. She was the butt of a running gag in which everything she sat on was thereafter either sticky or slippery depending upon the whim of her fellow performers.
The audiences loved her. However, I recommend against cat jokes.

Genevieve Davis (Thu Oct 16, 2003 2:43 PM)
As for Ruffiana, I apparently created a variation on her when I wrote the character of the insatiable, elderly "La Libidinosa", servetta to a courtesan, in my scenario, "The Facts of Life."

John Achorn (Fri Oct 17, 2003 5:45 PM)
La Ruffiana is less an actual stock character than a generic role occasionally added to a scenario. She is in Italian Renaissance lore an older Courtesan (another character not much revived)who helps in the procurement of younger women for lascivious men. In the northern tradition she was used this way primarily as a gossip to confuse the plot or move it along, depending on the story need. In the Neapolitan tradition, often going by the title "La Guaissa" (Trouble maker, or as I like to say, "Here comes trouble")and was often connected as a younger version with Pulcinella. The Neapolitan tradition didn't adhere to the fast rules of stock characters that the Venetian did, so her type could also become a sort of Rusticana - or herb woman, midwife, the older woman who knows how to guide us to the natural way of things...