Christopher Bayes is known as one of the best interpreters of classical comedy in the world. He is currently the Head of Physical Acting at Yale School of Drama.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION

Playwright Carlo Goldoni (1707-1793) is considered the founder of the “Italian realistic comedy.” He is known for incorporating commedia dell’arte stock characters into full length plays. In 1743 Goldoni wrote The Servant of Two Masters which became his most popular play. The Servant of Two Masters has been adapted numerous times at theatres all over the world.

An adaptor transposes an existing text with the freedom to put his or her personal spin on the story. Constance Congdon took Goldoni’s original The Servant of Two Masters and altered it for a modern audience while containing the spirit of the original. You may notice many pop culture references in the production, those were added primarily by the adaptor, though some may also have been created by the cast and director and written into the script. Congdon is a playwright and adaptor who is best known for her play Tales of the Lost Formicans and her adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s A Mother.

-Hannah Ray Montgomery for Yale Repertory Theatre’s WILL POWER! Study Guide, 2010

Why stage Goldoni today? Do you think that we relate a lot differently to commedia today than people might have in the 1700s?

“Commedia is a living form. It is not a recreation or historical re-enactment. It comes alive with the new breath of each audience. We see stock characters that we recognize and relate to in every performance. We see reflections of commedia in sitcoms, “SNL”, and “The Simpsons.” We laugh at idiotic logic and desperate attempts to cover our mistakes no matter what century they came from. The main trigger for laughter is surprise. Sometimes we are surprised by a trick. Sometimes we are surprised by the sheer audacity of the performance. Sometimes we are surprised that a bad idea leads to something remarkable. Or that something stupid can turn into something brilliant, simple, and human. I have a feeling that what surprises us also surprised people in the eighteenth century. We haven’t changed that much. Although I do think that we bathe more often. And we have the iPhone…what a surprise.”

Carlo Goldoni statue, located in Campo San Bortolomìo square in Venice, sculpted by Antonio Dal Zotto in 1883.

Chris Bayes, photo by Mara Lavitt.

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2013-2014 SEASON

In the commedia dell’arte style, servant Truffaldino attempts to serve two masters in the hope of double wages and double dinners.

directed by Christopher Bayesadapted by Constance Congdon

from a translation by Christina Sibul

–Emmy Miller for Yale Repertory Theatre’s WILL POWER! Study Guide, 2010CHARACTER SKETCHES COURTESY OF VALÉRIE THÉRÈSE BART, THE COSTUME DESIGNER FOR THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS.

WHAT IS ?

STOCK CHARACTERS

Pantalone Mask

Doctor Mask

Arlecchino Mask

Brighella Mask

Pantalone An egotistical father obsessed with money. Think Mr. Crabs from “Spongebob Squarepants.” Pantalone’s mask has a long nose, bushy eyebrows, and white hair.

Imagine roaming the streets of a large Italian city in the 16th century. Suddenly you are pulled in by a small band of actors and asked to become part of an audience for an outdoor performance. You watch as masked actors improvise a play based on a scenario. You laugh, perhaps cry and at the end of the show you might even throw a small donation into a hat passed around by the cast.

This form of street performance is called commedia dell’arte, and it is responsible for the birth of one of the most popular forms of entertainment: improvisation.

Commedia actors travelled together in troupes from city to city to perform for locals. The skill of the actors was the most essential component to a successful commedia production. The actors needed to be able to take a structure of a story and improvise the lines and actions in between. They also wore character masks and had to express themselves using their entire bodies rather than relying on facial expressions.

A defining element of commedia is that the characters stay the same, however the story is told. These characters are known as “Stock Characters” and have specific personalities, costumes, and ways of speaking. Each stock character is also defined by the detailed mask it wears.

Familiarize yourself with some Italian before watching The Servant of Two Masters which takes place in Venezia, Italy.

Grazie: Thank you

Signore: Mr.Singnora: Mrs.Teatro: TheatreMaschere: Masks

Avanti: Onwards!Andate: Go!

Lucciole: FirefliesDottore: Doctor

Mangi: Eat

Amore: Love

Prego: Please

Amarmi pazzamente:“Love me madly”

The Lovers The boy and girl who are completely in love with each other and think about nothing else. Think Romeo and Juliet from Shakepeare’s famous play. The Lovers normally do not wear masks.

The Doctor The self-proclaimed doctor who is the father of one of the lovers. Think Wile E. Coyote from Warner Brothers cartoons. The Doctor wears a quarter-mask with rosy cheeks and a mustache.

Arlecchino The comic servant who is stupid and gluttonous. Think Spongebob from “Sponge-bob Squarepants.” Arlecchino wears a brown half-mask with a wide nose. The Arlecchino character is called Truffaldino in our play.

Brighella The selfish and manipulative tavern owner. Think the Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh. Brighella wears a green half-mask with a greedy expression.