Preparing for Commedia dell’Arte

Abstract

Commedia dell’Arte comes alive when played passionately by characters with an unquenchable need. Commedia is a theatre of contrasts. It moves from Order to Disorder, Chaos, Disaster and back to Order and a Happy Ending. Masks and improvisational play distinguish Commedia from other theatre forms, and the spectacular nature of each character’s play. Commedia dell’Arte is alive today because audiences see themselves on stage dealing with the fools they meet daily. It will never die as long as their are great masters like Carlo Mazzone-Clementi, Giovanni Fusetti and Antonio Fava to share the form, and fools to poke fun at in the world.