Comedy dell’arte is an Italian theater form based on improvisation and fixed types of figures, with a use of comic masks. The first troupes of the new theater, that improved improvisation and established the system of masks, existed from the middle of the 16th century to the middle of the 18th century.
A face mask was taken from the carnival, where it was a common item. But it is documented from an older era as well, before the comedy dell’arte, from a traditional theater.
Today, a face with its muscle movements is considered to be an important chance to reflect a state of mind. That may be carried out with a film and TV detail. However, in a theater only the people sitting in the first lines can be watching the face-play.
Comedy dell’arte is an Italian theater form based on improvisation and fixed types of figures, with a use of comic masks. The first troupes of the new theater, that improved improvisation and established the system of masks, existed from the middle of the 16th century to the middle of the 18th century.
Concentrating on the expression of the face, an actor often misses out the movements of the body. But even body itself expresses psychical changes. A mask is silent when a body is not talking. If the body limbers up, the mask speaks volumes more then a neat face without a mask. That is why motion is so important in the comedy dell’arte. Italian actors were playing with the whole body excercised even in acrobatic feats.
Only the comic personages were wearing face masks. Neither lovers, nor women had masks on.
The oldest masks in the comedy dell’arte were outrageously grotesque, they were demonizing, later subtilizing.
They were covering the whole face, except lips and chin. Masks were made from a skin that was stretched on a wooden mould, or from a wax millboard . Their colour was usually brown or black. The first masks workroom is mentioned in the middle of the 16th century in Modena; this workroom was supplying the carnival and comedy dell’arte with masks.
Masks were rising and dying away according to the season and conditions, but the origin of the basic masks of the comedy dell’arte is tangible. The basic masks of the old lords and servants – though not in the improved shape that was given by profesional theater – appeared already in the square with jokers, helpers of charlatans and others, in the carnival or in the simple forms of the popular theater. Masks of the commedia dell’arte were developing, sometimes they were receding from the stage and some of them disapeared completely, for instance the mask of the Captain. They lived on the stage as long as they had something to say. The fixed types were not, however, limiting the creative actor’s work. They were the base for fenovation, enriching and formation of the personage. The fixed type was not an obstruction, but it was a resourceful instrument allowing a free play.
A mask (type) was represented by one actor and just in exceptional cases he was alternated. There are records about actors who played their personages until an old age and they were known under their names. That is also why we have reports about a perfect interpretation of certain types by some artists. When a famous personator of Harlequin, G. D. Biancolelli, died in Paris, there was news going around the town: Arlequin est mort.
The exterior or the masks is imitated from life. People with certain attributes usually have similar appearance. A certain physical feature is usually associated with certain psychical character. This experience is often reflected in the figures of the comedy dell’arte. That is why a mask is represented by an actor of a long, dry stature, other one by a small person. It is a big advantage of a mask that it is not necessary to be explaining too many things, because the attributes are well known. Its costume, face mask, and perhaps a physical size determine the key in which the mask will be playing.
Masks are distinguished by name, a costume, a face mask, a special way of speaking and special mimic stylization and specialities of acting. The basic groupes of types in the comedy dell’arte are comic types- old lords and servants, and non-comic types – lovers (plus some other personages subsidiary or random).
At the comic types, which are the most important ones in the comedy dell’arte, we can observe that they are not by far steady or fixed; their solidarity with collective is loosening. It was very common in the case of outstanding actors – soloist, stars. But we also have testimony to the fact that an audience was protesting when the interpretation of a personage was too freed