The Commedia Dell'Arte: A Documentary History

Of the many contributions Italy has made to world theatre, the Commedia dell'arte remains the one of the most widely known and admired. Its influence on the work of pioneers of modern theatre, like Craig, Meyerhold, Reinhardt, and Copeau and of modern ballet and opera, like Diaghilev, Stravinsky and Prokofiev, was substantial and it continues to be an inspiration in the theatre today. It flourished for well over two hundred years, from the mid 16th century to the mid 18th century, and exercised a wide influence throughout Europe, from England to Spain, to Sweden, Poland and Russia. Yet even though we have been left a rich visual record, and great range and variety of documentary materials, the Commedia dell'arte remains in many respects elusive. What were its origins? Was it from the beginning dominated by the masked players? How much of it was improvised, and what were the nature and techniques of the improvization the players practised? This illustrated documentary history brings together a large selection of some the most important documents illustrative of the activities of the Italian companies - including letters, contracts and descriptions of players and performances, as well as examples of scenarii, lazzi, dialogues and soliloquies. Each group of documents is prefaced by an introductory account designed to place the documents in context and provide an overview of the history and characteristics of the Commedia dell'arte.