The History of Theatre

The RenaissanceThe History of TheatreThe Renaissance was a period of great scientific, exploratory, and cultural expansion in EuropeIt began in the 14th century in Florence, ItalyIt spread through the rest of Europe over the next 300 yearsWhat was the Renaissance

Renaissance theatre took the developments of the medieval era and expanded upon themMasques were evolved from courtly shows done before kings and queensThey combined music, dancing, theatre, and elaborate setsThey usually celebrated the life of the noble it was written forRoyals often had a role in the masque. Louis XIV of France danced ballet in his masque.The MasqueIn England, the dumbshow was a kind of masque with an allegorical themeDumbshows were silent pantomimes, and were often included as a play-within-a-playOne of the most famous dumbshows seen today is the Murder of Gonzago scene in Shakespeares HamletDumbshow

Commmedia dellArte emerged in Italy during the 16th centuryThe name translates to comedy of artCommedia was generally improvised theatre, which was inspired by given scene ideas or ScenariosCommedia also utilized several stock characters in the performance of the scenariosCommedia dellArteThe characters originally were meant to represent different districts and towns in ItalyThere were three main divisions of characters in Commedia dellArteServantMasterInnamorati (lover)

Some of the most notable named characters in Commedia were Harlequin, Pantalone, Il Dottore, Il Capitano, Scaramucha, and the InnamoratiThe main roles of CommediaThe innamorati were the lovers in CommediaTheir sole purpose was to be in love with one another, and more importantly, themselvesThey were usually separated by some force at the beginning of the playBy the end, they are almost always reunitedInnamorati

Scaramucha was a clownHe usually wore a black mask and black clothingHe was usually a buffoon or boastfulWas in some ways related to Il CapitanoScaramucha

Often a foreigner, Il Capitano claims to be a military heroHis reputation is often safe only by his foreign natureBoasts of his bravery and conquests, but is often the first to run from a fightHas trouble talking to womenIl Capitano

Il dottore is an old man whose purpose is to be an obstacle to the young loversIs usually lonely, angry, and never listens to anyone elseUsually obese, constantly eating and drinkingHis mask is unique in that it only covers the forehead and noseIl Dottore

Pantalone is the money man in CommediaHe is rich and exceedingly greedyBecomes the butt of many jokes in the playUsually the father of one of the loversWears red tights and jacket, black hat and cloak, and a mask with a hooked nosePantalone

Harlequin is one of the most well-known characters in CommediaA comic servant or ZanniPhysically agile, but also gluttonousHas a distinct costume of black and red diamondsHarlequin

The influence of Commedia dellArte on theatre was immense and is still seen todayMany of the scenarios used in Commedia are still utilized as plots in comediesOne classic example was William Shakespeares The TempestThe stock characters can be seen in many characters in TV and film todayThe Influence