Commedia dell'Arte Scenarios [1 ed.] 0367608367, 9780367608361

Citation preview

COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE SCENARIOS

Commedia dell’Arte Scenarios g athers together a collection of scenarios from some of the most important commedia dell’arte manuscripts, many of which have never been published in English before. Each script is accompanied by an editorial commentary that sets out its historical context and the backstory of its composition and dramaturgical strategies, as well as scene summaries and character and properties lists. These supplementary materials not only create a comprehensive picture of each script’s performance methods but also offer a blueprint for readers looking to perform the scenarios as part of their own study or professional practice. This collection offers scholars, performers, and students a wealth of original performance texts that bring to life one of the most foundational performance genres in world theatre. Sergio Costola is Associate Professor of Theatre at Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas.

COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE SCENARIOS

Edited by Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

First published 2022 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 selection and editorial matter, Sergio Costola; individual chapters, the contributors The right of Sergio Costola to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 978-0-367-60838-5 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-60836-1 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-10067-6 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003100676 Typeset in Bembo by Apex CoVantage, LLC

CONTENTS

List of figures Acknowledgments Preface Notes on the translation

viii x xii xviii

PART I

An introduction to commedia dell’arte Introduction: the dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte Sergio Costola The secret of the commedia dell’arte 3 The birth of commedia dell’arte 6 The companies and their composition 7 The stock characters of the commedia dell’arte 13 The scenarios of the commedia dell’arte 16 The generici or zibaldoni 21 The lazzo 23 The folds of the commedia dell’arte 25 Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso and the commedia dell’arte 31 The Madness of Orlando. Opera eroica rappresentativa (Locatelli collection) 39 Orlando’s madness. Opera reale (Corsiniana collection) 59

1 3

vi

Contents

PART II

The collections of scenarios 1

Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586 (Madrid, Real Biblioteca) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

77

79

Primary text 80 Recent editions and translations 81 The Three Cuckolds (I tre becchi)– canovaccio 82 Two Crazy People (Doi pazzi)– canovaccio 86 Perseus (Perseo)– canovaccio 89 2

Flaminio Scala, Il teatro delle favole rappresentative (Venice, 1611) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

96

Primary text 98 Recent editions and translations 98 The Jealous Old Man (Il Vecchio Geloso)–comedy 99 The Husband (Il Marito)–comedy 109 The Tooth-Puller (Il Cavadente)–comedy 119 The Mirror (Lo Specchio)–comedy 129 The Madness of Isabella (La pazzia d’Isabella)–comedy 139 3

Raccolta di scenari più scelti d’histrioni divisi in due volumi. Codices 651 and 652, manuscripts 45.G5 and 45.G6 (Rome, Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

153

Primary text 155 Recent editions and translations 155 Elisa Alii Bassà (Elisa Alii Bassà)–Turkish opera 156 The Nobility of Bertolino (La nobiltà di Bertolino)– Tragicomedy 161 The Enchanted Fount (Il fonte incantato)–Pastoral 164 4

Basilio Locatelli, Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici di B. L. R. Manuscripts 1211 and 1212 (Rome, Biblioteca Casanatense) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick Primary text 173 Recent editions and translations 173

171

Contents

vii

Zanni Puts on Airs (Le grandezze di Zanni)–Tragicomedy 174 The Two Look-Alikes by Plautus (Li duo simili di Plauto)– Comedy 185 A Comedy Within a Comedy (La commedia in commedia)– Comedy 194 5

Ciro Monarca, Dell’opere regie. Manuscript 4186 (Rome, Biblioteca Casanatense) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

204

Primary text 205 Recent editions and translations 206 The Thunderstruck Atheist (L’ateista fulminato) 207 6

Anonymous Manuscript Correr. Manuscript 1040 (Venice, Museo Correr) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

218

Primary text 220 Recent editions and translations 220 The Honest Courtesan (La cortigiana onesta)–Comedy 221 The Three Captains (Tre Capitani)–Comedy 228 7

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41. (Naples, Biblioteca Nazionale) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

236

Primary text 237 Recent editions and translations 237 Pulcinella in Love (Pulcinella innamorato) 238 Arcadia Enchanted (Arcadia incantata) 242 The Lady as Pulcinella (Donna Zanni) 251 Bibliography Index

260 269

FIGURES

I.1 I.2 I.3 I.4

I.5

I.6

I.7

I.8

I.9

Scheme of a typical scenario Parts and roles: Elizabethan theatre Parts and roles: commedia dell’arte Image from the frontispiece to the scenario La nobiltà di Bertolino. Tragicommedia in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G6, c. 18r) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana Image of the title page of the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana Image of the title page to the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 1r) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana Image from the frontispiece to the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 2r) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana Image of Act One of the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 3r) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana Image of Act Two of the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 3v) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana

8 14 15

36

60

61

62

63

66

Figures

I.10

I.11

Image of Act Three of the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 4r) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana Image of the list of characters and properties of the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 4v) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana

ix

69

71

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book is the result of a long and multifaceted journey that took me to different countries on both sides of the Atlantic and that began in 2006, while I was collaborating as Resident Dramaturg with the Leon Katz Rhodopi International Theater Laboratory (RITL) in Smolyan, a small city in the Bulgarian Rhodopi mountains, where students and artists from all over the world used to gather each summer (2005–2012). There I had the pleasure to meet Alexander Lubenov Iliev, at the time Associate Professor at the National Academy in Sofia. An expert in movement traditions from around the world, Alexander Iliev has been an incredible mentor and supporter of my work. Using commedia dell’arte masks and techniques, we collaborated on the production of a series of pieces, all performed at the Rhodopi Dramatichen Teatar: The Virgin and the Unicorn (2007), Aristophanes’ The Birds (2008), Orlando Furioso (2010), and Hypatia (2011). In addition, Alexander Iliev, Tania Karbova, and I also collaborated on the creation of a commedia dell’arte workshop that was offered in 2008 at the Rhodopi Dramatichen Teatar, and in 2010 at the National Academy in Sofia and at the Vassil Indzhev Soring Laboratory in Ruse, a city on the border between Bulgaria and Romania. A few years later, I also began my archival research in Italy, where I had the pleasure to consult a variety of scenario collections from different manuscripts at libraries such as the Casanatense and Corsiniana in Rome and the National Library in Naples. I am especially grateful to Andrea Dibitonto and Giovanni Fraioli at the Academia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome for their precious help. During the same years, I also had the opportunity to share my work at a series of conferences (The International Conference on Commedia dell’Arte at the University of Windsor, Windsor Canada, 2013; The Sixteenth Century Society and Conference, New Orleans, 2014; The Global Improvisation Initiative Symposium at the UC Irvine and Chapman University 2017), where I either attended insightful paper presentations or received useful feedback from various

Acknowledgments xi

colleagues: Claudia Wier, Joan Schirle, Nikole Pascetta, Katrien van Beurden, Giulia Filacanapa, Carlo Boso, Javier Berzal de Dios, and Erica Stevens Abbitt. I am the primary writer of this volume, but Olly Crick has also contributed in a substantial way. While working individually on our own projects, Olly and I have constantly collaborated on each other’s volumes since we first met at the Global Improvisation Initiative Symposium. Olly and I are truly grateful to Nikole Pascetta for organizing the panel “Improv(is)ing Interculturality through Five Centuries of Commedia dell’Arte” and for bringing all of us together. My work at RITL with my students, my archival research, and my attendance at national and international conferences have all been made possible through numerous grants and awards by the generous support of my institution, Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. My appreciation goes to my colleagues, past and present, of the Theatre Department: Desiderio Roybal, Kerry Bechtel, John Ore, CB Goodman, Kathleen Juhl, Rick Roemer, and Paul Gaffney. A special thanks goes to my colleague and friend Michael Saenger, whose help with editing and content was instrumental for the completion of this book. All translations, unless otherwise stated, are my own, with the exception of the passages by German-speaking scholars, for which I would like to thank Joyce Crick.

PREFACE

This book offers a selection of newly translated commedia dell’arte scenarios from some of the most important Italian manuscript collections – most of which are currently unavailable in the English language – and presents a diachronic analysis of commedia dell’arte dramaturgical practices. Each single collection and scenarios are preceded by introductions offering a brief historical contextualization and a bibliography. The general introduction to the anthology serves instead the purpose of introducing the reader to the most recent trends in commedia dell’arte scholarship, with a particular emphasis on the books published in the Italian and English languages. It also addresses, among other things, the history of the term ‘commedia dell’arte’; a brief survey of the first companies and their composition; the format and dramaturgy of the scenarios; and, to conclude, an analysis of the relationship between commedia dell’arte and the Baroque culture, with specific references to two scenarios based on Ludovico Ariosto’s famous poem Orlando Furioso. There has been no edition of commedia scenarios from various collections to date in the English language: the editions of Flaminio Scala’s scenarios edited by Henry Salerno (1967) and Richard Andrews (2008) refer mainly to the one collection, as does the bilingual edition of the Casamarciano scenarios, edited by Francesco Cotticelli, Anne Goodrich Heck, and Thomas F. Heck (2001). Natalie Crohn-Schmitt’s recent partial edition of the Scala collection (2014) again focuses on the one source. The only similar book is the one edited by Anna Maria Testaverde (2007), which is available only in the Italian language. Roberto Cuppone (2001), in his “Appendix. Overview of the main known collections of scenarios” (136–138), lists about twenty known collections: the first one, dated 1568, is not properly speaking a collection, since it contains only a single scenario and is part of a work by Massimo Troiano meant to describe the entertainments organized for the wedding between William V, Duke of

Preface

xiii

Bavaria, and Renata of Lorraine, which took place in Munich on 22 February 1568. The last collection listed by Cuppone, Luigi Riccoboni’s Discorso della commedia all’improvviso (1743), showcases, among other things, six scenarios. We have decided to select seven collections for this anthology, chosen primarily on the basis of their importance in the evolution of the genre and also for the conspicuous number of scenarios therein contained – from the forty-eight contained in the Ciro Monarca collection to the 183 contained in the Casamarciano collection. The first three chapters offer a selection of scenarios from the oldest known collections that most probably belonged to professional actors. Chapter 1 presents the translation of three scenarios from the Zibaldone compiled between 1574 and 1580 by the actor Abagaro Frescobaldi, better known as Stefanelo Botarga, who toured throughout Spain as the Magnifico of the Zan Ganassa troupe (Ferrone 2014: 300–302). This is the oldest known collection of materials compiled by a professional actor, and its scenarios present clearly identifiable borrowings from the regular Italian comic, pastoral, and tragic dramaturgy (Testaverde 2007: xxxi). Chapter 2 contains the translation of five of the scenarios contained in the collection written by Flaminio Scala and printed in Venice in 1611. Scala, himself a professional actor who used to perform the young innamorato under the name Flavio, was also responsible for the only known collection to have been published in its entirety during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Chapter 3 contains three scenarios from the anonymous collection conserved in the Biblioteca Corsiniana in Rome and with bindings that have been dated between 1621 and 1642. This collection, however, seems to predate its binding, and according to Elsebeth Aasted, through external as well as internal evidence, it could be considered “the earliest extant collection of commedia dell’arte scenarios dating from the second half of the 1500’s,” thus placing the Corsini manuscripts “in a central position in commedia dell’arte research” (1991: 108). Chapter 4 introduces the reader to three scenarios from the collection compiled by Basilio Locatelli between 1618 and 1622 and conserved in the Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome. Because of the strong similarities of some of their plots, Anna Maria Testaverde (2007) believes Locatelli’s scenarios to be amateurish variations of the ones contained in the Corsiniana collection, and according to Cesare Molinari, the similarities between these two collections can also be understood as proof of the close relationship that existed between professional and amateur actors (1985: 43–44). This group of four collections, according to Anna Maria Testaverde (2007: xxx), represents the dramaturgical repertory of the golden age of the commedia dell’arte. The collections of scenarios showcased in the last three chapters of this book and compiled in the second half of the seventeenth century constitute examples of a well-established theatrical tradition ( Testaverde 2007: xxxvii). Chapter 5 presents a scenario from the collection compiled by Ciro Monarca and conserved in the Casanatense Library in Rome. This collection is very important because it contains only tragedies – opere regie or royal works – it has clearly been inf luenced by the plays of the Siglo de Oro by Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, and Calderón

xiv

Preface

de la Barca, and it is the only collection of the second half of the seventeenth century to have been compiled by the actors of a professional commedia dell’arte troupe. Chapter 6 highlights two scenarios from the anonymous collection that can be found in the library of the Museum Correr in Venice: according to Carmelo Alberti, the editor of the entire collection, these scenarios offer an idea of the “involution” of the practices of the commedia dell’arte, with the almost worn-out repetition of those dramaturgical modules based on the fixed types (1996: 21). Chapter 7, the last chapter, presents three scenarios from the lively and multifaceted theatre world of Naples, with the omnipresence of the Neapolitan masks of Pulcinella and Coviello. To select twenty-two scenarios out of more than six hundred is a daunting task and presupposes some arbitrary choices. However, the specific scenarios were chosen to make the reader aware of the broad spectrum of dramatic genres actually performed by the commedia dell’arte troupes – not only comedies but also pastorals, tragedies, tragicomedies, royal works, and Turkish plays, to name but a few – together with scenarios that were either presenting original stories or were instead adaptations of a variety of preexisting sources – poems, short stories from the Italian novella tradition, like Boccaccio’s Decameron, classical sources such as the plays by Plautus and Terence, plays from the Siglo de Oro, etc. Commedia dell’arte has achieved an almost mythical status among theatre makers, not because of its commercial successes within the twentieth and twentyfirst centuries (though there have been several) but because of its adoption by a succession of iconic practitioners who used the form, in their own way, to recreate, reform, reinvent or reenergize a theatre they saw as lacking in something vital. Whenever theatre became too cerebral, too shallow, too star-studded, too static, or too literary, there emerged voices claiming that a return to the spirit and practice of the ancient commedia dell’arte would resolve these issues and restore a missing vitality to the stage. What the spirit of commedia dell’arte actually is and what its ancient practices were are still a matter of debate and some disagreement. To broadly generalize, the ‘spirit of commedia’ is often identified within modern comedy as a feeling of unexpected joy and release in an audience, gained through laughter, as performed by actors who are not merely good at their trade but comic virtuosos to boot. Many worthy and highly relevant academic investigations of the genre have, when eventually hitting the twin brick walls of historical distance and the performance’s ephemerality, invoked or at least mentioned ‘the spirit of commedia’ as a significant element within their deliberations. How a person developed the skills to become a commedia virtuoso in the Renaissance is a matter of informed guesswork and conjecture based on an incomplete jigsaw of tantalizing fragments because, for various reasons, commedia dell’arte disappeared or evolved beyond its early roots at the time of the French revolution. What exists now as commedia dell’arte is an asynchronous and synthesized practice drawn from a variety of methodologies but mainly focused around the two cognate disciplines of theatre training and theatre performance.

Preface

xv

Although the most successful drive toward recreation occurred from 1946 onwards in Italy, attempts to recreate, revive or reinvent commedia dell’arte were, of course, made before 1946 (Stanislavsky, Mayerhold, Vakhtangov, Copeau, Reinhardt, and Brecht, to name but a few).1 This date is significant because the four theatre artists generally accepted as founders and inventors of the contemporary genre, Jacques Lecoq, Giorgio Strehler, Giovanni Poli and Carlo MazzoneClementi, are still present within living memory of the second generation, and in some cases the third generation of its practitioners (Crick 2019). The memory of their working practices still exists as a guiding force within practitioners today. Associated with these four exists a raft of significant other luminaries, including but not limited to Amleto Sartori, Dario Fo, Eduardo de Filippo, Leo de Berardinis, and Gianfranco di Boso.2 Significantly, the end of the Second World War also signaled an artistic freedom and optimism within which commedia dell’arte, among other art forms, could develop and f lourish. The downfall of fascism, especially in Italy, signaled a return to celebrating regional diversity through the arts. These four founders, of course, did not create their practice in an artistic vacuum. Giovanni Poli,3 for example, mentions Stanislavski’s method acting as a key element in his practice, and Lecoq traces his inf luence in a direct line to Jacques Copeau (1879–1949), who, “considered by many as the fore-father of a new way of making theatre” (Sartori 2015: 140), experimented with using comic masks in contemporary contexts with “Les Copiaus” in 1924 as part of this new approach (Frost and Yarrow 1990: 20–30). Copeau also trained Charles Dullin (1885–1949), who then inspired a young Pierre-Louis Duchatre to find out more about commedia dell’arte, resulting in the 1925 book (translated into English in 1929) The Italian Comedy, a work of seminal scholarship on commedia dell’arte. In Russia, Konstantin Mikaleševski (1886–1944) published a first draft in 1925 in Meyerhold’s Journal of Dr. Dapertutto, what was later to become the book La Commedia dell’Arte (1927) (published under the nom de plume of Constant Mic). Meyerhold himself experimented with commedia dell’arte, both in terms of creating work from a scenario rather than a full script and in the physical preparation of an actor (Frost and Yarrow 1990: 18–19). Etienne Decroux, the inventor of expressive Mime, was also a pupil of Copeau and also had as his pupil Marisa Flach, who was one of the artists responsible for movement training for Giorgio Strehler. Copeau’s inf luences included Maurice Sand’s illustrated book Masques et Bouffons (1862) and a friendship with Edward Gordon Craig (1872–1966), whose theatrical periodical The Mask (1908–1929) proselytized for, amongst other things, a return to the spirit of the historical commedia dell’arte. It is within this ref lexive web of practice, inf luence, and inspiration that the founders and reinventors of commedia dell’arte operated. Although the end of the Second World War can be seen as catalyzing artistic expression and the war itself potentially as only temporary blockage in artistic development, if there was one single event that signified the start of the current wave of reinvention, it was the meeting of Jacques Lecoq and Amleto Sartori at the University of Padua. Lecoq saw the masks produced by Amleto Sartori

xvi

Preface

for a production of Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author, directed by Gianfranco De Bosio in 1948 (Sartori 2015: 143). He subsequently invited Sartori, the then professor of sculpture, to his classes, where his students were busy making their own version of Copeau’s Noble Mask, and “with great respect and some compassion” (144) Sartori noted the masks were neutral only in name and announced he would take over the mask making. Later, Lecoq brought Sartori to the attention of Giorgio Strehler, and since then, Sartori masks have been associated with the Piccolo Theatre of Milan’s canonical production of Carlo Goldoni’s Arlecchino, Servant of Two Masters. Lecoq took Sartori masks with him when founded his (still running) school in Paris, and Mazzone-Clementi took a set of Sartori masks with him when he went to the United States. The intense focus on developing commedia through corporal acting or mime dramatique postwar is arguably different from the reinvention of Copeau, because of the specialist artistic expertise introduced by Donato Sartori (2015: 143). The design and finish of the Sartori masks arguably presented both actor and audience member with the ideal comedic vehicle for the genre. In 1946, the Piccolo Theatre of Milan reopened after the war and in 1947 introduced the world to Giorgio Strehler’s adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s Il servitore di due padroni (1753), retitled Arlecchino servitore di due padroni (Malia 2013: x). This show, now in about its tenth reincarnation, is still in repertoire and is arguably the most canonical of commedia shows within both the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Both Goldoni’s script and Strehler’s various productions of it are significant to contemporary Commedia. Goldoni captured Commedia as it was dying, diluted and disfigured, to record . . . the rhythmic system, the rhetoric and construction. . . . The Servant of Two Masters holds keys to unlock techniques of rehearsal, construction and performance that make Commedia such a success. If we peel away Goldoni’s words, what is revealed represents the scaffold on which the architects and storytellers of Commedia built their improvised scenarios. ( Hopkins 2015: 480) And whilst Strehler was conscious that what he was not doing was recreating commedia dell’arte, what he did do was to create a blueprint that showed what it might have been like, and by doing so inspired many who saw the production to make the attempt.4 This volume is arguably a result of that inspiration and, presenting to us a collection of scenarios previously unavailable in the English language, shows us from what few written words the ancient commedia actors constructed their performances. This, surely, required the virtuoso skills for which they were renowned and which are now the stock in trade of current teachers such as Carlo Boso, Antonio Fava, and the two schools founded by Carlo Mazzone-Clementi, appropriately enough called Dell’Arte and Commedia.5 Sergio Costola and Olly Crick

Preface

xvii

Notes 1 Regarding the relationship between commedia dell’arte and Stanislavski and Meyerhold, see Douglas Clayton (2015) and Ruffini (2018); for Jacques Copeau, see Consolini (2018); more in particular, for the staging of Carlo Gozzi’s commedia dell’arte plays by Meyerhold, Vakhtangov, and Brecht see Vazzoler (2018); for Max Reinhardt’s staging of Carlo Goldoni, see Fischer-Lichte (2018). 2 For the relationship between Eduardo de Filippo and commedia dell’arte, see Megale (2018); for Leo de Berardinis, see Filacanapa (2015b). 3 Regarding Giovanni Poli and the commedia dell’arte, see Filacanapa (2015a). 4 For an overview of the relationship between commedia dell’arte and experimental theatre, see Schino (2018) 5 On Carlo Boso and the commedia dell’arte, see Cottis (2015); for Antonio Fava see Rudlin (2015); for Mazzone-Clementi see Schirle (2015).

NOTES ON THE TRANSLATION

As Antoine Berman has noted in his “negative analytic” of translation, every translator is “inescapably exposed” to a play of “deforming forces,” a system that is the “internalized expression of a two-millennium-old tradition, as well as the ethnocentric structure of every culture, every language.” Thus, Berman continues, only languages that are “cultivated” translate (2000: 286). When a nonstandard literary – or non-cultivated – language is used, a triangulation between the source text, “standard translation,” and new “deviant or heterodox” translation becomes unavoidable. In this case, however, the nonstandard literary language is not the one chosen by the translator but is the one of the source. As a result, the “deforming forces” – ethnocentric, annexationist, etc. – characterize the reader’s expectations more rather than the translator’s intent. The language of the commedia dell’arte scenarios are “practical, unadorned, and repetitive, sometimes descending to a kind of telegraphese” (Andrews 2008: li) arguably being more “a record of orality than of literacy“ (Heck 2001: 1). In the present English edition of some of the commedia dell’arte scenarios, we have tried to reproduce as much as possible the linguistic idiosyncrasies of the original, with its terseness, use of repetition, and some technical jargon. When needed, the text has been expanded for clarification through the use of square brackets or endnotes for more complex points. Most proper names have been regularized (e.g., Pulcinella for Policinella, Orazio for Oratio or Oracio, etc.). Dottore and Capitano, despite referring to professions, have been treated as proper names, like Pantalone, and the article ‘the’ has thus been omitted. For clarity, when characters in a scenario refer to Dottore and Capitano, but they mean their profession, we have used ‘the doctor’ or ‘the captain’ instead. We have also kept the original elision of the ‘e’ in Dottore, when followed by the proper name Graziano, as it is the case in the original scenarios by Scala (Dottor Graziano). In addition, some scenarios constantly switch, for example, between Dottore and Graziano or Zanni and

Notes on the translation

xix

Ganassa, or Pantalone and Magnifico. The list of characters might list Dottore, but the scenario itself might only use Graziano instead. We have decided not to substitute the stage name for the given name for the sake of clarity and opted instead for being faithful to the original. A few editorial interventions were nonetheless necessary. For clarity, we have introduced a more modern use of punctuation, and certain words – especially if of a technical nature – have not been translated: the word ‘lazzo,’ being so pervasive, does not appear as italicized, while all the other foreign words (for example, burla) appear in italics. The only technical word that has been translated is the phrase used to usually end a scene: in questo or in quello. Here, following Richard Andrews (2008: l–li), we have accepted the suggestion of Corinna Salvadori Lonergan and translated the phrase as next and in italics, because of its technical status.1 In addition, we have included uninterrupted scene numbers (i.e., they do not restart with the beginning of each act) even when numbering was not present in the original. These numbers, we think, might make it easier for actors or students when referring to specific passages. We have also adopted Ferruccio Marotti’s strategy for newly entering characters: those who cannot syntactically introduce the opening scene are listed in square brackets (1976). To conclude, a few words regarding the hypothetical stage layout for the performance of commedia dell’arte scenarios, with the typical houses on both sides of a street (see Figure I.4), and “with practicable doors for the entrances and exits of the different characters, and windows from which the characters can witness to the events happening in ‘the street’” (Alberti 1996: 19). In some scenarios the use of ‘enter’ and ‘exit,’ as a result, might create some confusion in the English language, as a character ‘exiting’ is actually entering the scene (by exiting from one of the houses). We decided not to change the original since the meaning can be easily gleaned from the context.

Note 1 Thomas Heck (2001) has opted, for his translation of the scenarios in the Casamarciano’s collection, for the unitalicized ‘at that.’

PART I

An introduction to commedia dell’arte

INTRODUCTION The dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte Sergio Costola

The secret of the commedia dell’arte To study and analyze the dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte, regarded by both scholars and practitioners “as one of the most significant phenomena in the history of European theatre” (Vianello 2018: 1), is a rather difficult task because the term, as Ludovico Zorzi (1990) points out, improperly refers to a “confused multitude of pure epiphenomena” (149)1 that, for convenience, have been grouped under this denomination. In addition, the commedia dell’arte, according to Ferdinando Taviani, is not a well-defined theatrical form, as certain forms of Asian theatre are: Whether the composition of its style is reduced only to the masks and fixed characters . . ., or analyzed as a multifarious interlacement of different strands . . ., it is always an analysis that takes for granted the historical existence of a codified style of theatre, with its fixed attributes, and with the persistence of a tradition. It is not thus a surprise if, after having read the books, enthusiasts and scholars of foreign theatres come to Italy and ask where they can see commedia dell’arte performances, as they would ask, going to Japan, India, or China, where they could see some good Noh theatre, a good example of Beijing Opera or Kathakali. . . . The illusion that the theatrical genre ‘Commedia dell’Arte’ existed in Italy . . . does not have historical and material roots, if not in the ways in which the commercial expertise of the Italian actors took advantage of the system of organization of the Parisian theatres, which was based on the specialization and the monopoly of genres. ( Taviani and Schino 1982: 308) DOI: 10.4324/9781003100676-2

4

An introduction to commedia dell’arte

At the basis of the commedia dell’arte there isn’t a form, but its fame. Of the commedia dell’arte, in fact, only its skeleton has been preserved – the scenarios published by Flaminio Scala and the ones of the different manuscript traditions. These scenarios, according to Ferdinando Taviani, cannot be considered as a specific form but only as a different level of dramaturgy and a different level of preservation.2 It would be useful to begin by first taking into consideration the denomination itself and also, although brief ly, those firm points concerning the history of this theatrical ‘form’ by mentioning some of the most recent acquisitions that have been the result of the careful archival work conducted in prevalence by Italian scholars, to whom we owe, starting with the 1970s, the rectification of some of the myths that had developed around the commedia dell’arte. Benedetto Croce (1933) had already pointed out how the denomination of the commedia dell’arte was to be intended in the sense of “profession and craft,” since this was the meaning of the word ‘arte’ in old Italian: These were not theatrical representations performed by occasional actors, students, academicians, jolly fellows, members of confraternities, or similar people; instead, this was industrialized theatre, characterized by the formation of companies regulated by contracts and statutes, by masters and apprentices, by the knowledge of a craft that was handed down from father to son, and from mother to daughter, and by the exercise of that industry traveling from one city to another. (503) The expression commedia dell’arte, in fact, cannot be found before the eighteenth century, and the phenomenon that began around the middle of the sixteenth century was called different names by different cultural environments: commedia all’improvviso, commedia degli Zanni, commedia delle maschere, commedia mercenaria, comédie italienne. ‘To be in art’ simply meant to exercise the acting profession, to be part of a guild – corporazione – according to the medieval acceptation of the term. “The growth and development” of this theatre, Benedetto Croce insists, “took place in the middle of a literary and spiritual decadence” (505), so that “the commedia dell’arte was nothing more than this: clownish theatre” (506), rather than “poetry or art in a strict aesthetic sense” (510). This view, although not completely incorrect, was nonetheless partial in its delimitation of the term ‘arte’ to only its professional aspect and thus ended up obscuring the aesthetic side of the phenomenon, allowing for the subsequent proliferation of myths around the commedia dell’arte. Even today, if we look at tertiary sources – especially in the English language – the commedia dell’arte is still primarily characterized as a street theatre of popular origins that could rely on the absence of a play-script and that was based on the mimetic and gestural skills of an actor who, unable to read and write, was improvising farces for the entertainment of an unsophisticated audience.3

Introduction

5

As Laura Falavolti (1988) argues, “there is a dominant tendency nowadays to consider its actors’ professionalism as the main characteristic of the commedia dell’arte and also, turning this line of reasoning on its head, to consider the dell’arte actors as the first real theatre professionals” (12). As we shall see, the comici’s professionalism should not go at the expense of a wider acceptation of the term ‘art.’ In the first of the two prologues to the comedy Il finto marito – a fully written comedy that was based on an original scenario by the same author – Flaminio Scala defines his idea of dramatic composition and, at the same time, offers us an idea of the commedia dell’arte. It is worth mentioning a passage from this prologue: Comedian. I think that the true art of making comedies resides in those who perform them well because, if experience is the teacher of all things, it can teach to those who already possess the spirit for forming and best representing the theatrical subjects, and for writing them down; unless the person in question was born in Voltolino, or any other place where people write I when they should write me. But what does this art, by grace, consist in? Foreigner. It consists in preserving the precepts and in imitating as much as possible. Comedian. Who then can better know the precepts of the acting art than the comedians themselves, who exercise it daily by practicing it and by learning from using it? And who can better possess the true art of imitation than them, who not only imitate the effects and properties of actions, but also, by introducing different idioms, must imitate in the best possible way, not only with their own idiom, but also with all the others? Because if a Florentine would try to speak Venetian, and the Venetian the idiom of Bergamo, we would reward them by throwing vegetables.4 It is a declaration of a new poetic and at the same time an ideology for defending a novel way of doing theatre: not only the pure and simple defense of a technique that could allow the manufacture of a product suitable for the tastes of a variegated audience but also the claim to a ‘know-how’ that was at the very basis of a new idea of art and thus a new culture. Numerous scholars have in fact pointed out that Scala’s insistence on the value of experience rather than tradition finds a parallel in the experimental method that Galileo Galilei will develop between 1624 and 1630 and then describe a couple of years later in 1632 in his Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems – a parallel that makes the commedia dell’arte part of those major upheavals that characterized the sixteenth century.5 As Francesco Cotticelli reminds us, We cannot rule out the possibility that the commedia dell’arte became, at times, just that: the pleasure of mise-en-scène for its own sake, lazzi (comic

6

An introduction to commedia dell’arte

routines) and acrobatics performed without regard to context, novelty without the slightest pretense of lasting, hardened traditions incapable of renewal. It was successful, however, despite being an anomalous and hazardous enterprise, and f lourished in the juncture between the absence of the text and its open-ended presence (as proposed by F. Taviani), where the author merged with the actor. (2001a: vol. 1, 12) Let us see, then, what were the origins of this “anomalous and hazardous enterprise.”

The birth of the commedia dell’arte On 25 February 1545, some “comrades” – Ser Maphio, Vincentio da Venezia, Francesco da la lira, Hieronimo da S. Luca, Zuoandomenego detto Rizo, Zuane da Treviso, Tofano de Bastian, and Francesco Moschini – went to a notary from Padua to constitute “a brotherhood” that should last for a whole year “without any hatred, rancor and dissolution.”6 Scholars have endowed this document with a symbolic value, since it is considered to be the oldest document to witness the birth of the first theatre troupe of professional actors. Among the things that these comrades “together concluded and deliberated,” there was the election of a “leader in the reciting of his comedies from place to place,” said Ser Maphio, who would “take control” of “how to recite the comedies” and who would create a “little box” with three keys, where to keep “the potential profits.” Who were these eight men? What kinds of comedies did they perform? How were they staged? What was the difference with the kind of theatre that had preceded them? Cesare Molinari (1999), despite the lack of precise documents in this regard, answers these questions convincingly: the capocomico, Maffeo dei Re, was probably a man of a certain culture and economic ease who, at one point, driven by his passion for the theatre, joined other craftsmen to be able to perform “his comedies.” What the document means by “his comedies” we cannot know. However, we know that by the middle of the sixteenth century, Italian dramatic literature could already count on a rich repertoire: apart from the texts by Plautus and Terence, the company could also draw on the texts of the so-called commedia erudita (learned comedy) – that is, those texts that had been written and represented at court since the early years of the sixteenth century (Ariosto, Machiavelli, Ruzante, Bibiena, and Aretino, to name but a few). Molinari also assumes the presence of original texts written by the same Maffeo dei Re. Furthermore, the scholar continues, these texts were no longer memorized and recited ad verbum but staged in a new way: The actors read or listen to the director while reading the play, they memorize the main points and then they go ad lib, chasing the fragments of

Introduction

7

their memory. Then they will find more comfortable to simply summarize the comedy in a canovaccio, in a scenario, as more precisely it was said to indicate that the plot of the play was not merely summarized, but described scene by scene, event by event. This would also explain why so many canovacci collected by the amateur Basilio Locatelli, as well as the others most likely owned by professional companies such as the seventeenth century Raccolta di scenari più scelti di histrioni (known now as scenari Correr), are nothing more than well-known ancient and modern comedies reduced to a scenario. (viii) As most scholars nowadays agree, the commedia dell’arte will fully come into existence only a couple of decades later, in 1564 – another symbolic date – with the arrival of the actresses. In fact, until this point, the female roles were acted by men or boys, as it had also been the case in the Roman theatre and court theatre in the early sixteenth century. With the arrival of women, while “the structure of the ‘regular’ comedy” remained the same, it was nonetheless “violated” because “so much room was reserved to the monologues of these characters whose main characteristic was their ‘eloquence.’” 7 In 1564 a contract similar to that of 1545 was stipulated in Rome; the novelty of no small importance was the presence of a certain Lucrezia Sienese, probably an actress, but of whom we know only the name.

The companies and their composition The arrival of women on stage also helped define the basic structure that will then characterize for a long time the commedia dell’arte companies. The characters of this theatrical ‘form’ can be divided into two main categories: fixed and moving parts. Among the fixed parts there are the characters without a mask – although it is quite inappropriate to speak of characters without a mask, even for those without one on their faces – which can vary in number: there are the Innamorato (young male lover) and the Innamorata (young female lover), and the scenarios can present one, two, three, or sometimes more pairs of this type; among the fixed parts there are also the two Vecchi (old men: Pantalone and Dottore, for example); and the two servants or Zanni. Among the moving parts, instead, there are the Capitano, the Maid, the Innkeeper, and many other figures depending on the genre of the play and needs of the scenario (the magician, the sorceress, various animals, etc.) The different characters can also be divided into serious and comic parts,8 as can be seen from the scheme (see Figure I.1) proposed by Ludovico Zorzi (1990), who also reminds us that this set of characters, with a few substitutions and variations, reappears with great frequency not only in the theatre of Flaminio Scala but also in the whole tradition of the commedia dell’arte that has come down to us:

8

An introduction to commedia dell’arte

FIGURE I.1

Scheme of a typical scenario. Author’s reconstruction and translation of the image created by Ludovico Zorzi (1980: 434).

The last symbolic date, that of 1564, also coincided with the emergence and proliferation of professional acting troupes: by the early seventeenth century, those companies that will characterize the golden age of the commedia dell’arte had already been formed.

The Gelosi (1568) First recorded as performing in Milan in 1568, the company was performing in Paris in 1571, showing how “the nomadic vocation of Italian actors” was “already clear since these remote times” (Molinari 1999: xxii). The Gelosi comprised some of the most important commedia dell’arte actors of the time; Francesco Andreini, in a passage of his Le Bravure del Capitano Spavento,9 describes his interaction with the Gelosi Company and names its actors and characters: “Not only did I meet him [Dottor Graziano], named Ludovico da Bologna, but I also met Giulio Pasquati from Padua, who played Pantalone; Simone da Bologna, who played Zanni; Gabriele da Bologna, who played Francatrippa; Orazio from Padua, who played the innamorato; Adriani Valerini from Verona, who also played the same; Girolamo Salimbeni from

Introduction

9

Florence, who played the Florentine old man, called Zanobio, and also Piombino; Mrs. Isabella Andreini from Padua, who played the prima donna innamorata; Mrs. Prudenza from Verona, who played the seconda donna; Mrs. Silvia Roncagli from Bergamo, who played Franceschina, and a certain Francesco Andreini, husband to Mrs. Isabella, who played the part of a superb and boasting Capitano and who, if I remember correctly, called himself Capitano Spavento da Valle Inferna.”10 At the head of this company there were, since 1578, Francesco Andreini and his wife Isabella, both of them among the first examples of actor–authors. The death of Isabella, which occurred in 1604 during her stay in France, is used to symbolically mark the end of the company.

The Confidenti (1572) One of the most long-lasting companies – we have documents testifying their existence as late as 1640 – in 1612 they accepted the patronage of Giovanni de’ Medici, thus abandoning what had been the cooperative organizational and hierarchical structure of the first commedia dell’arte troupes (Molinari 1999: xxii).11 According to Siro Ferrone, the generic denomination of Confidenti, with which scholars have often grouped those Italian actors performing in France and Spain in the 1570s and 1580s, “most probably does not refer to a specific company but needs to be considered as an illustrious denomination freely used by the actors to achieve prestige” (2014: 290–291). Scholars have even argued for the existence of two different companies with the same name: the one initially led by Vittoria Piissimi and operating under the patronage of the Duke of Mantua (1574– 1599), and the one managed by Flaminio Scala and under the patronage of Don Giovanni de’ Medici (1611–39) (Crick and Rudlin 2002: 31). Recorded as part of this company were Drusiano Martinelli and his wife, Angelica Alberghini (prima donna innamorata), and Tristano Martinelli, Drusiano’s younger brother, the first Harlequin in the history of the commedia dell’arte.

The Uniti (1578) Led by the famous Dottore Bernardino Lombardi, this company is first recorded playing in Ferrara in 1578 “in the private rooms of the Duchess of Urbino, who was, presumably en visite“ (Crick and Rudlin 2002: 40). The company played the usual circuit of the Northern Italian cities until the early 1600s and, in a rare case for the commedia dell’arte troupes of these years, there is no record of them having performed abroad. Both Vittoria Piissimi and Isabella Andreini occasionally worked for this company, thus testifying to a reversal of trend in the theatre of the time: “it was no longer the ensembles that enhanced the actresses, but the actresses who enhanced the company” ( Ferrone 2014: 146).

10 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

The Desiosi (1581) This was the first commedia dell’arte company to be headed by a woman as capocomico, Diana Ponti, who was both renowned actress and poet. Under the patronage of Cardinal Montalto, the Desiosi probably lasted until the early 1590s and toured the most important Italian cities – Mantua, Cremona, Verona, Milan, Bologna, Genoa, and Rome. In 1595, the famous Tristano Martinelli left the Uniti company and joined the Desiosi, to eventually join the Accesi together with Diana Ponti.

The Accesi (1590) At the service of the Duke of Mantua, Vincenzo Gonzaga, between the years 1590 and 1628, this company comprised actors such as Pier Maria Cecchini (aka Frittellino), Orsola Cecchini (aka Flaminia), Drusiano Martinelli, Tristano Martinelli (aka Arlecchino), Diana Ponti, and Angelica Alberghini. Its capocomico, Pier Maria Cecchini, was the author of two plays – La Flaminia schiava (1610) and L’amico tradito (1633) – as well as of numerous essays on theatre arts and acting. Initially active in Northern Italy, the company eventually became very popular with European royalty. In 1660, for example, it was invited by Henri IV to perform in France, a very important event, since “it was quite unprecedented at that time for a crowned monarch to write personally to an actor” (Crick and Rudlin 2002: 42).

The Fedeli (1601) At the service of the Duke of Mantua, this company was founded by Isabella and Francesco Andreini’s son, Giovan Battista, the author of numerous plays and treatises on acting and theatre arts and who became famous as innamorato with the name of Lelio, playing opposite his wife, Virginia Ramponi, who played the role of prima donna innamorata with the name of Florinda. The French queen Marie de Médicis arranged for the company to make several tours of France, and the Fedeli ended up alternating with French players at the Hôtel de Bourgogne and at court. The company also toured Prague and Vienna.12 These, in short, were the companies of the first two generations of comedians, actors who had been able to create a new way of doing theatre characterized by a dramaturgy based on roles or fixed masks. But what is even more important regarding the first generation of actors of the commedia dell’arte is the social composition of those companies. As Ferdinando Taviani (1982) argues, these companies formed a “living paradox” because they were constituted by people “who differed in terms of their social background, geographical provenance, culture, and age, and who were united in a stable relationship of cooperation and without a precise hierarchy.” In particular, they differed from the traditional relationship of subordination between man and woman, “disrupted by

Introduction

11

the evident need to recognize a greater weight to those who – regardless of their sex – contributed the most to the success of the company” (416) – all elements that could hardly convene well in a society forcefully engaged in naturalizing gender boundaries and legislating class rigidity. Their universe constituted thus a microculture, people who were “free in a society of subjects” (Ferrone 1993: 287). As Raimondo Guarino has recently stated, The actors created an autonomous and approved way of life, which was separate from normal society in regard to material conditions but was, at the same time, dependent on it as far as economic dynamics and the development of values were concerned. The business model of the companies relied on a combination of princely patronage and paying city audiences. The ‘encompassing’ and ‘dominant’ culture which allowed the companies to be tolerated and to survive was characterized by opacity and contradictions. (2018: 152) These companies, unlike much of what Romantic historiography had made us to believe, not only performed in squares or streets but also in stanze leased to brighten the whole population or in the palaces of the main city authorities for elite audiences. In fact, the comici of the commedia dell’arte were often attempting to differentiate themselves from street artists and charlatans, as can be evidenced, for example, from the following passage by Andrea Perrucci, taken from his Dell’Arte rappresentativa, premeditata ed all’improvviso (1699): The trouble is that today everyone considers himself capable of plunging into comic improvisation, and the lowest dregs of society devote themselves to it, thinking it is an easy thing. Their unawareness of the danger derives from ignorance and ambition. This is way the basest charlatans and mountebanks, take it into their heads to attract and entertain people with words, in the guise of so many crowing Hercules in golden chains. They try to perform improvised comedies in public squares, mangling the plots, talking nonsense, gesticulating like madmen, and, what is worse, performing a thousand obscenities and filthy acts, so that they can afterward make a sordid profit from people’s purses by selling them their quack remedies of snake oils, poison antidotes, and potions that bring on diseases not already present. (102) Nonetheless, the comici dell’arte were “comfortable in the shadow line of borders,” exercising ‘difference’ not so much at court but rather in the “inns, the post stations, the taverns, the customs, the ports,” all places that could “feed the traveling inventions” of these “natural observers” (Ferrone 2014: 69).

12 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

Of special importance were also the commedia dell’arte performances abroad. Several scholars, in fact, have investigated in detail the direct inf luence that the Italian actors had on the different European dramaturgies, a contribution that affected not only their dramaturgy but also their production system and acting techniques13 – so much so that, according to Siro Ferrone, the constitutive factors of the commedia dell’arte cannot therefore be sought in an approximate Italian root, and they must rather be identified in the negotiation between different cultures: first within the peninsula, but immediately after in a territory extended to various European regions. It was therefore a theater no more Florentine than Venetian, no more Neapolitan than Bolognese, no more Italian than French, and resulting rather from the measurement of differences. (2014: 63) Ferdinando Taviani, in a recent contribution regarding the ‘double’ character of the commedia dell’arte, supported the thesis that “Molière should be included in the history of the commedia dell’arte and be considered a comico dell’arte among the others (2018: 24). These performances abroad also affected, as Ferdinando Taviani (1982) notes, the lives of the Italian companies themselves and their growth. This fact initially created a balance for which the foreign market was a moment of stability, which became more valuable in relation to their nomadism and non-specialization. . . . The use of both theatrical markets – one at home and one abroad – one as a sort of compensation chamber for the other, served, primarily, to defend and enhance the prestige of the big companies. (413) When this balance was altered and their nomadism and nonspecialization came to a halt, the Italian companies began to specialize and assumed the image of a fixed genre. Cesare Molinari (1999) describes what was the image of eighteenthcentury commedia dell’arte, contrasting it to that of the origins: The masks, reduced to four, are visibly juxtaposed to the four Innamorati: the balance is also numerical. The masks that have survived, or at least those of the two servants, Arlecchino and Brighella (since Dottore and Pantalone come into being with a caricatural and precise stylization,) have emphasized the stylization of their presence in terms of their costume, as well as their vocal and gestural characteristics, erasing any possible reference to real-life situations: the masks are characters who do not have course in everyday life. The Innamorati, instead, though they may be childish, can immediately find a referent within the social reality, even if a

Introduction

13

generic one. . . . They represent two completely opposite worlds, between which any communication seems impossible, and whose qualification does not seem to be based on any logical or social reason: why Pantalone is an intensely stylized and unreal mask, while his son Silvio is not at all? The dramatic structure contrasts sharply with its stage counterpart.  .  .  . In the Commedia dell’Arte of the origins the situation was very different. (xiv)

The stock characters of the commedia dell’arte Before moving to an analysis of the scenarios, let us first consider the main features of the commedia dell’arte dramaturgy regarding its characters – maschere [masks] in Italian). In most of the scenarios there is a set of characters that, with minor variations, remains constant: two or more pairs of Innamorati; occasionally a Capitano (as the type of the braggart warrior, but more often as a comic Innamorato); two servants or Zanni (one intelligent, the other foolish); one or two Vecchi (Pantalone and Dottore, for example); a Servetta (Franceschina, Colombina, etc.); and, if necessary, a series of secondary characters. But what kind of characters were those of the commedia dell’arte? According to Leon Katz, a character is a construct that can refer to “person” without being for this reason a reproduction of “person.” The set of characteristics that constitute a dramatic character, in fact, is the result of an original formulation, of a random montage of the moral and psychological beliefs of a particular era, together with, paradoxically, all the formulations of the past (2012: 126). Starting with the fourth century bce, with the Greek New Comedy, the masks worn by the actors became, for the first time, representative of specific social types. If we look for example at the Book IV of Pollux’s Onomastikon, the characters are divided by gender (male or female), age (young, mature, and old), occupation (cook, servant, lover, prostitute, matron, etc.), and finally, moral bent (rude, sly, greedy, etc.). A character was therefore the sum of these four main features: for example, an old-man-merchant-miser. The ‘mask,’ therefore, required that the characters, once an integral part of the plot, would remain constant and with no possibility to change. This understanding of ‘character’ can be found in Roman comedies and Italian learned comedies of the early modern period, and it became, with rare exceptions, the basic model for the characters of the Western comedies of later centuries.14 Ferdinando Taviani (1982), in a very important essay concerning the dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte, focuses on what was once the norm in terms of how to produce and recite comedies in the early modern period. Until the advent of the director, according to the Italian scholar, “there wasn’t a theatre based on the play-text,” but a “theatre based on parts” (155). What is the difference? Taviani reminds us of an event that occurred in 1496 in Ferrara. Ferrara was the city in which, toward the end of the fifteenth century, plays by Plautus and Terence had been staged for the first time in translation; these were followed, in the early sixteenth century, by the first performances of the new and original

14 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

plays by Ludovico Ariosto. On 5 February 1496, when the Marquis of Mantua Francesco Gonzaga asked his father-in-law, the Duke Ercole I d’Este of Ferrara, the texts of the plays that had been staged at his court, he was answered that the texts did not exist anymore, because they had already been recited. In fact, the text in its entirety had never existed, and the actors had learned each their own part. “The part is,” Taviani continues, “the transcription of all and only the lines of a character, with indicated the last words of the other character or of the previous scene” (155). The system of dividing a play into parts will characterize the entire European theatre production from the mid-sixteenth century until the early twentieth century: They [the parts] have a meaning on their own, and can therefore be interpreted and performed by actors, because they are part of a context that is larger than the play-text itself, and that is somehow prior to and independent from it. . . . A character, for example, is an old, meek, merchant of a certain city and time: the actor knows, then, how he will have to recite the lines of his part, without the need to know the dramatic text in its entirety. (156) This production system led to a further specialization, which was that of a theatre based on roles: this system allowed an actor to learn his part more quickly and thus be able to collaborate with other actors and produce plays in a fast and continuous way. A part was entrusted to an actor not so much on the basis of his or her human and professional characteristics but on the basis of the parts that the actor already knew. This dramaturgical system needed a writer who could take care of both the montage of actions and the dialogues and monologues, while to the actor pertained only the details of the actions of a particular character, such as their ways of walking, posing, moving, and talking (Figure I.2).

FIGURE I.2

Parts and roles: Elizabethan theatre.

Introduction

15

If this was the norm with regard to the mode of production of comedies, what was the difference, if there was one, with the ways in which commedia dell’arte companies operated? The Italian professional theatre companies developed a “theatre with scenarios and free parts,” a more ‘economic’ way of doing theatre, which allowed the Italian actors to multiply their theatrical possibilities and be successful abroad as well (Figure I.3): What are given to the actors of the European companies (and to the Italian actors from the eighteenth century onwards) are parts without plots. The comici dell’arte, instead, move from the opposite principle: they provide the actor plots without parts. In the first case we can assume that the characters determine the action. In the second case, it seems that it is the action to determine the characters.  .  .  . The production system developed by the Italian companies is not, on closer inspection, opposed to that based on parts and roles. It is, if anything, an improvement. It means, for the actors, to learn parts that are free from belonging to a particular play and only that. ( Taviani 1982: 159–160) The characters of the commedia dell’arte, therefore, were not, properly speaking, fixed types. Of the four basic characteristics, the comici fixed only three of them – gender, age, and occupation – and made them easily recognizable thanks to a kind of hyperrealism that suggested or alluded to real life situations without having to recreate an illusionist kind of mimesis. The ethos, or moral bent, however, depended on the specific comedy. Pantalone, therefore, was always an old man and a merchant, but depending on the given circumstances, he could be stingy in one comedy, in another an understanding father, and in still others a fop.

FIGURE I.3

Parts and roles: commedia dell’arte.

16 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

This, as Roberto Tessari (2000) argues, created a constant dialectic between tradition and creation, a dialectic according to which the mythopoeic elements ended up, more often than not, to prevail on the mythological ones. For example, the Capitano was never simply the stereotype of the braggart warrior from Plautus, but depending on the situation of the scenario and the sensitivity of the actor that played the part, he could take on aspects of Don Quixote or Faust.

The scenarios of the commedia dell’arte As Cesare Molinari (1999) points out, despite the fact that there are still scholars supporting the idea that the commedia dell’arte was popular in origin and with a dramaturgy characterized primarily by gestures and by the absence of a script, the literary production of the comici has been nonetheless impressive, both in quantity and quality, ranging from Petrarchan poems, essays on history and art, prayers, burlesque poems, and letters to works pertaining more directly to the history of theatre. These works, continues Molinari, can be divided into three categories: “the treatises, the zibaldoni, and the dramaturgy” (v). In the following pages we will mainly focus on a particular aspect of the dramaturgy of the comici: the scenarios. What is a scenario? A scenario – or canovaccio, basic story line, favola rappresentativa  – consists in the progressive description of the actions, scene by scene, event by event. The novelty introduced by the comici dell’arte was that the montage of actions could exist without a written dialogue. Before proceeding to an analysis of the main features of a scenario, for convenience we will provide a list, in chronological order, of the main collections.

The repertories of the first generation of comedians The oldest collections of scenarios can be dated between the last three decades of the sixteenth century and early decades of the following century.15 There are four collections that, as pointed out by Anna Maria Testaverde (2007), are representative of the “dramatic repertoire of the golden age of the Commedia dell’Arte” (xxx). a b c

d

Stefanelo Botarga, Zibaldone. Real Biblioteca, Madrid. Ms. II-1586; 23 scenarios, 1574–1580. Flaminio Scala, Il teatro delle favole rappresentative [The Theatre of Tales for Performance]. Pulciani, Venice; 50 scenarios, 1611. Basilio Locatelli, Della scena dei soggetti comici [Scenarios Based on Comic Subjects], 2 vols. Biblioteca Casanatense, Rome. Ms. 1211, 1212; 103 scenarios, 1618–1622. Anonymous, Raccolta di scenari più scelti [Collection of Selected Scenarios]. Biblioteca Corsiniana, Rome. Ms. 45 and 45 G5 G6; 100 scenarios compiled, probably between 1621 and 1642.

Introduction

17

The repertoires of the tradition The collections of scenarios compiled in the second half of the seventeenth century constitute, as Testaverde argues, a well-established theatrical tradition, which developed among the professional companies, the academic circles, the commercial theatres, the stages of religious theatre, or simply because of the desire of some noblemen, who wanted to develop an “exemplary” directory for their own private theater. (xxxvii) a b c d e f

g

Ciro Monarca, Dell’opere regie. Biblioteca Casanatense, Rome. Ms. 4186; 48 scenarios, compiled in the mid-seventeenth century. Anonymous, Manuscript Correr 1040. Biblioteca Museo Correr in Venice; 51 scenarios, compiled in the mid-seventeenth century. Anonymous, Commedie XII all’improvviso. Biblioteca Nazionale, Florence. II.I.90; 22 untitled scenarios completed in mid-seventeenth century. Anonymous, Codex Vaticano Latino 10244. Biblioteca Vaticana, Rome; 12 scenarios compiled in the second half or end of the seventeenth century. Anonymous, Codex Barberiniano Latino 3895. Biblioteca Vaticana, Rome; nine scenarios compiled in the second half or end of the seventeenth century. Gibaldone de soggetti da recitarsi all’impronto, alcuni proprij e gli altri da diversi raccolti di Don Annibale Sersale, Conte di Casamarciano. Biblioteca Nazionale, Naples. Ms. XI.AA.40 and XI.AA.41; 183 scenarios collected toward the end of the seventeenth century. Selva overo Zibaldone di concetti comici raccolti da P. D. Placido Adriani di Lucca. Biblioteca Comunale Augusta, Perugia. Ms. A.20; 22 scenarios, 1734.

As Ludovico Zorzi (1990) notes, “the interpretation of this metawriting presents some difficulties for an ordinary reader” and requires “a certain familiarity with the laws of the theatre” and therefore, to be able to fully comprehend its characteristics, “we need to deal with it personally, directly, and I would say first of all optically” (145). This is the beginning of A Comedy Within a Comedy by Basilio Locatelli:16

A Comedy Within a Comedy [Comedy] B.L.R. 43 Characters Pantalone Lidia, daughter Zanni, servant

18 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

Coviello Ardelia, daughter Tofano, Doctor Lelio, then Curzio, Coviello’s son Graziano, an actor Capitano, an actor, then Orazio, Pantalone’s son The scene is Sermoneta Properties A scenery, chairs, lots of arms. ACT ONE 1 Pantalone [Zanni] from the house; he says that he wants to marry Lidia, his daughter, because she has come to that age and Coviello has asked for her hand; he wants to give her to him; he knocks. 2 Coviello from the house; he hears from Pantalone that he agrees to give him Lidia as his wife; they do lazzi, and they agree on the dowry; he calls. Next 3 Lidia from the house; she hears that she has been promised to Coviello and rejects him; they do lazzi and, in the end, after some scolding and threatening, she touches Coviello’s hand; Lidia, unhappy, goes back inside the house; Coviello says that he will go to the notary to prepare the papers, asks them to wait for him, and exits; Pantalone orders Zanni to invite the relatives and to call for the comedians, because he wants to stage a comedy for the occasion; Zanni agrees to do everything and exits; Pantalone goes to look for Coviello and exits. 4 Lelio from the street, he says he had left the University of Padua and come incognito because he fears his father and for his love for Lidia; he knocks. Next As can be evinced from this excerpt, at the beginning of each scenario there is the title, followed immediately by the theatrical genre – comedy, tragedy,

Introduction

19

pastoral, tragicomedy, heroic poem, etc. The title always precedes the scenario both in the Scala collection and in all the manuscript ones, while the genre is, at times, omitted. Although most of the scenarios are comedies, a quick overview of the manuscript and printed collections shows how extremely varied was the repertoire of the comici dell’arte. In the Scala collection, after the title and genre, there is also an Argument.17 Apart from a few exceptions – as is the case, for example, of La forza dell’amicizia,18 the ninth scenario of the Codice Vaticano Latino 10244, which shows, in the argument, the events that precede the plot itself – the scenarios of most manuscript traditions do not include the argument. As noted by Steen Jansen (1990), these arguments, more often than not, simply describe in general terms the relationship between the characters and do not provide information that can already be inferred from the text. These arguments, found almost exclusively in the Scala collection, do not have a direct relationship with the dramatic text; in addition, their only possible models of reference are, first, the prologues of the comedies by Plautus and Terence published in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and, second, the summaries that precede all the stories of Boccaccio’s Decameron, whose division in Giornate is also used by Scala. On the basis of these elements, Steen Jansen (1990) argues that the arguments found in Scala’s scenarios are addressed in the first place to a reader and do not therefore have “a specific function with respect to performance” (344). In most collections, after the title and genre, there is the list of characters  – the only exception being the collection of the Biblioteca Corsiniana, where the characters’ names are listed at the end, after the list of properties needed for the play. These lists are organized by families and also clarify the kinds of social relationships of the various characters. The father is usually the first on the list, followed by his wife, children, and servants. The characters that do not belong to a family (the Capitano, for example) are usually listed separately from the others. These groupings, in those instances when these lists were posted in the backstage area, allowed the actors to remember, at first glance, what kind of relationship their character entertained with other characters for that specific scenario. Usually, a list of properties necessary for the performance is placed after the list of characters while, in some scenarios, it is either missing or placed at the end. These lists tend to be accurate, detailed, and record the items needed for the various scenes – for example, two boxes with candies inside, a nice chair, lots of arms; letter with writing, big bag – and the costumes and disguises when necessary – things for the dentist, a dress for Zanni as spirit, three dresses for slaves, etc. Sometimes the scenario itself is preceded by the geographic location in which the action takes place – usually the name of an Italian city. According to Jansen, “it means that the scenery represents a single locale that the reader has to imagine as a street or piazza, with different windows, and where an actor can either stay in the center or aside, not seen by the other actors” (1990: 345).19 However, the

20 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

stage directions regarding the scenery are in general quite scarce. The watercolors that accompany the Raccolta di scenari più scelti at the Corsiniana Library, as Testaverde points out, “make up for the small amount of textual information and provide the likely model for a set of an unknown company of comedians” (2007: xii). Some scenarios contain indications regarding the scenery, especially those based on plays that had been staged at court with complicated set machineries – as is the case for La Flora, belonging to the Ciro Monarca collection. Also belonging to the Ciro Monarca collection is the scenario entitled Vittoria cacciatrice, lo scherno delli favolosi dei antichi, con le metamorfosi amorose e Zaccagnino creduto Apollo e Spinetta Diana, which also includes – in a very rare if not unique case – the description for the apparatus for the scene.20 Given its rarity, I thought it useful to offer the full description: Apparatus for the scene In front of the perspective panel there must be a great mountain that shows, behind it, other mountain peaks; at the foot of that mountain, in the middle, there will be a large door with its ornaments, which looks like was excavated from it with the force of the chisel; and this, by opening, will show the inside of a temple with an altar with two shrubs in two vases, one with a sun, and the other with the moon. Above the top of said mountain there will be two large trees, similar to the others, one with the sun, the other with the moon. On one side of the scenery, at the bottom, there will be the enchanted fountain that turns and transforms into a spirit; on the other side, there will be the sea. Everything will take place in the countryside with trees, forests, rocks and logs. This description is then followed by the scenario itself, scene by scene, as seen in the example previously presented. The scenarios of the commedia dell’arte are all divided into three acts, and this fact also represented a novelty: the comedies of the previous tradition, in fact – both the learned comedies and the printed editions of Plautus and Terence  – were divided into five acts, as the neoclassical treatises on dramatic composition required. The division into three acts constituted a novelty that, once introduced by the first comici dell’arte, then soon became the norm. This division, more essential if compared to that in five acts proposed by the treatises based on Aristotle’s The Poetics, was adopted by the comici because more practical. With minor variations, this division into three acts presents constant structural characteristics that are common to all scenarios belonging to the different traditions:21 Act One • • • •

Prologue/Frame Exposition of past events First scene in the present: a static initial situation First complications affecting the initial static situation

Introduction

21

Act Two • Summary of the events • Intensification of complications Act Three • • • • •

Further complications Summary of events Extreme consequences Solution Final with celebration

We provide here an example of this scheme applied to the scenario by Basilio Locatelli, A Comedy Within a Comedy, the example we previously considered: Act One • Prologue/Frame • 1.1–5: Exposition of past events • 1.6–14: First scene in the present and beginning of the comedy within the comedy • 1.15: First complications and chaos at the end of Act One Act Two • 2.16–17: Summary of the events • 2.18–25: Further complications (Capitano and Ardelia) • 2.26: Lazzo of the two Dottori Act Three • • • •

3.27.33: Lazzo of the night and further complications 3.34–39: Extreme consequences 3.40–41: Resolution (by recognition) 3.42: Final with celebration

A typical scenario was composed of parts – theatergrams, as Louise George Clubb (1989) has successfully defined them – taken from preexisting comedies – learned comedies, Plautus and Terence – or from short stories and then cut, reshaped, and adapted to new stories. As has been pointed out by many scholars, the dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte was an actor’s rather than a writer’s one. But what did this juxtaposition really mean for the way of doing theatre at that time?

The generici or zibaldoni According to Roberto Tessari, the dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte was based on two open and complementary dramatic structures: on one hand the scenarios and on the other the generici (1969: 108). The generici, the scholar argues,

22 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

were the “hidden weapon” of the comici dell’arte and consisted of series of monologues and dialogues collected in zibaldoni or repertori. These disparate “literary fragments” – coming from preexisting sources and sometimes composed by the actors themselves – were memorized in advance by the actors and then combined according to the needs of a specific scenario: an interweaving of corp-/ orality and textuality, as Stefan Hulfeld has defined it (2018: 46). As Ferdinando Taviani argues, the text, instead of being written in its entirety, “suddenly appeared and was not improvised”: What the professional theatre companies refused – or what they simply could do without – was not the primacy and centrality of the text, but the primacy and centrality of the book. . . . Scala juxtaposes the action to the word so as not to oppose a theatre based on the body (“gesture”) to a theater based on text . . . but in order to strengthen, with a striking similarity, his argument according to which what is important in a comedy is not the blanket of words but the substance constituted by the series of events. (1982: 326–328) The starting point for a performance was therefore not the written text but a ‘text’ structured thanks to a combination of well-known memorized fragments that were linked together by the actor through a strong and innovative skill, as it was also described by some actor-theoreticians of the seventeenth century. This is how Nicolò Barbieri recalls the work of professional comedians in his La supplica (1634): The comedians study and enrich their memory with a great jumble of things, including judgments, concepts, discourses on love, blame, despair, and delusion, in order to have them ready for the occasion; their studies are in accordance with the characteristics of the characters that they play: and, since those who play serious rather than comic parts are more numerous, so they attend more to the study of serious rather than playful things, so that the majority of them study more the ways that make you cry than those that make you laugh.22 As María del Valle Ojeda Calvo points out, the result of this compositional method was always different “because the players built on both the successes and failures of previous experiences and always innovated in favor of the performance” (2007: 118). A similar compositional method is also described by Andrea Perrucci in his Dell’Arte rappresentativa, stating that the actor, through intense study, has to “accomplish all’improvviso what a poet does with premeditation:” The staging of improvised comedies, which was unknown to the Ancients, is an invention of our times; I have not found a word about it in any of

Introduction

23

[their writings]. On the contrary, it seems that until now only in fair Italy has such a thing emerged. A famous Spanish comedian named Adriano, who came to Naples with other [actors] to put on their comedies, could not understand how one could produce a comedy by simply coordinating several characters and staging it in less than an hour. An undertaking as fascinating as it is difficult and risky, it should not be attempted except by qualified and competent people, who know what the rules of language mean, [who understand] the figures of speech, tropes, and all the art of rhetoric, since they have to accomplish all’improvviso what a poet does with premeditation. (1699: 101) The “great jumble of things” that, according to Nicolò Barbieri in the passage quoted here, the comici had to possess, was collected through the years by the actors in so-called generici or zibaldoni. Despite the fact that various historical documents, as noted by Cesare Molinari, testify to the existence of these collections, unfortunately “only one came down to us that presents itself explicitly as an instrument of work” (1999: xvi): the Dialoghi scenici that Domenico Bruni wrote for the actresses that used to play the role of the Innamorate in the Confidenti troupe.23 Thanks to the work of María del Valle Ojeda Calvo, we can now also add the zibaldone composed by Abagaro Frescobaldi, most probably toward the end of the fifteenth century, and conserved in the Real Biblioteca in Madrid. This is a “fragmented and heterogeneous” notebook containing “motley material that ranges from notes and loose phrases to works such as poems – some unfinished – prologues, dialogues, scenarios, fragments from various tragedies, and even what appears to be an auto sacramental” (2007: 121). In addition, scholars can also consider the generic parts contained in the treatise by Andrea Perrucci (1699) and in the Zibaldone by the friar Placido Ariani, although these works are of a much later date and were not compiled by actors. In fact, as noted earlier, during the eighteenth century the commedia dell’arte began to specialize and be fixed into the image of a crystallized genre. The zibaldoni began to propose scenarios based on repetitive models, and the actor-authors stopped designing new and original canovacci. This was a situation of slow and gradual exhaustion of the stimuli that characterized the earlier commedia dell’arte and was described by Andrea Perrucci in the late seventeenth century: “The soggetti in circulation are numerous. . . . Writing new ones is somewhat difficult for anyone who is not particularly creative and does not know how to avoid the traditional lazzi” (1699: 86).

The lazzo To these two open and complementary dramatic structures – the zibaldone and the scenario – we must add a third one: the lazzo. Both the etymology and the function of the lazzo have been of difficult interpretation for scholars. Luigi

24 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

Riccoboni (1728) proposed the idea that the word lazzo could be a Lombard variant of the Tuscan laccio [laces] and added that the lazzi were “what masked actors do in the middle of a scene that they have interrupted . . . and to which it is therefore always necessary to return” (1728: 65).24 According to the Italian scholar Antonio Valeri (1894: 43–46), the word lazzo could instead be a simple variation of the word l’azione [the action], while Andrea Perrucci insisted that lazzo “means simply a jest, a witticism, or a metaphor, in words or actions” (1699: 192).25 More important than its etymology, however, is the function of the lazzo for the dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte. Luigi Riccoboni, in the passage quoted in the previous paragraph, proposes a definition that “is not related to physical, pantomimic or physical-acrobatic action, but generally finds its place in a dialectic between separation and return to the initial situation” (Vescovo 2018: 56). There are many kinds of lazzi, as it can now be inferred from the catalogue of the commedia dell’arte lazzi compiled by Nicoletta Capozza (2006), and classified as follows: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Acrobatic lazzi Silent, mimic, and mimetic lazzi Verbal lazzi Erotic lazzi Obscene and scatological lazzi Lazzi “by night” Lazzi of disguise and misunderstanding Lazzi of cunning and mockery Lazzi of clubbing and anger Lazzi of fear Lazzi of crying Lazzi of hunger Lazzi of money Lazzi of revenge Lazzi of the pimp Lazzi in sequence and hybrid lazzi Lazzi by Adriani

In most collections, however, the information provided for the understanding of the lazzo is very scarce. In the collection by Basilio Locatelli, for example, often appears the simple expression fanno parole et azzi [they do words and lazzi], without there being shown the ‘name’ of the lazzo and without even a brief description. According to Ludovico Zorzi, the lazzi of the different collections can be reduced to two main types: the ones with an extradiegetic function – “this is an action which, as it were, begins and ends on itself ” – and the ones with a function of catalysis – in this case, the lazzo “helps to advance the action, to complete

Introduction

25

and take the action itself to an end” (1990: 210). According to Mirella Schino, the nature and function of the lazzo can be understood by taking into consideration the “natural isolation of the comic fragment”: It is true that the lazzo interrupts and suspends the action, making its way and then exhausting itself: however, this suspension, exactly as a pause, has its importance in the architecture of the comedy, whether you want to mask the void or break up the monotony (the same way the niches interrupt the architectural surfaces), or whether you want to fill a gap by starting a different course, or even give time to other players to prepare their scene. (Taviani and Schino 1982: 270–271) According to Ferdinando Taviani, the lazzo is instead what could be described as a “fold” rather than an interruption of the scene: Those who study the documents regarding the Commedia dell’Arte . . . might understand the lazzo as a fragment, a separate element, which serves the comicality, but not the development of the play: therefore, the lazzo is understood as a centrifugal element of the comedy itself. It is an image that may correspond to what the lazzo was in the eighteenth century. . . . However, in the scenarios by Flaminio Scala, and especially in the notes left by Biancolelli . . . a different idea of lazzo emerges. A lazzo, that is, can be a sort of scenic hieroglyphic, an emblem able to concentrate, in the immobile f lash of a gesture, the meaning of an action. ( Taviani and Schino 1982: 484)

The folds of the commedia dell’arte The dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte, however, cannot be considered as the mere mechanical addition of generici, lazzi, and scenari: the craft of the comici dell’arte found its true expression in the montage of different scenes rather than in rhetorical bravura or well-composed dialogues and monologues, a montage understood, as Luciano Mariti points out and following the lesson of Sergei Eisenstein, “not as a mechanical combination of parts, but as a dialectical principle of the collision of opposites” (2004: 73). We have seen earlier how at the basis of the dramaturgy of the comici dell’arte there was the ability to “make appear all’improvviso” a text that was the result of a collage of different sources – learned comedies, epic poems, ancient dramas, short medieval stories, sonnets, rhymes, etc. However, the way in which these elements were assembled was not the result of a simple ‘cut and paste’ or a collage of ‘little rags’ from different and heterogeneous sources that had been cut and then stitched up as if they had been the costume of Harlequin – “popular disguises of the learned comedy,” as Ireneo Sanesi (1954) described them.26 It

26 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

is only by moving away from a superficial understanding of popular-theatre traditions, in fact, and by studying instead the phenomenon of the commedia dell’arte by comparing it to the highest art forms of the Baroque culture that we can fully understand the success and effectiveness of its dramaturgy.27 There has been “very little consensus in the history of Baroque criticism as to what this term might signify across the different fields and disciplines of architecture, the plastic arts, literature and cultural criticism” (Lambert 2008: xxxiii). In his The Fold. Leibniz and the Baroque (1988 in French and 1993 in English), Gilles Deleuze defines the essence of Baroque art on the basis of its functionality – i.e., the extension to infinity: The Baroque refers not to an essence but rather to an operative function, to a trait. It endlessly produces folds. It does not invent things: there are all kinds of folds coming from the East, Greek, Roman, Romanesque, Gothic, Classical folds. . . . Yet the Baroque trait twists and turns its folds, pushing them to infinity, fold over fold, one upon the other. The Baroque fold unfurls all the way to infinity. (2006: 3) And also, “the Baroque invents the infinite work of process. The problem is not how to finish a fold, but how to continue it, to have it go through the ceiling, how to bring it to infinity” (2006: 34). With Deleuze, in short, the excess and abundance typical of Baroque art is to be understood not as a degenerate language, tacky, or as a result of the whim of an artist but as a willingness to rethink the space that the work of art can occupy. The Baroque work of art, with its folding and unfolding, curving and recurving, rejects the attitude of rational reconstruction of the space to become an object-event. The pleats of matter show a proliferation of the points of view on the artwork, and this can only happen if the artwork extends to infinity and becomes the subject of an optical and emotional sensation.28 However, Deleuze argues that if we want “to test the definition of the Baroque – the fold to infinity – we cannot be limited to masterpieces alone; we must dig into the everyday recipes or modes of fashion that change a genre” (2006: 122). Harlequin’s costume, for example, was used by Leibniz as a metaphor for the whole world, as noted by Gilles Deleuze: For some time the world has been understood on a theatrical basis, as a dream, an illusion – as Harlequin’s costume, as Leibniz would say. But the essence of the Baroque entails neither falling into nor emerging from illusion but rather realizing something in illusion itself, or of tying it to a spiritual presence that endows its spaces and fragments with a collective unity. (2006: 143) The Baroque society discovered the centrality of the number two and thus the idea of division as a fundamental feature of the world: “First, the Baroque

Introduction

27

differentiates its folds in two ways, by moving along two infinities, as if infinity were composed by two stages or f loors: the pleats of matter and the folds in the soul” (Deleuze 2006: 3). If we look at the key features of the commedia dell’arte with regard to its formal, thematic, and performative aspects, it will be clear how the number two – or its “obsession for doubling,” as Giulio Ferroni (1989) characterized it – is at the very basis of the ‘little rags’ used by the comici dell’arte to create their scenarios. On a formal level, the comici dell’arte created a blend between the traditional theatrical genres of comedy and tragedy, and not only if we consider the printed scenarios by Flaminio Scala but also those belonging to the manuscript traditions, which are, for the most part, adaptations of preexisting dramatic texts. Furthermore, if this blend of genres did offer, on one hand, the possibility to the comici dell’arte to explore, from time to time, different topics – or, as in the case of well-known comedies and tragedies, to adopt “a metamorphic criterion” so that the comic events appeared as farces and the sentimental ones were folded “in the contours of a pathos predestined either to happiness or to the darkest tragedy”29 – on the other hand, this blend was not merely a simple adaptation of the classical model to their way of doing theatre but, as María del Valle Ojeda Calvo pointed out, constituted a step beyond, “a way of completely adapting the comic to the tragic that went as far as to develop the tragic aspect of the parts defined as ridiculous or comic,” as she demonstrated with a careful examination of the scenario entitled Principe Tireno in the Bottarga collection (2007: 155). In addition, Ojeda Calvo also directed her attention to the particular organization of some of the scenarios belonging to the collection conserved in the Real Biblioteca in Madrid: On several occasions the acts of a scenario were included among the acts of another: in one of these scenarios (no. 23), each act of the first dramatic piece is called intermezzo. The acts of the piece are labeled by numbers (1, 2, 3) and the word “act” is only used for each part of the second piece. The interesting aspect of this organization is that, most probably, we are dealing with the reproduction of the actual structure of a live performance, which consisted in performing two dramatic works at the same time, and by inserting the acts of one dramatic work into another. It is also interesting to note how the dramatic piece that comes first is never a comedy; the first dramatic piece is always a tragedy, a pastoral, or a mythological work. (2007: 155) As it can be inferred from Ojeda Calvo’s observations, the overall performance was constituted by the staging of two works that were juxtaposed in terms of their genre but preceded by a single argument/theme, which was thus tackled by means of two different registers – a comic and a tragic one. On a formal level, the commedia dell’arte exploited other kinds of juxtapositions: the one between the courtly language of the Innamorati and the vernacular of the masks – exploited in all their variations, from the Dottore’s logorrhea to

28 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

the Capitano’s hyperboles, down to the base language used by the Zanni; the juxtaposition between the masked and unmasked characters; those wearing a mask were also characterized, in visual terms, by a contrast between the stillness of the mask – which, as we know, was always a half-mask – and the mobility of the jaw and neck. As Dario Fo argued, the zoomorphic characteristics of these masks and their movements divide also the lower part of the face (human) from the top (animal), the latter being, in turn, a crossbreed and juxtaposition between two different animals: There are also masks with a composite appearance that are the result of imaginary crossbreeds between different animals, or paradoxical crossbreeds. There is one that is the result of the union between a hound dog, a Neapolitan mastiff and the face of a man. It is the mask of Capitano . . . Pantalone or Magnifico’s masks refer instead to a rooster, a turkey or a chicken: hence the walk and the movements of the actor who wears them will imitate the mechanical and schizoid movements of a rooster. Another famous mask is that of Harlequin, a cross breed between a cat and a monkey. (1987: 27–28). At the thematic level the dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte also adopted the technique of counterpoint, since its scenarios are always based on the same series of contrasts: servant vs. master, father vs. son or daughter, male vs. female, serious love of the Innamorati vs. ridiculous love of the servants. It was Mario Apollonio (1971) who first pointed out how the juxtaposition between Magnifico and Zanni had been central to the development of the commedia dell’arte. The two characters, as Siro Ferrone has recently argued, come from the two poles of a “journey” that stretched from Venice (Magnifico) to Bergamo (Zanni), the two extremes of the territory of the Venetian republic; Zanni and Magnifico also belonged to two opposed social environments: “illiterate, hillbilly, immigrant, poor, dirty and bestial but young, robust, and healthy, the former; a civilized person according to convention, rich and miserly, as well as ill-health and old, the second” (2014: 67). This “original and constitutive double structure between master and servant” multiplies and extends to infinity in other doublings: These are the various couples formed by the two masters, the two servants, the four lovers, among which a whole series of horizontal, vertical, and transversal relationships are intertwined, and which allow us to see different types of binary relationships at work. (Ferroni 1989: 136) These different types of relationships and combinations, already summarized by Ludovico Zorzi (1990) in the diagram previously considered (Figure I.1), allowed for the formation of all possible couplings, thus creating new doublings interacting with each other in a series of folding and unfolding, curving and recurving,

Introduction

29

eventually leading to an “optical and emotional sensation” that Deleuze, as we have seen, described as the basis of Baroque art. If the duets between Magnifico and Zanni can be considered to be at the origin of the commedia dell’arte from a dramaturgical point of view, the “scenic presence” of the zanni and vecchi on one hand and the innamorate on the other, constituted instead “the central conf lict” that characterized their performances, creating on the stage a “coincidence of the opposites that most probably does not have a parallel in any of the artistic productions of the late Cinquecento culture”” The former, Zanni, characterized by comical verbal and gestural practices, was an expert in carnival dances, in the sayings of buffoons, in low speech, and in the art of double meanings and distortions; the latter, instead, was the bearer of the high culture of the meretrices honestae: she was a cultured poetess, an expert in improvisation, courtly dance, and singing, educated in the art of artificial and seductive innocence, and dressed according to the taste of the aristocrats. (Taviani 1986: 29–30) Created dramaturgically by the duet Magnifico–Zanni and scenically by the contrasting stage presence of the innamorate, with their “subtle dissonances,” and the zanni and vecchi, with their energic body language, these juxtapositions have been compared to Caravaggio’s clashes of light, or chiaroscuro, a technique that became widely employed by Baroque painters (Taviani 1986). As Marco de Marinis argues, the technique of contrasts and oppositions, which characterized the dramaturgy of the comici dell’arte both formally and thematically, also characterized its acting technique: a technique characterized by the energy, the deformation, the sudden changes of rhythm, but also and mainly by their contrasts. . . . More precisely, we can hypothesize, for the Commedia dell’Arte of the origin, the existence of a dual antinomic code, arising from the coexistence, in a kind of concordia discors, of two opposing acting codes. (1992: 145) By this “dual antinomic code” de Marinis refers, on one hand, to the ‘elegant’ acting code of the Innamorati and Innamorate and, on the other hand, to the ‘energetic’ code of the servants, the Vecchi, and sometimes even the Capitano – an acting style, the ‘energetic’ one, that was based on extra-daily techniques and characterized, as Ferdinando Taviani argues, “by a masterly composition of physical tension, a conscious and intelligent deformation of both body and behavior” (1982: 420). Despite superficial similarities, the dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte could not be more different than the dramaturgy that had characterized the courtly theatre of the previous decades. Rather than a “travesty of popular and

30 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

learned comedy” or a “cut and paste” from disparate sources, the comici dell’arte drew the lines of a dramaturgical design “curiously folded back onto itself ” (Tessari 1969: 125). The central motif of most of the canovacci is love. However, as noted by Anna Maria Testaverde, the Commedia dell’Arte .  .  . disrupted the inherited literary elements thanks to its tendency to amplify their original structure, based on the master-servant relationship, Magnifico-Zanni. The obsessive amplification of doublings . . . determines an unpredictable proliferation of gestures and the multiplication of situations based on comic misunderstanding. (2007: xlvii) It is no coincidence, then, that one of the themes investigated the most by the comici dell’arte is the one which derives from the ‘twins’ theatergrams in all its variations: uni- and bisexuality; twins-misunderstanding (on the model of Plautus’ Menaechmi); and disguise-replacement (on the model of Plautus’ Amphitruo) (Ferroni 1989: 140–143). These two basic theatergrams – doubling and disguise – also allowed for the development of other themes typical of Baroque culture: the theme of madness (real or simulated), the theme of death, the theme of the world as a representation, and the related theme of life as a ‘required’ performance, where everyone wears a mask. This last, the Baroque metaphor of the theatrum mundi, with its idea of world-as-stage and, correspondingly, life-as-play,30 is a metaphor used time and again, by Calderon de la Barca, Lope de Vega,31 Shakespeare, Molière, Racine, Corineille32 – to name but a few. “The whole world’s a stage,” says Jaques in As You Like It (2.7), a world where the boundaries between reality and appearance are no longer distinguishable, as Hamlet (1.2) reminds us: QUEEN GERTRUDE If it be, Why seems it so particular with thee? HAMLET Seems, madam! nay it is; I know not ‘seems.’ ‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected ‘havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly: these indeed seem, For they are actions that a man might play: But I have that within which passeth show; These but the trappings and the suits of woe.

Introduction

31

The inability to discern between reality and appearance will eventually bring Hamlet to insanity. As Luciano Mariti argues: Insanity means de-reality, loss – or confusion – of the connection between reality and appearance . . ., just as before the affirmation of relativism and the resurgence of the principle of double truth (of reason and faith, science and religion, nature and grace, morality of the political matter and practice of the individual politics) becomes doubtful of any criterion to distinguish appearance from reality and to capture a unique relationship between words and things. (2004: 69–70) The comici dell’arte, then, explored all the themes typical of the Baroque culture: the idea of continuous metamorphosis that led them to mix the comic with the tragic, the serious with the ridiculous, and the sacred with the profane; the necessity of disguise that creates “multiple identities” and gives “voice and body to the continuous metamorphosis”; the world as illusion, simulation, and final projection of a world in which the boundaries between reality and appearance, between life and dream, are increasingly blurred; the idea of doubling, in a continuous fold of things into their opposite; and the idea of person as a mask, disguise, pretense, to be interpreted as an appearance on the world stage.33

Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso and the commedia dell’arte To disprove the traditional idea that still considers the commedia dell’arte only as a clownish genre done by actors who, unable to read and write, improvised farces for unsophisticated audiences in impromptu outdoor theatres, it would be useful to take a closer look at the scenarios belonging to the genre of opera regia, numerous examples of which can be found in a variety of manuscript collections. As Robert Henke pointed out, By the secondo Cinquecento, Ariosto’s great romance epic was being performed in a wide range of venues: not only the court, but the university, the academy, the urban piazza, and even in the country. Piazza vendors were performing and selling, for a reading public of widening social range, editions of extracts from the Furioso, sometimes even in Bergamask or Venetian dialect. (2002: 89) Needless to say, the troupes of the commedia dell’arte did not miss the opportunity to tap into this rich source. In 1567, Barbara Flaminia performed a tragedy, as Luigi Rogna reports in a letter dated 6 July 1567, adapted from the Canto XXXVII of Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso.34 The piece, after the marriage between Barbara Flaminia and Alberto Naselli (aka Zan Ganassa), became part

32 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

of the repertory of their company and performed in Spain and France numerous times.35 In 1615, Stefano Castiglione’s troupe staged in Naples La Pazzia di Orlando and, in the 1620s, in the same city, scenarios based on specific canti of the Furioso became part of the repertory of Silvio Fiorillo (aka Capitan Matamoros), one of the most celebrated players of the commedia dell’arte: his La cortesia di Leone, e di Ruggiero con la morte di Rodomonte. Suggetto cavato dall’Ariosto, e ridotto in stile rappresentativo (1624)36 is based on the canti 44 through 46 of the Orlando Furioso, while his L’Ariodante tradito, e morte di Polinesso da Rinaldo Paladino (1627) is based on the canto 5. Silvio Fiorillo’s pieces represent an important chapter in this poem’s fortune on stage and testify to the generally unsuspected literary sophistication of many comedians (Savoia 1997). Siro Ferrone (2014: 113) has demonstrated the “tight connection” between Italian chivalric literature and commedia dell’arte by comparing the aforementioned piece by Silvio Fiorillo (1624), with a passage in the Bravure del Capitano Spavento by Francesco Andreini (1624), and a passage from Ariosto’s Furioso: Son (disse) il re di Sarza, Rodomonte, che te, Ruggiero, alla battaglia sfido; e qui ti vo’, prima che ‘l sol tramonte, provar ch’al tuo signor sei stato infido; e che non merti, che sei traditore, fra questi cavallieri alcuno onore.37 Son disse il re di Sarza Rodomonte, Che te Spavento a la battaglia sfido, E qui ti vo’ prima che ‘l sol tramonte Mostrar ch’al gran Pluton sei stato infido, E che non merti, che sei traditore, Tra l’anime dannate alcun onore.38 Io sono il Re di Sarza Rodomonte, Che te Ruggiero disfido alla battaglia E qui ti vo’, pria che tramonti il Sole, Provar che al tuo Signor fosti infedele E traditor tu s’è che non merti, Fra tanti Cavalieri, alcun onore.39 As Luciano Mariti (2004) pointed out, in addition to the plays inspired by the Furioso – such as L’amorose furie d’Orlando composed in 1642 by Giacinto Andrea Cicognini – there are also numerous insertions and intrusions of octets and episodes of Ariosto’s poem in the dramaturgy of the commedia ridicolosa. Furthermore, quotations from the Furioso can be found in many of the commedia dell’arte generici and, as Irene Mamczarz (1983) argued, even in its iconography.

Introduction

33

Two scenarios are, however, of particular importance and somehow connected: La gran Pazzia d’Orlando, contained in the Raccolta di scenari di Histrioni, and the Orlando furioso contained in the collection edited by Basilio Locatelli. Both these texts will follow this analysis and, for this reason, will be included in this anthology but separate from the other scenarios. According to various scholars, La gran Pazzia d’Orlando – probably composed toward the end of the Cinquecento or beginning of the Seicento for professional actors – served as the basis for the second one, which is similar in content and structure but enriched with numerous dialogues and monologues. The importance of these two scenarios is that, rather than adapting only one or a few of its numerous stories, they attempt to stage the whole poem and its complexity. Although his name is tied to one of the scenario collections belonging to the golden age of the commedia dell’arte, Basilio Locatelli, probably born in Rome in the early 1590s, still remains somewhat unknown. Despite the lack of definitive documentary evidence, however, various scholars believe Locatelli to be an amateur actor involved with one or more of the many academies operating in Rome at that time: Gli Umoristi, Gli Intrigati, I Desiosi, Gli Infiammati, I Fantastici, I Disuniti, and I Vogliosi. Locatelli’s collection of scenarios, entitled Della scena dei soggetti comici and divided into two parts dated 1628 and 1632, is preserved in mss. 1211 and 1212 of the Casanatense Library in Rome. The Orlando furioso opera eroica representativa is one of its one hundred and three scenarios, presenting mostly comic but also tragic, pastoral, heroic, and tragicomic stories. Chronologically, these scenarios come after Flaminio Scala’s collection – Il teatro delle favole rappresentative, published in Venice in 1611 – and have occupied scholars with issues concerning their relationship with the scenarios of the Corsiniana collection, dating back to 1613, and other similar collections, most notably the Casamarciano in the National Library of Naples. According to Anna Maria Testaverde, the scenarios collected by Locatelli could be considered amateur versions of professional ones, transcribed and enriched with monologues and dialogues. Locatelli himself, in his introduction to the collection, argues that his scenarios were to be considered a rewriting of preexisting ones – according to the academic, “devoid of all ornament and decorum” – so that they might “civilly appear on stage without any shame” (2007: xxxv).40 The author’s intent gives us a clue regarding how to read his Orlando furioso: Locatelli may be stripping out the monologues and bravuras, as well as the excesses, of the ‘professional’ and risqué actors. What he offers is a skeleton of the action, much in the mode of Flaminio Scala, leaving us wondering how certain spectacular scenes could have been staged: the f light of the hippogriff, Angelica’s nakedness when chained to a rock and her execution, and the onstage fight between Ronaldo and the Orca, to name but a few. Clearly, as a source for performance, this scenario differs stylistically from the bulk of Scala’s comic oeuvre. Locatelli was a staunch defender of the phenomenon of the amateur theatre of the academics and against the spread of the theatre of professional actors, as can be evinced from the introduction to the second volume of the collection,

34 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

according to Locatelli, the only virtuous actor is the amateur actor, while the professional one is infamous. However, as Ferdinando Taviani has pointed out, the distinction between amateur and professional actor was very different from the distinction we would make today. For Locatelli, a member of one of the most important academies of the time, the major theatre (both in terms of prestige and numbers) was the one taking place in the academies, at court, or in even in colleges – especially the Jesuit ones. The professional theatre, in fact, was at that time still theatrically and culturally at the margin (Taviani and Schino 1982). Despite these diatribes, the exchange and borrowings between the two environments were numerous and frequent. The Corsiniana collection is entitled Scenari piú scelti di histrioni, even if the first page shows the coat of arms of the cardinal Maurizio di Savoia. In addition, these scenarios constituted the repertory of the Accademia dei Desiosi performing in Rome. How is it possible that academics would use the infamous name histrioni for their representations? According to Cesare Molinari, there can only be two possible solutions: the Accademia dei Desiosi used to hire professional actors for their performances, or “most probably, the academics were using the same scenarios of the professional actors” (1985: 44). However, these scenarios were taken from the collection of an academic (Locatelli) who used to despise professional actors. “What an atrocious vicious circle!!” exclaims Molinari after this excursus. So there is no doubt that the professional and amateur environments shared scenarios, and thus the scenario in question adapting Ariosto’s poem, Orlando furioso, could have easily been staged in amateur as well as professional environments. The scenario by Basilio Locatelli shares some of the typical characteristics of most scenarios belonging to the manuscript traditions: there is a title – Orlando Furioso, ref lecting the fact that the scenario was meant to be an adaptation of the entire poem and not simply of one of its parts – followed immediately by the theatrical genre, in this case Opera eroica representativa. After the title and genre, there is the indication of the location – la scena si finge Gaeta, a town near Rome – and a list of characters – forty in this case in addition to a horse, a hippogriff, and a killer whale. A detailed list of properties necessary for the comedy is placed at the end of the scenario. This list is extremely detailed and records the costumes and disguises needed for the various scenes – armors, helmets, vests, fake beards, etc. – the props – swords, shields, lances, signboards, three fake arms to cut off and two fake heads to cut off, fake wounds, machine to cut Isabella’s head off, a small galley, ships, etc. – and, in this case, specific scenic elements – in particular, a river, a bridge, a tower, and a sepulcher.41 The two scenarios, despite the complexity of their source, are divided, like all the other commedia dell’arte scenarios, into three acts and are based on the usual character types: Angelica and Orlando can be considered the prima and primo Innamorato; Rodomonte and Mandricardo as Capitani; Isabella as seconda Innamorata; Gabrina as fantesca, etc. However, it also presents structural characteristics that deviate from what is customary, since it tries to represent the compositional technique of the epic poem, “based on the inlay of concentric and polycentric

Introduction

35

stories” organized through a montage “more attentive to the adventures of the characters than to the Aristotelian structure of a story well ordained in its beginning, middle, and end” (Ferrone 2014: 111–112). With its thirty-six different characters, in addition to five groups of four actors each (Corsairs, Sailors, Soldiers, Farmers, Highwaymen), a horse, a hippogriff, and a killer whale, the text is the result of several simultaneous stories interlaced in one larger narrative. In addition, the two scenarios become even more fascinating if the ‘ideal’ kind of stage necessary for the performance is taken into consideration. The scenario in the Locatelli collection, for example, was clearly devised for a performance, with each of the fifty-six scenes beginning and ending with a letter (A through F) and referring to a specific place where actors were supposed to enter from or exit to – di A., parte per E., partono per B., etc. Through an analysis of the watercolors included in the Corsiniana collection, many scholars have concluded that these title-page illustrations represent a stage with Serlian anglewings (see Figure I.4 as an example). None have questioned the capacity of this type of stage to meet the technical requirements of all the collection’s scenarios (Mengarelli 2008: 221). In fact, this scenario, like others of pastoral plays in both the Corsiniana and Locatelli collections, in addition to sudden changes of location and effects – a ‘f lying’ hippogriff, a tower with practicable top and inside, a river, a practicable bridge, a sepulcher, bushes in the shape of a den for the scenery; trees that can be eradicated by Orlando, etc. – also specifies sea ogres emerging from the sea, ships, and a small galley to be sailed. In the case of Locatelli’s Orlando Furioso in particular, with its use of elaborate stage machinery and scene changes, the question arises whether a baroque perspective stage of the academic courtly milieu equipped with scenery would have been more appropriate. The title-page illustration for La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando included in the Corsiniana collection (Figure I.7) is in fact very different from all the other images (see Figure I.4 as example). As Stefano Mengarelli has argued, these illustrations are idealized compositions, not primarily intended to document performance practice. Rather than having any direct documentary value, they convey an idea. . . . Through specific selection of depicted incidents, each picture captures a characteristic aspect that differentiates that particular scenario from all other scenari. (217) So what is the main difference between this particular image and the other ones in the collection? What primarily differentiates this scenario from the others, according to the illustrators? First of all, this image lacks the symmetry and the perspective order of the others. The image, in fact, simultaneously depicts five of the many episodes: in the center, on the right side, we see the first scene of the first act, with Ferraù looking for his helmet, while Argalia’s shadow comes out of the water (1.1 and 1.2); top-left, we see Angelica’s arrival at the inn meeting Graziano, Pantalone, and Zanni and followed by her horse Baiardo (1.4); right

36 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

FIGURE I.4

Image from the frontispiece to the scenario La nobiltà di Bertolino. Tragicommedia in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G6, c. 18r) hou sed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana. Permission to reproduce the image granted by the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana, Rome, Italy.

Introduction

37

underneath, we can see the fight between Rinaldo and Sacripante (1.7 and 1.8) or one of the many duels; bottom-left, we see the trophy with Orlando’s arms, a fountain at the center, and, bottom-right, Orlando’s madness. This image, we might argue, translates the spatial and temporal organization of the scenario: while referring to the most important scenes and their chronological order, it also points to the simultaneity of its episodes. Besides these specific on-stage spaces, the characters’ narratives in both scenarios often refer to offstage spaces as well. Marvin Carlson has suggested a pair of semiotic terms to refer to these two spaces: iconic space or “what actors call on-stage space, where everything seen is iconic, a chair serving as a sign for a chair and so on,” and indexical space, the imaginary unseen space inhabited by the characters and indicated or pointed to by the onstage narrative (1989, 1994, 2010). Astolfo’s appearance on the hippogriff, the mythical f lying beast – by necessity a complicated and impressive stage prop – might have engendered a bifurcated reaction within the audience, caught between being impressed by the prop itself and a self-negotiated belief in the story that produced such a marvel. It is within this bifurcation that, due to the lack of any other character on stage (since the hippogriff, apparently, did not speak), Astolfo’s monologue or soliloquy was performed, probably as some variation of direct address or story-telling mode, in which the teller/actor informs the audience of where he has f lown. The iconic space is the actor astride the hippogriff stage machinery, and the indexical space being the journeys and places placed in the audience’s minds by the narrator. Using the device of the magical hippogriff, Astolfo extends the audience’s imagination, heading toward a baroque infinity, by dramatically informing them where else he has been on his steed. The beginning of Act Three, with Astolfo’s narrative, is a perfect example of this last kind of space: 36 Astolfo from A., riding the Hippogriff, says to have traveled the world and gone through Navarra, Aragon, Biscaglia, Castile, Galicia, Lisbon, Cordova, Seville, Gade, Africa and many other towns and innumerable other places, and that then he was with the King of Ethiopia, where the Harpies did not let him eat and he chased them away with the sound of his horn (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXXIII); then he says that he has been to Hell, where he saw Lydia, Anassa, and Daphne, damned to eternity to the smoke because they had been unfaithful to their lovers; then he says that he went up to the sky, where f lowers and fruits are always greening and where there are palaces built with precious stones; there he found an old man who told him that, in order to help Orlando, he had to take advice from him . . .; then he says that he made him walk through all the circles of the sky. Hyperbole seems to be Astolfo’s defining rhetorical figure. The scenario does not actually need this voyage or, at least, not as detailed. Astolfo’s narrative is

38 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

the longest narrative sequence in the entire scenario, and it breaks into two parts the scenario’s climatic scene: Orlando’s scene of madness. The evocation of its numerous locations seems to be unnecessary. However, this list of indexical spaces covering not only the entirety of the terrestrial globe (life) but also Hell and the skies (death in all its possibilities) could also be read as an invitation to the auditorium to see or contemplate what the theatre cannot show them and to follow where it cannot take them. Needless to say, Astolfo’s representation falls short. But this is exactly the point, because it alludes to those parts of the Theatrum mundi too lofty or too vast to realize. The images for the other scenarios generally refer to the street of the commedia erudita, “an enclosing frame within which the whole of the action coheres” (Womack 2008: 49). Here, instead, the refusal to neatly frame can be understood as the coherent construction of a new model of drama. The fact that different theatrical spaces or models – (1) the Serlian perspective scene; (2) the Baroque illusionistic stage with its machineries and marvels; and (3) the polycentric nature of this scenario – cohabited in the scenarios of the comici dell’arte is further testimony that, at that time, there was no neat separation between courtly and professional environments. Commedia dell’arte scenarios are the traces left by a theatrical model that called for a popular involvement. I am using here the term popular not in the sense of a folk culture that, according to some scholars, was at the very basis of the commedia dell’arte and “provided not only an alternative to literary culture, humanism, and values of the gentry,” but also “a spirit of misrule that challenged the political authorities” (Postlewait 2009: 205). Rather, I am using the term popular in order to refer to the social (and spatial) miscellaneous nature of the audience (and theatres) of the commedia dell’arte. Besides being popular, this theatrical model was also theophanic: as Peter Womack has pointed out, although in relation to another “popular” theatre, the Elizabethan one, this model proposes a stage on which the visible and finite objects are supposed not to form a comprehensible world in their own right, but to mediate an invisible and incomprehensible truth. The Serlian comic scene secures its internal completeness by ruling out every non-human determinant; in an opposing application of the same logic, theophanic theatre advertises its own incompleteness in order to invoke the divine. (2008: 50) So what is the cipher of this scenario’s adaptation in relation to its source? Besides the typical integration of commedia dell’arte characters into the economy of the story – in this case, Pantalone, Zanni, and Dottor Graziano – there is the presence of the Inn, here functioning as a hinge from which all events sprang from and return. It is the centripetal element holding the centrifugal nature of the piece. Interestingly enough, the Inn is present in those scenes of the Locatelli’s version – 1.3, 1.4, 1.12, 1.13; 2.22, 2.23, 2.27, 2.28, 2.29; 3.44, 3.47, 3.48, 3.56 (final scene) – where most, if not almost the entirety of the lazzi is taking place.

Introduction

39

As we have previously seen, according to Ferdinando Taviani, the lazzo is what could be described as a “fold” rather than an interruption of the scene: The lazzo can be a sort of scenic hieroglyph, an emblem able to concentrate, in the immobile f lash of a gesture, the meaning of an action. (Taviani and Schino 1982: 484) Locatelli’s Orlando Furioso is a perfect example of a dramaturgy “curiously folded back onto itself” (Tessari 1969: 125) and consisting in a vast display of characters– masks and adventures kept together by a technique that rejects the Aristotelian linearity of action in favor of a synchronicity made of abrupt interruptions, discontinuances, and resumptions.42 This polycentric dramaturgy proceeded primarily through parallelism and antithesis, elaborating variations on two main themes: “love and ladies” and “knights and arms.” Love leads to madness, and madness to an inability to distinguish between reality and appearance. At the beginning of Act Two, all the knights are shown trapped in Atlante’s mysterious Palace. Here, they wander through desert porches and corridors: Atlante’s palace is missing what the characters are looking for, but full of people searching, thus giving shape to the reign of illusion, where the knights are left to desire their own desires. And after all the adventures and duels, battles and fights, love laments and deaths, heroic speeches about duty and honor, the scenario ends with a striking image: Pantalone’s dirty underwear waving next to the banner of the inn. The chivalric values of the past have come to an end, and the commedia dell’arte actors open the doors onto our modern world. But they do so without the need to hide their dirty underwear and by reminding us that our only refuge might the Bacchic chaos of the inn.

The Madness of Orlando (Orlando Furioso) [Opera eroica rappresentativa] B. L. R. 143 The city of Gaeta Properties They are described at the end of the comedy. Characters Orlando, Count and Prince of Anglante, King Charlemagne’s nephew Ferraú Angelica, King Galafone, Gran Kan of Cathay’s daughter Rinaldo, Orlando’s cousin, son of the Duke of Amone, Sir of Mount Albano Isabella, King of Galicia’s daughter

40 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

Marfisa Gabrina, old woman Pinabello A page, his servant Damsel Ruggiero Zerbino, King of Scotland’s son Medoro Mandricardo, King of Tartary Rodomonte, King of Algiers Astolfo Fiordiligi, damsel Brandimarte Odorico, young man Corebo, young man Almonio, old man Bradamante Oliviero Sansonetto Dudone Graziano, innkeeper Pantalone, innkeeper Zanni, innkeeper Shadow of Argalia, in knightly attire Sacripante, King of Circassia Daemon, dressed as a page Corsairs Sailors Farmers Highwaymen Hermit, old man Esquire Dwarf, one of Rodomonte’s servants Baiardo, horse Hippogriff, winged horse Sea Orca Shepherd ACT ONE 1 Ferraú from A., with armor, sword, and shield, without his helmet, and with a branch in his hand, claims to be Ferraú and to have been in the battle

Introduction

41

between King Charlemagne and King Agramante where, because of various accidents, he has lost his horse; to be able to freshen, rest, and drink some water, he has now arrived at a river where, while drinking, he has lost his helmet, and where Angelica, chased by Rinaldo, has arrived and has asked him for help; while Ferraú and Rinaldo were fighting, the woman secretly escaped, and when they realized this, they agreed to stop fighting, go and look for her, and thus resume fighting to decide who was going to have her; Rinaldo went in one direction and he [Ferraú] in the other in order to best find her; [Ferraú] says that he has looked in the woods and then has come back where Rinaldo had left, by the river bank where his helmet fell off; he says he wants to look for it, to try and catch it with a branch; he despairs because he cannot find it. Next 2 Shadow of Argalia from the river, in knightly attire, coming out the waters up to the waist, armed, with nothing on his head, holding in his right hand the helmet that Ferraú had lost in the river and, being angry with Ferraú, he says: “Traitor of your word, liar, does it seem serious to you to leave that helmet, the same one that a long time ago you were supposed to give me back; you should know that I am Angelica’s brother, whom you killed, and whom you promised to throw the helmet and the other arms in the river within a few days; but until now you have not done so, and thus luck took care of what you were supposed to do; thus, do not be upset, but pity yourself for not having kept the promise; however, if you would like a good and fine helmet, look for another one and obtain it with more honor: Orlando wears the one which used to belong to Almonte, and Rinaldo wears another, which used to belong to Mambrino; and you could obtain one of them by means of your bravery, since the one you promised me, I have in my hand, and you will never own it again;” the Shadow disappears under the waters; Ferraú is surprised by the appearance of Argalia’s shadow and says that he has been unable to answer the shadow who told him that he did not keep his word; thus Ferraú swears on Lanfusa’s life that he will not wear any other helmet than Orlando’s, which was taken from Almonte in Aspromonte, and that he will look for Orlando; upset, he throws the branch and leaves through E. (these events can be found in Orlando Furioso, Canto I). 3 Pantalone, Graziano, and Zanni from the Inn, they discuss the arrangements they have done for all the knights who have come to town, the money they are making, and they do various lazzi and words among themselves. Next

42 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

4 Angelica from B., running away, says she has left her horse to graze and that she wants to rest; the innkeepers invite her while doing their lazzi and ask who she is; Angelica eventually tells them her story: Orlando used to be her lover and then he went to war to help King Charlemagne. One day, Rinaldo challenged Orlando to a duel because of Angelica’s beauty; King Charlemagne, fearing that this contest would interfere with the war, publicly promised Angelica to the most valiant knight, while promising her in private to the Duke of Bavaria; foreseeing my miserable future and having heard that King Charlemagne’s army was about to lose the battle, I thus decided, before the day would come, to escape through the forest; there, along the way, I met a knight named Ferraú and asked him for help. At the same time, Rinaldo arrived and started to duel with Ferraú; thus, while the two were fighting, I decided to escape, and now I do not know where to hide; the innkeepers do their lazzi and offer her room and board. Angelica, fearing that Rinaldo might arrive at the inn, hides, while the innkeepers, hearing that somebody is calling them, go back inside the inn. Angelica remains to see who is coming. Next 5 Sacripante from C., armed, pensive, sad, with a bowed head, is thinking, and then slowly, while sighing, he laments the fact that he is unlucky in love because the women he loves are always enjoyed by other men; he says he is Sacripante, King of Circassia, who left the distant Orient because of his beloved; once in India, however, with great pain, he heard that Angelica had followed Orlando and gone West and that, once in France, the Emperor promised her as reward to some knights, to the one who could prove to be the most valiant on the battlefield that day; Sacripante says that he was there that day and witnessed the defeat of King Charlemagne’s army but could not see his much beloved Angelica, and this is the reason for his grief, as he laments; Angelica, having heard the whole thing while hiding, decides to pretend with him and to take him as her defender; Angelica comes out and assures Sacripante that there is no need to be in pain; Sacripante, after having seen Angelica, is first left amazed and astonished, and then, with happiness, throws his arms around her neck, thanking the sky for what has happened; Angelica assures him that, since the day he was sent to the Orient to ask for help to the King of Saracens, Orlando has guarded and protected her from death and dishonor, and this is the reason why she is still like the day she was born; if Sacripante will name himself as her defender, she will accept. Next

Introduction

43

6 Baiardo from F., Angelica’s horse, richly adorned with gold, with much noise, is galloping. Angelica sees and recognizes him. She says he has arrived on time and that she had left him to pasture on a grassplot. Sacripante says that he wants to ride her horse and that Angelica will ride his horse; as soon as he tries to mount Baiardo, the horse kicks and does not want to be touched by Sacripante; eventually, Baiardo lets Angelica touch him and, while caressing him, she is able to mount him. Next 7 Rinaldo from D., with armor and crest, introduces himself as the son of the Duke Amone; Angelica recognizes Rinaldo and, with tremulous voice, asks Sacripante to escape with her. Sacripante is surprised and tells Angelica: “Thus you consider me a coward, lacking the strength to defend myself from this knight; have you forgotten the battles of Albrava, and when for your sake I fought against Agricante, unaccompanied and unarmed?” Angelica, doubting that Rinaldo has recognized her, calms down, but Rinaldo, as soon as he gets closer to her, recognizes her (these events can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto I). Having recognized Angelica and having seen her with a knight, while boasting, Rinaldo tells Sacripante to let the woman go, since it is not appropriate for a thief like him to have such a dignified thing; Sacripante confutes Rinaldo and says that it will be seen who is supposed to have the woman. Thus, they start a duel; Angelica, seeing the knights busy fighting and fearing she will end up in the hands of Rinaldo, quietly sneaks out through A.; the knights, not realizing that Angelica has escaped, remain fighting. Next 8 A Demon, disguised as a page from A., stands between the two knights and separates them by saying: “You will obtain the reward for your efforts when you’ll be done with your battle, since one of you will be dead, and since the Count Orlando, without any obstacle, is going to Paris with Angelica; and I have seen both of them a mile away from here and, while speaking, they were making fun of you; however, it is better if you try and follow them because, if Orlando takes the damsel to Paris, you won’t be able to see her anymore.” The knights, having heard these words, are disturbed by the fact they are unable to see Angelica around; the Demon leaves from A., Rinaldo, full of fury, says that if he is able to catch Orlando he will rip his heart out and leaves from B.; Sacripante leaves from D. (these events can be found in Orlando Furioso, Canto II).

44 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

9 Isabella [Oderico] [Almonio] [Corebo] from E., daughter of the King of Galicia, narrates how she eloped from home to go and look for her beloved Zerbino; Oderico describes Zerbino’s valor, then they talk about the fact that they reached Gaeta by chance because of the sea and that they have left their things in those islands to save their lives; Isabella says she does not care as long as she’s able to see Zerbino; Almonio says that he will go to town and look for horses, so that they can all leave. Almonio leaves from C.; the others remain; Oderico confides to Corebo that he wants to enjoy Isabella, and he begins to do some lazzi with her; Corebo tries to dissuade Oderico by saying that he cannot wrong Zerbino, who put his trust in him. Oderico responds that since Zerbino decided not to come in person and instead preferred to help the King of France, he will make fun of him and enjoy Isabella; but as soon as he tries to embrace her, she screams, and Corebo draws his sword and tries to stop him, while Isabella screams and does her lazzi of wanting to get out of his hands. Next 10 A group of highwaymen from E., with sticks, skewers, swords, and other arms, take Isabella out of Oderico’s hands and, with great din, chase them away; Oderico and Corebo escape from C.; Isabella, crying, complains about her destiny; they all leave from E. and go inside the den (these events can be found in Orlando Furioso, Canto XIII). 11 Pinabello [Damsel] [Esquire] from B., Count of Maganza, armed, says he’s very happy to be with the damsel, once a prisoner of a necromancer and freed by Atlante when he destroyed the enchanted castle. Pinabello and the Damsel talk about love. Next 12 Pantalone, Graziano, Zanni from the inn, they see the strangers and invite them in by doing their lazzi and words of the good accommodation; Pinabello sends his esquire to check the rooms; the esquire enters and they remain to talk. Next 13 Marfisa [Gabrina] from C., armed with sword and lance, with a shield; Gabrina thanks Marfisa for helping her cross the river on her horse; the Damsel, after having seen Gabrina, mocks her; Marfisa, having realized what is happening,

Introduction

45

is angered and tells the Damsel that the old lady is more beautiful than she is. Marfisa is ready to prove it by challenging Pinabello under the condition that, if she wins, the Damsel will have to undress and donate her clothes to Gabrina; the duel starts as they grip their shields and lances and face each other; Pinabello is knocked off his horse, Marfisa undresses the Damsel out of her clothes, dresses up the old lady, and takes his palfrey; the innkeepers laugh at Gabrina, who leaves with Marfisa through D.; they all go back inside the inn with malcontent (these events can be found in Orlando Furioso, Canto XX). 14 Corsairs, Sailors [Angelica] from B., with whips and ropes and other maritime arms, lead Angelica undressed and chained; they say they are corsairs and sailors who roam the see to look for women and save them from their sufferings; in fact, once upon a time, the local king had a daughter, and Proteus, a sea-god, fell in love with her and impregnated her, having found her one day all alone by the sea; her father, upset with her, cut her head off and killed the little baby; thus Proteus, enraged for what he had done, sent orcas and seals to the village to destroy all the herds and everything else in revenge; thus they went to consult the oracle, and he said that they were supposed to offer a beautiful girl to satisfy the god Proteus, as a substitute for the dead one; and in case he did not like the first, to offer another one, so that they could free themselves; thus, having offered many girls that all have been devoured by the orca, they have decided to tie up Angelica, who was found with the Hermit; thus they tie her naked at the Isle of Crying, they leave her there and depart from B.; Angelica, tied to a rock with a rope, laments her fate, destiny, and the fact that her tears and beauty have not been enough to move to compassion those cruel people (these events can be found in Orlando Furioso, Canto VIII). Next 15 Ruggiero from A., armed with sword and lance, says to have been, with his winged steed, through England, Spain, and Brittany, and to have reached that place after having seen a damsel tied to a rock with a rope; he sees Angelica and, moved to compassion for her, asks her how she ended up like that; Angelica, ashamed and keeping her head down, cries and is unable to answer. When she is about to narrate her misfortune, Next 16 Sea Orca from the sea, appears half inside and half outside the waters, making noises and moving the waters; Ruggiero fights with her and eventually, after a

46 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

long battle, seeing that he cannot kill the orca, says that he wants to blind the monster with the splendor of his enchanted shield, which was now covered; in order not to hurt the damsel, he puts a magic ring that dissolves all incantations on her finger; having done all this, Ruggiero places himself in front of the orca and uncovers the enchanted shield, which was covered with a veil, and after having unveiled it, the orca dies, and Ruggiero hits her until she vanishes; Angelica begs Ruggiero to free her from the rock, fearing that the orca might return; Ruggiero covers the shield and frees Angelica (this can be read in Canto X). Angelica thanks him, and then she notices that the ring that was put on her finger is the one that Brunello stole from Albrava and that she brought to France the first time she went there with her brother; this ring dissolves all incantations and makes people invisible; thus Angelica, knowing its powers, puts it in her mouth and becomes invisible; Ruggiero remains, and not being able to see Angelica, looks and walks around and then, thinking about the ring he had put on her finger, says that the damsel made herself invisible; thus he feels sorry for his mistake and for the ingratitude of the damsel and says: “I know that you hate me and don’t want to answer”; while he says this, he reaches out with his hands and looks for her, but being unable to find her and feeling sorry for having lost the ring, and not so much for its virtues, but because he received it from his beloved, eventually picks up his arms and leaves (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XI). End of Act One ACT TWO 17 Orlando from A., with armor, sword, and shield, and a helmet upon his head, discusses his love for Angelica and how he has lost her because of the war to help King Charlemagne, and how a contest between him and Rinaldo had been created in order to decide who would possess her beauty; he says he has looked for her all over France, and now he has left Paris to go and look for her in Italy and all over the world until he is able to find her; he says that he has left his horse Brigliadoro out to pasture and walked into a palace, in which he saw a knight entering with a horse and a damsel who looked like Angelica; and how he has looked for her many times all over the palace without having been able to find her or the knight; once outside the palace, he says that he has heard a voice, like that of Angelica, who was asking for help; he thus entered once again the palace and looked for her, but again was not able to find them, but he found two knights who were also looking for somebody inside the palace; he despairs and says that he does not know how to find Angelica; he decides to go look for her in the forest. Next

Introduction

47

18 Sacripante from A., king of Circassia, with armor, sword and a helmet upon his head, despairs because he cannot find the damsel. Next 19 Ferraú from A., with armor, sword, without a helmet upon his head, also despairs because he cannot find his damsel; Orlando and Sacripante want to cross his path and leave, but Ferraú mocks them and tells them to go back, because he does not want them to cross that street; Orlando, enraged with Ferraú, says that if it were not for the fact that he was not wearing a helmet, he would make him regret what he had just said; Ferraú says that he will fight with both of them even without his helmet; Orlando asks Sacripante to lend Ferraú his own helmet, saying that he wants to extract all that foolishness from Ferraú’s head; Sacripante says that Orlando should lend him his own helmet, because he feels he can take care of him by himself; Ferraú, enraged, says: “If I wanted your helmets, it’d be enough my will to get them off your heads, but you must know that I made a vow not to wear any helmet until I will be able to get Orlando’s”; Orlando, having heard every single word, insults him; eventually, Orlando reveals who he really is and says that he does not need any advantage; thus, he takes his helmet off his head, hangs it on a branch, and says: “that the one who deserves it the most, may take it”; Sacripante leaves from D. and goes to look for Angelica; the other two stay and start fighting. Next 20 Angelica from C., aside, hidden by the ring, having recognized the knights and having seen them fighting for a little while, takes the helmet off the branch with the intention of giving it back to Orlando later on, puts it on her chest, and leaves from C.; the knights stay and fight but Ferraú, not seeing the helmet at the branch, says that the knight who was with Orlando took it and that for this reason there is no need to fight anymore, since the reward for the winner has been taken away; Orlando, enraged, stops fighting; Ferraú leaves from D.; Orlando, enraged, remains (these events can be found in Orlando Furioso, Canto XII). Next 21 A group of highwaymen, Isabella from C., they carry Isabella tied with a rope, and they say they have sold her to a merchant who wants to take her to a sultan in the Orient; Isabella laments her misfortunes; Orlando asks the highwaymen what they intend to do with the damsel, and they reply by saying that they want to

48 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

rip her clothes off; Orlando, enraged with the highwaymen, unsheathes his sword and, cutting arms and heads, chases all of them away; the highwaymen escape from F.; Orlando and Isabella remain, Orlando asks her who she is, and Isabella says her name and that she is the daughter of the King of Galicia and that while her father was busy with tournaments in Barina, she fell in love with a knight named Zerbino, son of the King of Scotland, and that he fell in love with her; when the festival ended, Zerbino went back to Scotland, while her love for him never left her heart; but because she is a Saracen and he a Christian, he did not ask her father for her hand; thus, he decided to help her elope from her father’s house, and thus she escaped from a garden of her palace, and since he could not come, he sent a true friend named Oderico; Oderico was waiting with a secret galley, and so we embarked; once at large, we got very lucky, and despite the great peril, we were able to save our lives, and Oderico, Almonio, Corebo, and I reached the shore; once there and after Almonio had left for the city to look for horses, Oderico attempted my honor, despite the fact that Corebo tried to dissuade him from this crazy thought; thus, feeling assaulted, I tried everything I could in order to escape him, and partly with bites and partly with screams, I was trying to help myself; at that point, a group of highwaymen arrived and took me here not too long ago and tied me with a rope to be sold; it is quite true that they did not violate my person, having kept me a virgin to be able to sell me at a better price; Isabella, after having told him all of her misadventures, begs him to stay with her and says to be willing to follow him everywhere; Orlando consoles her, promises to help her, and they both leave from B. (these events can be found in Orlando Furioso, Canto XIII). 22 Pantalone, Graziano, and Zanni from the inn, they talk about the departure of the knight with the naked lady; they do lazzi and words over the old Gabrina, who ended up with the clothes of the damsel, and they talk about the few customers and little money they are making. Next 23 Angelica [Medoro] from C.; in a pastoral dress, takes care of Medoro, who is injured and bloody; Angelica consoles him, telling him that in India she had learned the art of surgery and of a herb that can heal the injuries; the innkeepers help Medoro, who is feeling like he is dying, and they try to comfort him; Angelica, having seen the herb, handpicks it, and thus crushes it between two stones, getting out a juice, medicates Medoro, who, medicated, says he feels better, and that during the battle his king had died and he was left

Introduction

49

injured; eventually, they all go inside the inn to refresh (these events can be found in Orlando Furioso, Canto XIX). 24 Zerbino, Highwaymen, Cops from D., tied with chains and handcuffs, since they want to take him [Zerbino] to die for the murderer he has committed; Zerbino laments his disgraces and proclaims himself innocent and that his death is an injustice. Next 25 Orlando [Isabella] from C.; Isabella aside, Orlando asks for what reason and where they were taking the knight; Zerbino tells him everything and that they were taking him to die unjustly, saying that while he was traveling, he saw a knight in a valley who had been killed and, since his injuries were fresh, he decided to go after the man who had killed him; and the dead knight was named Pinabello, son of Count Anselmo, who, after having heard of his son’s death, ran crying to see his son’s corpse, and there he found an old lady, whom I was accompanying, since I liberated her from a group of highwaymen; she had remained there and while waiting for me, she looked at the body and removed all of the precious things; since I could not find the culprit, I went back for the old lady, and I took her to an inn; there I heard the cry and scream of a knight, who was passing through a castle called Altariva, where I was lodging, and I asked who he was; I was told the man was the Count Anselmo, who had just been told about his son’s death; thus I thought that it was the one I had found in the valley; but I pretended not to know anything, fearing that I could become a suspect; the count thus made a proclamation and promised a huge reward for the person who could help him find the man who had killed his son; thus the old lady, in order to get the reward, went to the old man and told him that I was the one who killed him, and so the old man ordered a great number of people to catch and tie me up and to take me, tonight, to be sentenced to the same place where the corpse had been found; Orlando, believing in his innocence and moved to compassion, orders the highwaymen to untie and let him go, saying that this was an unjust thing to do and that Count Anselmo of Altariva was doing this out of hate, since between the Magonza and Chiaromonte families there was bad blood; the highwaymen mock Orlando, saying that they won’t let him go; thus Orlando, enraged, lowers the lance and creates turmoil; thus, gripping the sword, he cuts some of them into pieces and chases them all away; the highwaymen and the cops escape from different parts; Orlando and

50 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

Zerbino remain; Zerbino thanks Orlando, who unties him and gives him back his arms, since they had been taken away by the highwaymen; Isabella, who had been to one side, sees Zerbino and shows happiness; Zerbino, surprised to see Isabella, since he thought she had drowned, does not embrace her because of Orlando, out of reverence; Zerbino thanks Orlando and says that he is willing to put his neck under his feet as a sign of humility, recognizing him as his lord; eventually Isabella, tenderly crying, embraces Zerbino; Orlando says: “Zerbino must be this damsel’s lover”; Isabella tells Zerbino the favors she received from Orlando and Zerbino falls on his knees and thanks him again; eventually, after many thanks and offers, they hear a noise from the forest, and thus they put their helmets on their heads. Next 26 Mandricardo from E., in arms, looks at Orlando from head to toe and then says he is the one he had been looking for the last ten days: “Your glory led me to the Paris battlefield and there, having asked about your attire and coat of arms, now I am able to say that you are Orlando”; then he tells him that, in order to satisfy him, and since he appears to be a worthy knight, he will reveal himself, and he takes his helmet off; Orlando, seeing Mandricardo without a sword or other arms besides a lance and a stick, asks him with what kind of arms he will fight with in case the lance will fail; but Mandricardo replies that he should not worry about this, since he has taken a vow not to carry a sword until he is able to take Orlando’s Durindana away, and that he has been looking for him in every place, and that he took this vow the day he began to wear the arms which belonged to Hector of Troy; now he is only missing Orlando’s sword, which was stolen, although he doesn’t know how, and now he is here to force Orlando to return the stolen goods and also to be willing to avenge the death that Orlando, by treason, gave to his father Agricano; Orlando, enraged, denies all of this, and says that he had won everything in a fair fight; he also says that the sword he is wearing is the one he has been looking for and that he can have it only if he has the strength to take it from him; to be fair, he says that they will contend with each other as if the sword did not belong to neither of them; thus he hangs his Durindana on a tree; then, they break the lances and begin to fight with the pieces; when they get hard-pressed, Mandricardo leaves from C.; Zerbino wants to go with Orlando and Isabella, but since Orlando does not want this, they agree that, if they first meet the Saracen, to tell him that he will wait for him for about three days around there and then leave for Paris to help the army of King Charlemagne; Zerbino promises to do so; Orlando leaves from C.; Zerbino and Isabella leave from D. (these events can be found in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXIII).

Introduction

51

27 Graziano [Zanni] from the inn, rejoices for the fact that the wounded knight is now well. They hope for a guerdon and do their lazzi and words. 28 Medoro [Angelica, Pantalone] from the inn; Medoro is now well, does not have any pain and all the wounds are healed; Medoro and Angelica talk about love and write their names on trees and everywhere else, i.e., Angelica and Medoro, in different ways, tied together with various knots; Angelica asks Medoro to go back to India together, in her Kingdom of Cathay, and wear a crown; the innkeepers ask for a tip, and Angelica, wearing the bracelet with gems and precious stones that the Count Orlando gave her, and since she was wearing it for a long time as a sign of love and since she had been able to hide it in the Isle of Crying so that the highwaymen could not see it, not having anything else, gives it to the innkeepers; Angelica and Medoro, in order to go to India, leave from C.; the innkeepers remain looking at the bracelet and thinking of the affability of the damsel; thus they fight over the bracelet with lazzi (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XIX). Next 29 Orlando from B., says that he has been looking for the knight but he could not find him and asks the innkeepers what they are arguing about; they tell him the whole story and show him the bracelet; Orlando looks at it, recognizes it, and asks them where they found it; the innkeepers tell him about Angelica, who fell in love with Medoro and made love to him after she had taken care of his injuries, and then wrote their names on the trees; Orlando sees and reads everything; the innkeepers run inside the inn; Orlando despairs, cries, screams, and laments Angelica’s cruelty and ingratitude; then he unsheathes the sword and cuts all the trees where Medoro and Angelica wrote their names, throws stones and twigs into the fountain, muddying all the water; eventually, after having broken everything, he goes crazy and takes his helmet off, his armor and sword and throws them around; thus, he plucks a pine tree and other trees; making noise, he leaves from E. (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXIII). Here Orlando rips off his surcoat and everything else. 30 Zerbino [Isabella] from B.; Zerbino says to have found Brigliadoro, Orlando’s horse, in the forest; then, looking around, he sees the helmet and the other things and

52 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

recognizes them as Orlando’s; he sees the unsheathed sword and the ragged surcoat; they both remain astonished and cannot imagine the reason for all of this; not seeing any blood, they don’t know what all of this means. Next 31 Shepherd from E., running away; Zerbino asks him why he is running away and the shepherd tells him that Orlando has gone mad and of the damage he is doing, and that he kills and destroys everything crossing his path; the Shepherd leaves from D.; Zerbino and Isabella remain to wonder and feel sorry for Orlando’s situation; then Zerbino collects his arms and places everything, like a trophy, under a pine tree, with an insignia: “Arms of the paladin Orlando.” Next 32 Mandricardo from A., without his sword, with the rest of the arms, looks at the trophy and then asks Zerbino whose spoils they are; Zerbino tells him the whole story; Mandricardo takes Orlando’s sword from the pine, claiming that he deserves it and that it is his right to take possess since Orlando is not able to defend it because he is faking his madness; Zerbino warns him not to touch Orlando’s sword and that the arms he got from Hector had been stolen and not deserved; the two knights start fighting; eventually, after many blows, Mandricardo kills Zerbino, who falls dead onto the ground; Mandricardo, with Orlando’s sword, leaves from C.; Isabella remains crying and lamenting over Zerbino’s body; Zerbino, feeling that he is about to die, says that he is about to leave and begs Isabella to keep loving him even after his death, saying that he does not mind dying as much as leaving her alone, or in what hands; eventually, after many words and laments, Zerbino abandons himself and lets himself die; Isabella remains crying. Next 33 Hermit from F., sees Isabella crying over Zerbino’s dead body, hears the knight’s story and consoles her, giving her examples and saying that nobody is happy in this world; eventually, after he has consoled Isabella, they place the body on one side to give it proper burial; then he says he is willing to take the damsel to Provence, in a very rich monastery and full of saintly women; she is very happy about everything (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXIV). Next 34 Rodomonte from E., sees Isabella with the Hermit and asks her about her condition, and Isabella says that she wants to retire in a monastery to serve God and leave the world; the Hermit praises Isabella’s will; Rodomonte, making fun of her, says her intent is superficial and that she is about to commit a

Introduction

53

huge mistake if she wants to hide her treasure under the ground so that the other men won’t be able to enjoy it; he says that animals, and not beautiful women, deserve to be locked up; the Hermit, doubting Isabella’s strength, suggests what is good for her (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXVIII). Rodomonte, not being able to stand the Hermit’s words any longer, grabs his beard, rips it off, grabs him by his neck, and throws him around; the Hermit escapes from D.; they remain, and Rodomonte reveals to Isabella his love for her and tells her to be his heart and life and other loving things; Isabella, realizing that Rodomonte wants to have her and stain her honor, tells herself that she would rather die and then tells Rodomonte that she is willing to reveal a wonderful secret: she knows of a herb whose juice, mixed with the juices of rue and ivy, has a virtue by means of which, by wetting the body with it for three times, it makes the body so hard that it becomes impenetrable; she says that she knows the secret and that she is willing to show him by using her own body; and that she does not want anything from him in exchange for this, besides renouncing any attempts at her virginity; Rodomonte promises to fulfill her wishes; Isabella picks the herb and, extracting the juice, says she wants to be the first to experience such a virtue; she wets her neck and offers it naked to Rodomonte so that he can try and see the effect; Rodomonte prepares Isabella’s head for the trial, unsheathes the sword and cuts her head off; the head, cut off, calls for Zerbino; Rodomonte, astonished, praises Isabella’s loyalty and modesty, saying that, if he were a writer and a poet, he would make her known to the entire world; thus, he blames himself for his mistake and says that he wants to save her memory and build a sepulcher at the edge of the little bridge over the river so that he will fight with all the knights who will try to cross it and will imprison them in order to honor her sepulcher; he brings the body inside and enters from B. (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXIX). 35 Farmers from D.; running away in fear; Orlando, in a ragged shirt, runs after them making noises and doing crazy things; the farmers carry a dummy made out of straw and dressed like a farmer: Orlando takes it, drags it around, throws it in the air, and then rips an arm off a farmer and beats them all with the stump. They all escape in different ways. End of Act Two ACT THREE 36 Astolfo from A., riding the Hippogriff, says he has traveled the world and gone through Navarra, Aragon, Biscaglia, Castile, Galicia, Lisbon, Cordova,

54 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

Seville, Gade, Africa, and many other towns and innumerable other places, and that then he was with the King of Ethiopia, where the Harpies did not let him eat and he chased them away with the sound of his horn (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXXIII); then he says that he has been to Hell, where he saw Lydia, Anassa, and Daphne, damned to eternity in the smoke because they had been unfaithful to their lovers; then he says that he went up to the sky, where f lowers and fruits are always growing and where there are palaces built with precious stones; there he found an old man who told him that, in order to help Orlando, he had to take advice from him; he told him that Jupiter punished Orlando for not obeying him as he should, since he had given him supreme power and courage and enabled him not to get offended nor wounded by anyone, so that he could defend his laws; and because he [Orlando] had been ungrateful for all these advantages, he made him mad, although Jupiter has now granted you [Astolfo] to come up here, so that you can learn how to give Orlando back his wisdom; then he says that he made him walk through all the circles of the sky, where he saw all the lovers’ tears and sighs, the ignoramuses’ idleness, the men’s vague designs, the ancient Kings’ scepters and crowns, the gold and silver that is given to the Princes with the hope for grace, the hidden laces of all f latteries, cicadas bursting for the many verses praising Princes, golden knots of bad loves, eagles claws of authority that the Lords give to their bellows of smoke that the Princes have and many other things; eventually, he saw a desolate mountain, a great deal bigger than all the other things, where there was the wisdom that men lose, collected in different ampoules, each one with a written name on it; some men lost it for love, some trying to achieve glory, some looking for riches, some in the hope of honors, some going after enchantresses, some in astrology, some in poetry, and some in a thousand other caprices; there he also found his own ampoule and, after having put it under his nose, the little wisdom he had lost came back; then he says he saw Orlando’s ampoule and, having seized it, and after having seen many other things, came back to earth, and wanted to go look for Orlando in order to give him back his wisdom; he leaves from D. (these events can be found in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXXIV). 37 Farmers from C.; they escape for fear of Orlando, who is running after them in his shirt; he rips the arms off somebody and the head from somebody else and then throws them away; farmers escaping leave from P.; Orlando remains and acts crazy; he gets onto the bridge. Next 38 A Dwarf from the tower, plays the horn to warn Rodomonte. Next

Introduction

55

39 Rodomonte on foot, from the tower, intimidating Orlando, he says: “The bridge is reserved only for Lords and Knights and not for you, you foolish beast”; Orlando advances. Next 40 Fiordiligi from B., is observing everything; Orlando starts fighting with Rodomonte over the bridge until they both fall into the water and disappear; Fiordiligi remains and says she has recognized Orlando and that she is astonished for having seen him so ragged and naked; then she goes closer to the bridge in order to look at the sepulcher from every side and check if she can find the spoils of Brandimarte, her lover; since she cannot see any of his belongings, she says that she is hoping to find him somewhere else (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXIX). Next 41 Brandimarte from E., in arms, is recognized by Fiordiligi by the coat of arms, they embrace each other and rejoice, and they thank their good luck that brought them so much happiness; Fiordiligi says that she has been looking for him all over France, and then she talks about Orlando, who has gone mad, and tells him that she has seen him fighting naked over the bridge; she tells him everything about the dangerous bridge, where there is a sepulcher that Rodomonte defends; she says that she has seen Orlando fall over the bridge together with the Pagan; Brandimarte wonders about Orlando and finds it hard to believe, then he talks about his love for Orlando, stronger than for a brother or a son, and says to be inclined to look for him and make sure he will be cured, through medicine or incantation; then he goes over the bridge. Next 42 Dwarf from the tower, plays the horn. Next 43 Rodomonte on foot, from the tower, tells the knight to drop his arms and to honor the sepulcher before he is going to kill him, because after that he won’t have any mercy; Brandimarte, without giving him an answer, lowers the lance; Rodomonte does the same and, fighting together, eventually they both end up in the river; Fiordiligi appears on the bridge crying and fearing that Brandimarte has drowned in the waters; she begs Rodomonte to free Brandimarte and to use instead his spoils to honor the sepulcher, since they

56 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

will be the most beautiful ones; Fiordiligi feels sorry for Brandimarte and displays his spoils. Next 44 Pantalone, Graziano from the inn, doing their lazzi, they invite Fiordiligi; they understand what is going on and say that they will take care of everything; they go to the bridge. Next 45 Dwarf from the tower, plays the horn. Next 46 Rodomonte on foot, from the tower, mocks them and asks them to undress. They cry and do lazzi. Eventually, Rodomonte kicks them off the bridge; Pantalone and Graziano scream, asking for help, and enter [the sepulcher]; Fiordiligi remains and cries. Next 47 Zanni from the inn, runs with a skewer in his hand as he hears them doing lazzi; he hears what has happened from Fiordiligi and says he wants to free them all; the spoils of Graziano and Pantalone are displayed; Zanni goes onto the bridge. Next 48 Dwarf from the tower; Zanni is scared and, doing lazzi, runs away and goes back into the inn. Fiordiligi remains and complains about her adversities; she says she saw her lover being taken into the jail tower and being saved from the waters; she is sorry for having been the cause of all this, since she is the one who told him about Orlando; she says that she does not know how to free him from the tower and that she wants to go and look for some knights who can free him; she will bring back Rinaldo, or Selvaggio, or Guidone, or Sansonetto, or somebody else from the court of King Pepin; they will be luckier than her lover Brandimarte (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXXI). Next 49 Bradamante from B., in arms and looking like a knight, with a golden lance, hears from Fiordiligi the reason of her crying and how the Saracen has taken her

Introduction

57

lover as a prisoner through the artifice of the narrow bridge and the river; Fiordiligi begs her to acquaint her with somebody who can beat and win over Rodomonte; Bradamante takes her and the coat of arms and goes to the bridge. Next 50 Dwarf from the tower, plays the horn. Next 51 Rodomonte on foot, from the tower, in arms; Bradamante, having heard everything from Fiordiligi, even about the death of Isabella and the sepulcher, asks Rodomonte why he wants other people to carry the pain of his mistake: “you killed her, everybody knows this, and you want to use the knights’ spoils as victims; it is better if I kill you and thus vindicate her death”; she reveals she is a woman and says to have come in order to avenge her death; they agree that, if Bradamante loses, he will do to her what he did to the others; if Rodomonte loses, his arms will be offered to the sepulcher instead of the others’ and all the knights in jail will be set free; Rodomonte agrees; they start the fight with their lances; Rodomonte falls off the bridge and, being ashamed to have lost to a woman, takes his arms and helmet off, throws them angrily onto the ground, and then calls [the Esquire]. Next 52 Esquire from the tower, hears from Rodomonte to free all the prisoners in the tower, according to the wishes of the warrior; Rodomonte, ashamed, leaves from F.; Bradamante orders the Esquire to free all the prisoners and to bring all of them in front of her; the Esquire enters the tower; Bradamante takes Rodomonte’s arms, makes a trophy out of them, and hangs them at the sepulcher; she takes all the other arms off, except for the ones belonging to Pagan knights, which she recognized from the writings; she takes off Sansonetto, Oliviero, Brandimarte, Pantalone, and Guidone’s arms; she leaves the King of Circassi’s arms; Fiordiligi thanks her (this can be read in Orlando Furioso, Canto XXXV). Next 53 Oliviero, Sansonetto, Dudone, Brandimarte, Pantalone from the tower, disarmed, realize that they have been freed by Bradamante, who beat Rodomonte; they all rejoice, thank her, and take their arms back. Next

58 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

54 Astolfo from C., with Orlando’s wisdom, says he is looking for him, hears about the prisoners’ release, and rejoices. Next 55 Orlando from A., with a stick in his hand, in his shirt, makes noises and does crazy things; Dudone recognizes Orlando, and so do the other ones as well, and they feel sorry for his state of mind; Astolfo says that it is necessary to find a way to cure him and that their sorrow does not help him; they all pounce on Orlando in order to catch him, but he resists; he bites everybody, making noises and doing crazy things, and they cannot seize nor catch him. Next 56 Graziano, Zanni from the inn, with ropes to be thrown on Orlando in order to catch him, do their lazzi; eventually they are able to tie his legs and to make him fall; they all jump on him and tie him by his legs and arms, so that he cannot move; Astolfo picks the herbs and puts them in Orlando’s mouth; then, he takes the ampoule with his wisdom and puts it right underneath his nose; Orlando comes to his senses as if he had woken up from a dream, looks around in astonishment, does not know what is happening, and wonders why he is tied up and naked; eventually, after having been astonished for a while, he begs them to untie him; they do so, then they bring him his clothes and so he dresses up; he is told how he got back his wisdom; Orlando regrets and feels sorry for what he has done; he says that he does not care about Love anymore and that now he feels free, and he says that he wants to buy all the things Love has taken away and that he has lost because of Love; eventually, Orlando says that he wants to go back to Paris and help his uncle King Charlemagne; they all say that they want to follow him; they all rejoice and say that the opera is over. End of the opera. Properties A branch to make a fishing rod so that Ferraú can get the helmet; armor, sword, and shield, helmet and lance for the same; Baiardo, his horse, richly adorned; inn signboard; armor, sword, lance, shield, and helmet for Sacripante; armor, sword, lance, helmet, and vest for Rinaldo; sticks, hooks, skewers, irons, and other arms for the farmers; armor for Pinabello; armor, sword, lance, shield, and helmet for Marfisa; small galley, ships, sticks,

Introduction

59

and other things for the sailors and corsairs; chains and lots of ropes to tie; armor, sword, lance, shield, and helmet for Ruggiero; enchanted shield covered with a veil for Ruggiero; ring that makes one invisible for Ruggiero; armor, sword, lance, and helmet for Sacripante; three fake arms to cut off and two fake heads to cut off for the farmers and highwaymen; pastoral dress for Angelica; fake wounds for Medoro; herbs to pick and make the potion; two stones to crush the herbs; handcuffs, irons, and chains to tie; armor, lance, shield without a sword, and helmet for Mandricardo; three signs for the writings of Medoro and Angelica to hang at the trees; golden bracelet for Angelica to give the innkeepers; stones, brambles to throw in the fountain; clothes for Orlando to be ripped off; stick to make a trophy for Orlando’s arms; sign for Orlando’s trophy; fake beard for the Hermit; machine to cut Isabella’s head off; river, bridge, tower, sepulcher; six sticks to make the trophies for the knights’ arms; puppet that looks like a farmer for Orlando’s deed; hippogriff with wings, Astolfo’s horse; ampoule with Orlando’s wisdom; horn to play; armor, sword, lance, shield, and helmet for Brandimarte; clothes for Graziano and Pantalone for the trophy at the sepulcher; skewers and pots for Zanni and other things from the kitchen; armor, sword, lance, shield, and helmet for Bradamante; signs with the names of the knights for the trophies at the sepulcher; sticks for beating; stick for Orlando for beating; lots of lances for the knights to be broken; bushes in the shape of a den for the scenery; trees that can be eradicated by Orlando. Figures I.5 through I.11 depict title page of the Corsiniana manuscript, together with title page, frontispiece, and handwritten pages from the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando.

Orlando’s Madness (La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando) Opera reale44 FIRST ACT 1 Ferraú With a branch, he gets the helmet from the river. Next 2 Shadow of Argalia reproves him about the promise and disappears. He [Ferraú] swears on Lanfusa’s life that he will not wear any other helmet than Orlando’s and exits.

60 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

FIGURE I.5

Image of the title page of the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana. Permission to reproduce the image granted by the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana, Rome, Italy.

Introduction

FIGURE I.6

61

Image of the title page to the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 1r) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana. Permission to reproduce the image granted by the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana, Rome, Italy.

62 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

FIGURE I.7

Image from the frontispiece to the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale i n the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 2r) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana. Permission to reproduce the image granted by the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana, Rome, Italy.

Introduction

FIGURE I.8

63

Image of Act One of the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 3r) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana. Permission to reproduce the image granted by the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana, Rome, Italy.

64 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

3 Graziano, Pantalone, Trappolino Innkeepers of good housing and profit. Next 4 Angelica escaping from Rinaldo, tells about her lovers [and] of her need to hide; they [innkeepers] greet her; hearing that somebody is coming, they leave. Next 5 Sacripante looking for Angelica. She comes out and accepts him as her defender. Next 6 Baiardo unwilling to be touched, if not by her [Angelica]; he [Baiardo] celebrates her. Next 7 Rinaldo fights with Sacripante. Angelica escapes. Next 8 Demon disguised as a page, separates them and says that Angelica is going with Orlando to Paris. Rinaldo leaves with the horse. 9 Isabella, Odorico, Almonio, Corebo about the fate of the sea and of Zerbino. They send Almonio for the horses. They want to take advantage of her. She scolds them. Next 10 Highwaymen They take her to the den. They leave. 11 Pinabello, Donzella they talk about love. Next 12 Clowns [Graziano, Pantalone, Trappolino] The invite them into the inn. Next

Introduction

65

13 Marfisa, Gabrina who [Gabrina] helped her [Marfisa] cross the river. Pinabello mocks Gabrina. Marfisa is angered. They come to terms, they fight. Marfisa wins. She [Marfisa] undresses the damsel, dresses up Gabrina, and leaves. Clowns mock Gabrina, who leaves. They exit. 14 Corsairs, Angelica they tie Angelica to a rock to be devoured and leave. She complains. Next 15 Ruggiero comforts her and gives her the ring. She [says] she will be his if he frees her. Next 16 Sea Orca Ruggiero kills it [Orca]. He unties Angelica, who tricks him with the ring. He calls and looks for her, then leaves. End of Act One. SECOND ACT 17 Orlando about his love for Angelica and the war in Paris. Next 18 Ferraú, Sacripante do not want him [Orlando] to come through. Ferraú discusses with Orlando about the helm, and then he takes it off and hangs it. Sacripante goes looking for Angelica. 19 Angelica aside, takes the helm and leaves. They realize the hoax. Ferraú leaves. Orlando stays. Next 20 Highwaymen, Isabella they carry Isabella tied [with a rope]. Orlando frees her. They escape. Orlando and Isabella leave.

66 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

FIGURE I.9

Image of Act Two of the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 3v) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana. Permission to reproduce the image granted by the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana, Rome, Italy.

Introduction

67

21 Clowns [complain] that knights do not come to the inn. Next 22 Angelica, Medoro consoles the injured Medoro. They do lazzi with the clowns and they all go inside the inn. 23 Zerbino, Highwaymen tied . . . by the highwaymen to kill him. Next 24 Orlando, Isabella Isabella aside, [Orlando] on a horse frees Zerbino. Highwaymen leave. She thanks Orlando, who delivers her [to Zerbino]. They embrace. 25 Mandricardo on his horse, he wants Durindana. Orlando hangs it on a tree. They fight. Mandricardo leaves. Orlando takes Durindana back, salutes Zerbino, and leaves. They then leave. 26 Clowns hope to receive huge rewards now that Medoro is healed. Next 27 Medoro, Angelica healed, they want to go to Cathay and be crowned. They write in many places. Angelica gives the jewel to the clowns and leaves with Medoro. They stay. Next 28 Orlando learns everything about Angelica. He goes mad. He destroys the fountain and the trees. They all leave. 29 Zerbino, Isabella happy, they recognize Orlando’s arms and make a trophy out of them with an insignia. Next

68 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

30 Mandricardo kills Zerbino, takes his sword, and leaves. Isabella cries. Next 31 Hermit consoles her. Next 32 Rodomonte sends the Hermit away. He wants to enjoy Isabella. She wets her body with the herb’s juice. Rodomonte cuts off her head in the street. Recognizing his mistake, says he will guard the sepulcher. He leaves. 33 Farmers, Orlando escaping from Orlando, who does crazy things with the costa d’Orillo and the dummy. End of Act One [sic] THIRD ACT 34 Astolfo riding the Hippogriff with Orlando’s wisdom, [says] he has seen many things. Next 35 Clowns escaping from the madman. 36 Fiordiligi looking for Brandimarte, her husband, learns about Orlando. She is surprised. 37 Orlando does the lazzo of the arm. He kills one person and throws him. Beats another and goes onto the bridge. 38 Dwarf plays the horn from the tower.

Introduction

FIGURE I.10

69

Image of Act Three of the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (M anoscritti, 45 G5, c. 4 r ) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana. Permission to reproduce the image granted by the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana, Rome, Italy.

70 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

39 Rodomonte they [Orlando and Rodomonte] fight. They fall from the bridge and leave. Fiordiligi stays. Next 40 Brandimarte greets Fiordiligi. Learns about Orlando. Goes onto the bridge. Sound of horn. 41 Rodomonte beats him and takes him into the tower. Fiordiligi cries. Next 42 Trappolino consoles her and goes onto the bridge. Sound of horn. He runs away. Next 43 Bradamante hears the reason for Fiordiligi’s crying, goes onto the bridge with the golden spear. Sound of horn. 44 Rodomonte comes to an agreement. He loses, frees the prisoners. 45 Prisoners out, that is 46 Olivieri Sansonetto, Guidone, Brandimarte, and others celebrate. Next 47 Astolfo with Orlando’s wisdom, rejoices with everyone. Next 48 Orlando doing crazy things. They all come out and doing lazzi, they tie him, then free him. Orlando thanks them all. They agree to go and help Charlemagne and bring the play to a happy ending.

Introduction

FIGURE I.11

71

Image of the list of characters and properties of the scenario La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando. Opera reale in the Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni (Manoscritti, 45 G5, c. 4r) housed in the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana. Permission to reproduce the image granted by the Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana, Rome, Italy.

72 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

Characters Orlando Argalia Angelica Pantalone (Innkeeper) Graziano (Innkeeper) Trappolino Sacripante Rinaldo Page Isabella Odorico Almonio Corebo Highwaymen Marfisa Gabrina Pinabello Corsairs Damsel Ruggieri Zerbino Medoro Mandricardo Hermit Rodomonte Farmers Astolfo Fiordiligi Brandimarte Bradamante Olivieri Sansonetto Grifone And Others Properties Costumes for all and all the necessary things for the play.

Notes 1 The constancy of the fixed characters, the use of the vernacular mixed with the literary Tuscan (used by the Innamorati); the use of immediately recognizable costumes, the typification impressed onto the actors by the masks, the elementariness, at least

Introduction

73

tendentially, of the mise en scène, the stereotypical and acrobatic use of the body, the use of the so-called generici (repertories of situations, monologues, and dialogues to be memorized), the appeal to the lazzi; the erratic mobility of the companies, the commercial entrepreneurism (of which also some Princes were part of ), the migration and commuting, or the indifference with respect to the playing space, the formal decorum observed by the comici, but ready to degenerate into the vulgar act; the conf licts with the religious and political authority, the censorship . . . the stardom and the rivalry between the actors, the permanent contentiousness, the theoretical debate to which the Commedia dell’Arte gave rise during the late ’600, and all those things that cannot be materially. (149–150) 2 From the conference notes by Tommaso Martini for the meeting organized to celebrate Dario Fo’s eightieth birthday in Rome, at the Teatro Ateneo, 11–13 November 2006. Available online: http://sindromedistendhal.com/Teatro/comedia_arte.htm (accessed 12 March 2010). 3 For a recent overview of the juxtaposition between the myth of the commedia dell’arte – a view perfected in particular by French Romantic writers – and its history, see Taviani (2018). 4 See Taviani and Schino (1982, 59–61). 5 The same emphasis on experience over tradition can also be found in the writings of Pier Maria Cecchini (1601), Giovan Battista Andreini (1625), and Niccolò Barbieri (1634). For a recent edition of Cecchini and Andreini, see Falavolti (1988, respectively 41–44 and 65–115). For a recent edition of Barbieri, see Taviani (1971) 6 The document has been published in its entirety by Falavolti (1988: 33–36). 7 Molinari (1999: xiii). For a recent overview of the role of women in the commedia dell’arte, see Ferrone (2014: 40–61). 8 According to Perrucci (1699), the characters of the commedia dell’arte can also be divided into parts “who act in a serious style” and “comic parts” (130). 9 Le Bravure del Capitano Spavento was first published in 1607 and then again in 1624. For a recent edition of this work, see Tessari (1987). 10 Passage quoted in Molinari (1985: 74). 11 Regarding the vicissitudes of this company in the early 1580s, embroiled in a tug-of-war between the Duke of Alfonso II d’Este and the Tron family, owners of a new theatre in Venice, see Monaldini (2009) and Ferrone (2014: 146–147). 12 See “Compagnia dei Fedeli,” in Encyclopedia Britannica. www.britannica.com/topic/ Compagnia-dei-Fedeli (accessed 8 February 2021). 13 For the relationship between the dramaturgy of the commedia dell’arte and the companies’ tours abroad, see Testaverde (2007, 57–71). For a general overview of the commedia dell’arte European tours, see Ferrone (2014: 62–83 and 2018). For a recent description of the commedia dell’arte in single countries, see Scott (2018) for France; Ojeda Calvo (2018) for the Iberian Peninsula; Katritzky (2018) for the German-speaking countries; Senelick (2018) for Russia; Henke (2018) for England; Holm (2018) for Northern Europe. 14 For a more detailed excursus on the development of characters in comedies, see Leon Katz (2012: 126–160). 15 This list re-elaborates the ones proposed by Testaverde (2007: xxx–xlii) and Zorzi (1990: 206–208). 16 Basilio Locatelli, Della scena de Soggetti comici di B. L. R., vol. I, scenario 43, cc. 284r-289v. Manscritti 1211 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Casanatense. Published in Testaverde (2007, 305–313). This scenario is part of this anthology. 17 I have decided to translate the Italian ‘Argomento’ with ‘Argument’: even if considered archaic, in English it can still refer to a summary of the subject matter of a book. 18 Published in Testaverde (2007: 637–650). 19 This situation is more typical for the comedies, while tragedies, pastorals, and tragicomedies can instead be characterized by many scene changes. 20 The scenario has been published by Testaverde (2007: 569–582).

74 An introduction to commedia dell’arte

21 22 23 24 25

This scheme is based on the one proposed by Rudlin (1994: 54). Quoted in Marotti and Romei (1991: 588). Domenico Bruni. Quoted Vescovo (2018: 57). According to other scholars, the word lazzo derives from the Hebrew latzon – joke; from the Swedish lat – gesture; from the Latin lax – deception. See Gordon (1983: 4). 26 Quoted in Tessari (1969: 109). 27 For a recent study regarding the need to “inscribe the commedia dell’arte on the great background of the Baroque and to analytically treat its concomitance” see Gazzoni (2016). Regarding the need for theatre historians to set aside their “cultural elitism” and to instead reconsider the kinds of “popular-theatre traditions” of the past such as Roman comedy, medieval pageants, commedia dell’arte, and melodrama, see Savran (2004). Ferdinando Taviani has also more recently addressed the ‘popular’ nature of the commedia dell’arte: Does ‘popular’ refer to its content or to its origins? Its characters often speak in dialect, using common or vulgar language. The fact that the poor are placed at the centre of the commedia does not mean that they placed themselves there; it was often the aristocrats who had fun mimicking characters supposed to represent the common people. In the case of professional actors, performing roles portraying these kinds of characters had a double advantage: The lower-class audiences liked it, because they laughed and cried about people like themselves and not about the traditional heroes of sacred stories, myths or tragedies; the signori liked it too, because it was a way of mocking the lower classes. (2018: 20)

28 Jean Rousset (1953) had also identified the three main characteristics of Baroque architecture: (1) the primacy of the curve and counter-curve; (2) moving units in a multiform set; (3) the primacy of the façade and its extensions (208). 29 See Tessari (1969: 141 e 145). 30 See Schulte (2009). 31 Regarding the use of the Theatrum Mundi metaphor among dramatists in the Spain during the Golden Age, see Thacker (2002). 32 Regarding the use of the Theatrum Mundi metaphor in Molière, Racine, and Corneille, see Carline and Wine (2003). 33 It is the definition of ‘person’ that Thomas Hobbes described in his Leviathan: The word person .  .  . Signif ies the disguise, or outward appearance of a man, counterfeited on the Stage; and sometimes more particularly that part of it, which disguiseth the face, as a Mask or Visard: And from the Stage, hath been translated to any Representer of speech and action, as well in Tribunalls, as Theaters. So that a Person, is the same that an Actor is, both on the Stage and in common Conversation; and to Personate, is to Act, or Represent himselfe, or an other. ( Leviathan, edited by Richard Tuck (1991: 112)

34 35 36 37 38 39 40

Regarding these themes and baroque society, I am referring here to Franca Angelini (2000: 208–209). See Alessandro D’Ancona (1877: vol. 2, 451). This scenario, entitled Principe Tireno, has been published by María del Valle Ojeda Calvo (2007: 569–572). An analysis of the scenario can be found at pages 151 and 573. See also Eric Nicholson (1999). For a recent edition see Savoia (1997). Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando furioso, canto 46, octave 105. Francesco Andreini, Le Bravure del Capitano Spavento, edited by Tessari (1987: 72). Silvio Fiorillo (1624), edited by Savoia (1997: 163). For an introduction to Basilio Locatelli and relative bibliography, see Megale (2009).

Introduction

75

41 The scenario contained in the Corsiniana collection also presents similar elements: entitled La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando, it has Opera reale as genre. The city is not specified, and the list of characters is placed at the end of the scenario followed by a very succinct and vague list of properties. 42 Regarding these last paragraphs, we are relying on the enlightening observations made by Mariti (2004). 43 Basilio Locatelli, Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici di B. L. R., Manuscript 1211 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Casanatense, vol. 2, cc. 15r-41v. 44 Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni. Divisi in due volumi, Manuscript 45 G5 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Corsiniana, vol. 1, cc. 1r-4v.

PART II

The collections of scenarios

1 ABAGARO FRESCOBALDI, CODEX II-1586 (MADRID, REAL BIBLIOTECA) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

This manuscript, known as Codex II-1586 of the Real Biblioteca in Madrid, is an actor’s notebook containing, among other things, prologues, aphorisms, riddles, incomplete translations – Giovan Battista Giraldi’s Orbecche and Ovid’s Metamorphoses –lyrics, interludes, scenarios, and a dramatic gloss of the Ave Maria (Ojeda Calvo 2007: 129–172). The actor was probably Abagaro Frescobaldi, better known as Stefanelo Botarga, who toured throughout Spain from 1574 to 1580 as the Magnifico of the Zan Ganassa troupe (Ferrone 2014: 300–302). The scenarios contained in this manuscript give us an idea of the kind of repertory that a commedia dell’arte troupe used to perform toward the end of the sixteenth century: comedies, tragedies, tragicomedies, and pastorals. What is even more interesting, as María del Valle Ojeda Calvo has argued, is that the order in which the scenarios of the manuscript are sequenced seems to ref lect that of the performance: for example, “the three acts of any of the comedies were preceded by intermedi, or by acts from a pastoral play or from a tragedy, though the core of the performance remained the commedia” (2018: 93). The texts in the collection are in three different languages: Italian, Spanish, and Latin, with some presented with a mix of more than one, together with numerous vernacular elements. Given its heterogeneous and fragmentary nature, this collection can be defined as a zibaldone, or an actor’s notebook (Ferrone 2014: 10). As Andrea Perrucci states in his L’arte rappresentativa (1699), what is important for a commedia dell’arte performance is not that the text is improvised, but that it is composed by the actors of the company on stage. For this reason, Perrucci continues, an actor must study all kinds of texts and create a repertory of dialogues, aphorisms, jokes, metaphors, etc., to be recalled from memory and be used during the performance.1 Ojeda Calvo has been able to identify many of the sources used by Frescobaldi: Italian and Spanish proverbs and maxims, notes DOI: 10.4324/9781003100676-4

80 The collections of scenarios

from the most famous dictionaries and catalogs printed during the sixteenth century – Ravisio textor’s Officina [. . .] (1520), Virgilio Polidoro’s De le origine [. . .] (1543), Plutarco’s I motti et le sententie [. . .] (1565), Baptista Fregoso’s De dictis et factus [. . .] (1541), Guglielmo Pastregico’s De originibus rerum libellus [. . .] (1547), Francesco Alunno’s Fabrica del mondo [. . .] (1548), Ortensio Lando’s Sette libri de cathaloghi [. . .] (1552), Petrarch’s lyrics, citations in Latin from authors such as Horace, Juvenal, Ovid, Cicero, Seneca, Aristotle, plots and storylines from mythology, commedia erudita plays, Spanish legends, Bandello’s novels, and Italian epic poems (2007: 121–127). Zan Ganassa achieved great popularity and success in Spain between the early 1570s and 1584, when he returned to Italy, probably due to illness. Stefanelo Botarga left the company in 1581, breaking up the popular comic duo Zanni– Magnifico, whose “Lament of Giovanni Ganassa with his Master Stefanello Botarga on the Death of a Louse was praised by many commentators and subsequently published by Cesare Rao (1562)” (Ojeda Calvo 2018: 92). He formed a new company with his wife, Luisa de Aranda, an actress previously married to the famous capocomico Juan Granado, who had recently died. Unfortunately, there are no extant documents regarding this troupe besides its original composition and the fact that it performed in Seville in 1584 (Ojeda Calvo 2007: 88–90). The immense success of both Ganassa, Botarga, and their companies “probably encouraged other Italian actors to move to Spain” (Ojeda Calvo 2018: 94): the Confidenti company, with Tristano Martinelli, the first great Harlequin, arrived in Spain in 1587 as part of an international tour that touched numerous other cities, such as Antwerp, Lyon, Paris, and London (Ferrone 2006: 105–106). These companies and their characters – Ganassa, Botarga, Harlequin – had a huge inf luence on the Spanish theatre of the sixteenth century, so much so that Lope de Vega “chose the character of Botarga for the play he wrote for the celebrations surrounding the double royal wedding of Philip II with Margaret of Austria and of the Infanta Isabel with the Archduke Albert in 1599 in Valencia” (Ojeda Calvo 2018: 96). We have chosen three scenarios out of the rich material contained in this manuscript: The Three Cuckolds, as an example of how scenarios, even when reduced to the bare bones as in this case, could nonetheless present quite a number of intertextual references to the Italian literary tradition of the novella; Two Crazy People, to offer an idea of the power of the original comic duo Magnifico– Zanni; and Perseus, because of its peculiar organizational structure comprising two different stories from two very different genres that have been integrated into one another.

Primary text Frescobaldi, Abagaro (ca. 1574–1580). Codex II-1586 [Manuscript]. At: Madrid: Real Biblioteca. The entire manuscript can be accessed through the website of

Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586

81

the Real Biblioteca [https://fotos.patrimonionacional.es/biblioteca/ibis/pmi/II_ 01586/index.html]

Recent editions and translations Ojeda Calvo, María del Valle. (2007) Stefanelo Botarga e Zan Ganassa. Scenari e zibaldoni dei comici italiani nella spagna del Cinquecento. Rome: Bulzoni Editore.

The Three Cuckolds As Stefan Hulfeld points out, “a first step in understanding the basic relationships [of the characters in a scenario], is that the list of the personaggi has to be consulted” (2018: 51). However, the scenarios contained in the Codex II-1586 list neither characters nor props, making reading and understanding them quite difficult at first. More detailed versions of this scenario, however, can also be found in the Corsiniana collection, with a few variations regarding the names of the characters, 2 and in the collection entitled Commedie all’improvviso conserved at the Biblioteca Nazionale in Florence. 3 The scenario requires three houses, each inhabited by a married couple: Magnifico and Ortensia, Cassandro and Coralina, and Zanni and Franceschina. Curcio, a young lover, is the seventh character. The scenario begins with lazzi around the theme of jealousy between Magnifico and his wife Ortensia, who asks her husband for a casket of lemons. Cassandro enters the stage at the same time as Magnifico exits and discusses his love with Ortensia, who asks him to be brought into her house hidden in the casket of lemons. In the following scene, Curcio goes to Coralina’s house, where she asks him to dress up as a villein, a trick that will allow them to enjoy themselves, unbeknownst to her husband. The comedy then proceeds this way “as a round dance of adultery” (Hulfeld 2018: 51). Zanni is the only devoted and clueless husband who helps all the others in their love adventures. Thus, Magnifico and Franceschina, Zanni’s wife, Cassandro and Ortensia, and Curcio and Coralina are the newly formed couples, making Magnifico, Zanni, and Cassandro the three cuckolds to which the title of the scenario refers. However, the adulterers brag about their conquests, and as a result, Zanni is eventually able to understand what is really happening and, in an attempt to catch his wife and her lover in the act, ends up instead burning his house down. In this version, all the characters make their exit while the house is on fire, while in the Corsiniana version, the married couples reunite and forget about the past events. The scenario presents quite a number of intertextual references to the Italian tradition of the novella and, more specifically, to Giovanni Francesco Straparola’s The Facetious Nights, with elements from the fourth stories of the fourth and fifth nights (Hulfeld 2014: 1300–1301).4

82 The collections of scenarios

The Three Cuckolds (I tre becchi) [Canovaccio]5 [ACT ONE] 1 Magnifico, Wife talks about jealousy. She asks him for some lemons to give to the nuns; he says yes. 2 Cassandro, merchant of lemons They ask him for some [lemons]. He agrees. Magnifico exits. Cassandro and Ortensia remain; they talk about their love and of the possibility for him to be carried inside the lemons’ casket. He exits through the street. She goes back inside the house. 3 Curcio about his love for Coralina, Cassandro’s wife. He knocks. She tells him to go and dress up like a villein. He exits. 4 Franceschina about the pregnancy. She says that she wants to do the laundry. 5 Zanni is sent for firewood. He exits. She remains. 6 Magnifico makes love to her; she takes money from him and then sends him away. She knocks at the door of Magnifico’s wife. He despairs. 7 Ortensia asks her for the laundry and the washtub. Ortensia gives them to her and goes inside. Magnifico is relieved. She tells him to get inside the washtub. Next: 8 Zanni takes him inside the house and remains. Next:

Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586

83

9 Ortensia calls Zanni and sends him to Cassandro to get the casket of lemons and reveals to him that Cassandro will be inside the casket. She goes back inside. Zanni exits. 10 Curcio dressed like a villein, approaches Coralina’s house. Next: 11 Zanni with the casket, asks for help. He [Curcio] pretends to be mute. They do lazzi. He exits and Zanni brings the casket into Ortensia’s house. 12 Curcio, Zanni [Curcio] beats him [Zanni] up; he [Zanni] talks. End of the Act ACT TWO 13 Zanni goes home. 14 Magnifico despairs. 15 Franceschina comes out and does [to Zanni] the burla de la quarta.6 They go back inside. Magnifico remains and praises his wife. A knock at the door. 16 Ortensia says she has dreamed of the eye that will be cured.7 They try. 17 Cassandro they exit. He remains; he goes home.

84 The collections of scenarios

18 [Curcio] Coralina does the burla del muto [burla of the mute].8 Cassandro gives him alms. They exit. Curcio remains. 19 Zanni Curcio tells him of his success, and they exit. 20 Magnifico from the house, laughing about the [burla de la] quarta. 21 Cassandro laughing about the eye. Magnifico tells him about the [burla de la] quarta. Cassandro laughs. Magnifico exits. Cassandro remains. Next: 22 Zanni [Cassandro] tells him about the burla [of the eye]. He [Cassandro] tells him about the one de la quarta. Before that, he [Zanni] tells him about the [burla of the] mute. Cassandro exits. Zanni remains. 23 Magnifico happy, sees Zanni; he laughs at him. Zanni tells him about the burla of the eye. Magnifico goes inside the house to kill his wife. Zanni knocks at the door. 24 Franceschina [Zanni] says that he wants to leave. Franceschina pretends to be crying. Zanni then pretends to leave and hides. She laughs. Next: 25 Magnifico who could not kill his wife, goes back inside with Franceschina. Zanni sees them; he goes to get some firewood and then to set the house on fire. Next: 26 Cassandro enters Ortensia’s house. Next:

Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586

85

27 Curcio sees him; enters Coralina’s house. Next: 28 Zanni wants to set the house on fire, and calls his wife. He hears that they are caressing each other. 29 Franceschina Zanni says that he wants to kill her. She asks to spare the laundry. She takes Magnifico out of the laundry basket. Zanni sets the house on fire. They all exit. END OF THE COMEDY.

Two Crazy People The extreme schematism of this scenario, coupled with the absence of a list of characters and their relationships, makes reading and understanding it very difficult. In addition, there is no more detailed version in any other extant collection, as was the case for The Three Cuckolds, the scenario previously presented.9 The action, reduced to its bare bones, offers little detail about the stage action and focuses on the original comic duo Magnifico–Zanni – according to many scholars at the very origin of commedia dell’arte10 – with the addition of the other traditional character-types of this form: in this case, two pairs of lovers, two more servants, one male and one female, and another old man, Tofano, who will become the famous Dottor Graziano in subsequent collections. This scenario, like the other comedic ones in the collection, maintains the structure and character-types of the commedia erudita, which in turn were inherited from the Roman comedies of Plautus and Terence (Pandolfi 1969: 225), with substantial inf luence of the Venetian comedic tradition (Ojeda Calvo 2007: 148). Magnifico, who complains at the very beginning of the play of having lost his son, tells Zanni of his desire to marry his daughter Isabella to an old man named Tofano. Orazio, a young lover, is also in love with Isabella and decides to enlist his servant and Franceschina, Isabella’s own servant, to be able to get closer to his beloved. First a crazy man and then a crazy woman appear and twice suspend the events of the main story. Eventually, at the end of the second act, the two crazy people meet, and in the third act they turn out to be Curcio, Magnifico’s lost son, and Ortensia, Tofano’s lost daughter. The two old men then decide to allow the two young couples to marry: Isabella with Orazio and Curcio with Ortensia. The scenarios of this collection, together with the ones conserved in the Biblioteca Estense in Modena,11 are most probably the oldest that come down to us

86 The collections of scenarios

and, as María del Valle Ojeda Calvo has argued, their schematism and higher use of codification might owe to the fact that they were created and used by professional actors. The more elaborate collections, contrary to what some scholars had originally believed, were produced by amateurs at a later date. The brevity of these scenarios could thus be interpreted as an indication of a greater professionalization, since a deeper knowledge of the profession provided the possibility to be concise regarding the stage indications (2007: 147).

Two Crazy People (Doi pazzi) [Canovaccio]12 [ACT ONE] 1 Magnifico, Zanni talks about his lost son and that he would like to marry Isabella to Tofano. 2 Tofano they do some lazzi. They call Isabella. 3 Isabella they make him touch her hand.13 She goes back inside the house. They go for the contract [to sign the documents for the wedding]. 4 Orazio, Servant about his love for Isabella. They go to Franceschina for help. 5 Franceschina promises that she will talk to her. They exit. She knocks at Isabella’s door. 6 Isabella they agree to meet him. They go back inside. 7 Crazy man narrates his story.

Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586

87

8 Magnifico they do some lazzi. They all exit. 9 Orazio, Servant, Franceschina she lets them inside the house. She goes inside with them. 10 Crazy woman narrates her story. Next: 11 Magnifico, Zanni they do some lazzi. 12 Crazy man comes back. They play primero. The crazy man exits. They go back inside the house. 13 Spirits come out of the house. They adjure and exit. [ACT TWO] 14 Magnifico [Isabella, Zanni] is suspicious. Zanni asks Isabella: she confesses that he used to be her lover. Magnifico chases her away. She pretends to go to drown herself. Magnifico, Zanni feel sorry about this. Zani goes to rescue her. She goes back inside the house without being seen. Magnifico knocks. 15 Isabella from her window, chases him away. He exits. 16 Crazy man, Crazy woman they meet each other. the Act ends

88 The collections of scenarios

[ACT THREE] 17 Zanni, Orazio goes to Isabella; they want to elope. Zanni with their. . . . They exit. 18 Magnifico, Tofano Zanni tells him that his daughter has escaped. They go look for her. 19 Curcio he is not crazy anymore, and asks about Magnifico. Magnifico and Tofano recognize him as his [Magnifico’s] son. He talks about Ortensia, and that she has gone mad. 20 Orazio, Isabella asks to merry Isabella. They agree. 21 Ortensia, Curcio the same. THE END.

Perseus This scenario is characterized by the peculiar organizational structure mentioned in the introduction to this collection: two different stories from two very different genres have been integrated into one another. The text begins with an act – simply called “first” – of the story of Perseus and Medea, followed immediately by what is indicated as the “first act” of a pastoral play. The text proceeds by alternating the three acts of the two different stories. As Ojeda Calvo has argued, this text, like similar other ones in the collection, is probably a “reproduction of the actual structure of a theatrical performance . . . which consisted in reciting two dramatic works simultaneously, intercalating the acts of one with those of the other” (2007: 155). This practice was probably borrowed from the ways in which plays were performed in Italian courts toward the end of the fifteenth century and throughout most of the sixteenth century, that is, with intermezzi in between the different acts consisting usually of dances with music or the staging of stories based on mythological subjects. In addition, this scenario, unlike the two previous ones highlighted in this book, is not a comedy with its typical commedia dell’arte

Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586

89

characters – two couples of innamorati, two male servants, a female servant, and an old man or Magnifico – and a happy ending, but instead one in which the same comedic characters and masks are mixed with characters coming from different genres. In this case, the pastoral play presents the innamorati as shepherds – Orfinio, Sireno, Delio, Flori – mixed with magicians, nymphs, and other mythological characters, together with the traditional masks of Magnifico and Zanni. The first story narrates the transformation of the beautiful Medusa into one of the monstrous Gorgons: Minerva, enraged because Neptune profaned her temple by violating Medusa, orders a Fury to transform the young woman into a horrible monster. The second and third act narrate of how Perseus, following Polidette’s order, is able to eventually cut Medusa’s head off, thanks to the help of Mercury, who endows him with wings and a sword, as well as the help of Minerva, who offers him a shield for protection, and that of Pluto, whose helmet makes Perseus invisible. The story is primarily based on two different parts of Ovid’s Metamorphoses (IV. 790–803 and V. 241–249). The pastoral play narrates instead the love tribulations of two shepherds, Curcio and Sireno, in love, respectively, with Flori and Delia. It begins in a very traditional fashion, with a match between Sireno and Curcio on the nature of love – probably a “singing match,” allowing the actors to showcase their vocal skills – followed by a fight between Pan and Cupid. However, the bucolic atmosphere typical of the traditional pastoral plays is soon dissolved with the arrival of the commedia dell’arte masks of Zanni and Magnifico, who perform lazzi and burle. After having fallen in love with the two shepherdesses Delia and Flori, Zanni and Magnifico enlist a magician with the hope of winning them over. Zanni then, disregarding the magician’s directive, opens the magic book and frees evil spirits. The story continues and the plot is complicated by the appearance of numerous nymphs and a priest, until the goddess Diana intervenes and, after performing a sacrifice, brings things back to order.

Perseus (Perseo) [Canovaccio]14 [FIRST] 1 Neptune in love with Medusa, transforms himself into a horse to kidnap her. 2 Phorcys, the father, Medusa [tells her] that she must be at his side, because otherwise, as it has been foretold, she will be harmed. He leaves. She remains. Next

90 The collections of scenarios

3 Horse she mounts the horse; he [the horse] takes her away. 4 Minerva that [Medusa] has profaned her temple; she calls the Fury. 5 Fury orders her to cover her head with snakes. Fury enters, and then she leaves. They exit. 6 Phorcys feeling sorry for his daughter. 7 Medusa angered, with serpentine hair

Pastoral [Canovaccio] ACT ONE 1 Curcio, Sireno Sireno praises Love, the other [Curcio] blames it. They are in love: Sireno with Delia, the other [Curcio] with Flori. 2 Pan, Cupid they fight. Pan falls down. Sireno talks about the power of Love. 3 Zanni comes in between. He promises to help him if they will let Magnifico free; Sireno goes to free him. 4 Magnifico promises [to help him]. They go to get ready.

Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586

91

5 Flori with jewels for Delia, praising her chastity. 6 Delia Flori gives her a jewel on Diana’s behalf. 7 Curcio, Sireno they beg them. They [women] chase them away. They [men] exit. They [women] remain. 8 Magnifico, Zanni fall in love with them; they play tricks on them.15 Next 9 Magician with a book. Magnifico recognizes him. He asks him for help. He lets him in his hut. He leaves Zanni there; the Magician gives him the book, telling him not to open it, and exits. Zanni opens it. Devilish spirits appear. He asks for macaroni. They beat him up. End of the Act. SECOND 8 Polidette, Servant that he wants to kill Perseus. 9 Perseus he [Polidette] sends him to take care of Medusa’s head. He exits. Perseus remains. Next 10 Mercury gives him the wings and the sword and exits. 11 Minerva gives him the shield and tells him to look for Pluto’s helmet.

92 The collections of scenarios

End. ACT TWO 10 Magnifico, Magician tell the shepherds to go to the sphinx. [Magician] cannot find either Zanni or the book; he says that he will pay for this. Magician exits, he remains. 11 Sireno, Curcio [Magnifico] tells them about the sphinx and his doubts. They go to get ready. 12 Zanni with the book, says that he wants to transform himself into a nymph with the nymphs. He exits. 13 Magnifico, Curcio, Sireno, Sphynx They pose their doubts. They solve them: “Tell me, learned spirit, in what season the feather of the angel, which is so light, makes the visage of a man on earth sad at times, and pleased at others?” “I was by my enemies surrounded on both the left and the right sides, my house got out of the windows and I was left like an unfortunate prisoner.” “Fui da mis nemigos rodeado en basas partes y en las soberanas, mi casa se salió por las ventanas y yo quedé en la cárcel desdichado. ¿Quándo será aquel día, espirto dotto, que une piel d’animal, golpeando fuerte, convidará cualquiera a dares muerte, aciendo con su son grande alboroto? ¿Quándo, dime, aquel hiso está advertida, qu’está tan sin piedad desesperado, que chiupe el sangre a quien l’han engendrado y a él su padre la quite la vida?” She gives him the water of oblivion and exits. They leave and go to look for the nymphs.

Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586

93

14 Flori that she has lost Delia. Next 15 Delia They rejoice. 16 Sireno, Curcio they pour the water on them. They fall asleep. They take their jewels away. They exit. 17 Ganassa16 transformed into a nymph, sees the nymphs. He sits with them and wants to kiss them. 18 Spirit takes the book away from him. He exits frightened. 19 Nymphs they wake up, talk about their lovers, and go look for them. . . . THIRD 12 Estenese and Euriale breathless, they exchange the only eye they have. 13 Perseus he takes it away from them. He forces them to promise him the enchanted helmet. They give it to him. They exit. He puts it on. Next 14 Medusa screaming. He cuts her head off. 15 The Horse Pegasus rises. He mounts the horse. The fountain appears.

94 The collections of scenarios

16 Polidette dressed like a hunter, is transformed into a stone. ACT THREE 20 Sireno praising his herd. 21 Delia she begs him. He chases her away. She follows him. 22 Flori the same: 23 Orfinio chases her away. He exits. She follows him. 24 Magnifico, Zanni [Magnifico] believing he is a nymph, falls in love with him. He reveals himself. They go to see the priest or the Magician. 25 Nymphs, Shepherds come back. They chase them away. They want to kill themselves. Next 26 Priest of Diana takes the jewels away from the shepherds. He transforms them, and then orders the sacrifice. 27 Magnifico, Zanni Magnifico goes to set the fire. The sacrifice takes place. 28 Diana dismisses them. They end the comedy.

Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586

95

Notes 1 See Ojeda Calvo (2007: 117–129). For Andrea Perrucci’s suggestions, see Taviani and Schino (1982: 255–257). 2 Scenari più scelti di istrioni. 45.G.5–6, Vol. 2, 169r-171v [Manuscript]. At Rome, Biblioteca Corsiniana. The entire Corsiniana collection has been edited and published by Stefan Hulfeld (2014). The scenario Li tre becchi can be found in volume II: 1303–1305. 3 Commedie all’improvviso. Ms. magliabecchiano, II, I, 80 [Manuscript]. At Florence: Biblioteca Nazionale. The collection has been edited by Bartoli (1880). 4 These stories can be read in Rua (1927: 189–196 and 238–245). 5 Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586 [Manuscript]. At Madrid: Real Biblioteca, cc. 108v-110r. 6 As María del Valle Ojeda Calvo has pointed out, the scenarios of this zibaldone – to be considered the oldest, together with the ones preserved in the Estense Library of Modena – due to their extreme schematic nature, seem to have been written as the result of “some imminent needs,” unlike the somewhat more elaborate scenarios belonging to the subsequent collections, probably written by amateurs. As a result, Botarga’s scenarios make use of a greater codification, like when it is indicated that a trick must be played at someone else’s expense, without any further indication, for example, “la mola delli confetti,” “de la fonte,” “Di stropar gli ochi,” “dei legni,” “del fuoco e la stopa,” etc. Other brief indications are, at times, also given: “va in angoscia,” “fano buie,” “fano le belle parole,” or “li da buone parole.” Ojeda Calvo asks if these types of indications constitute what later, in the scenarios of the seventeenth century, were to be designated under the term of “lazzi” and, to support this hypothesis, she asks if la burla de la quarta of this specific scenario could refer to the “lazzi in quarto” used later on in other Italian scenarios (1995: 127). 7 The meaning of this part is unclear. In the scenario with the same title contained in Scenari più scelti d’istrioni (Corsiniana collection), Flaminia says: “After many words, she tells him about the dream of the eye, while covering Pantalone’s good eye.” It could be a reference to the burla played immediately before this exchange. See also note 6. 8 See note 6. 9 Doi Pazzi by Botarga has little in common with Li dui finti pazzi of the Corsiniana collection (edited in Testaverde 2007: 521–526 and Hulfeld 2014: 1287–1298) and Li finti pazzi of the Locatelli collection (edited in Ojeda Calvo 2007: 613–617), with the exception that in all scenarios one of the mad lovers turns out to be the son of Magnifico – in Botarga – or Pantalone – in both the Corsiniana and Locatelli collections (Hulfeld 2014: vol. 2, 1289). 10 See Molinari (1999: xiv–xv). 11 Scenari modenesi. I, 740 (a. S. 8, 14) [Manuscript]. At Modena, Biblioteca Estense. See Emilio Re (1910). 12 Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586 [Manuscript]. At Madrid: Real Biblioteca, cc. 119v-120r. 13 A frequently encountered situation in commedia dell’arte scenarios is the convention of having the two lovers touching their hands, or of having the woman take the hand of the promised husband. This gesture, “quite foreign to most modern audiences,” signified, “in its time and place, ‘we are henceforth betrothed,’ and was thus taken very seriously” (Heck 2001: 3). 14 Abagaro Frescobaldi, Codex II-1586 [Manuscript]. At Madrid: Real Biblioteca, cc. 120v-123r. 15 In the original: “gli fano la burla de le burbe.” A specific burla was thus involved here, although it is not clear which one. 16 Ganassa is Zanni’s proper name, used by the actor Alberto Naselli (Ojeda Calvo 2007: 57).

2 FLAMINIO SCALA, IL TEATRO DELLE FAVOLE RAPPRESENTATIVE (VENICE, 1611) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

Il Teatro delle Favole Rappresentative is, after Stefanelo Botarga’s Zibaldone, the oldest collection of commedia dell’arte scenarios and the only one to have been printed in the seventeenth century. Its publication in Venice in 1611 constituted “an event of the first importance to theatre history” (Clubb 1995, 128–129), one that eventually served as model for professional and amateur comedians for the following two centuries. As Allardyce Nicoll pointed out, By a somewhat strange coincidence a short period of a dozen years at the beginning of the seventeenth century saw the appearance of three great and important drama folios. In 1623 were issued Shakespeare’s collected comedies, histories, and tragedies; seven years earlier, in 1616, that volume had been preceded by Ben Jonson’s Workes; and five years earlier still, in 1611, had been published Flaminio Scala’s Il teatro delle favole rappresentative, containing fifty dramatic pieces. (1963: 1) Unlike Jonson and Shakespeare’s, however, Scala’s collection is very difficult to read since, as Tim Fitzpatrick has argued, its scenarios “are quintessentially practical documents .  .  . manifesting pragmatic features which ref lect dramaturgical solutions for performance” (1995: 104). Despite his importance, very little is known about Scala’s life and career, and surviving records are sparse, especially for the years before 1611.1 Born in Rome on 27 September 1552,2 Scala’s first records regarding his theatrical activity date back to the two-year period 1597–98, when he managed relations with the Genoa authorities on behalf of the Desiosi and Uniti theatrical companies (Spinelli 2018). Between 1600 and 1602, with the stage name of Flavio and in the role of the Innamorato, Scala was active with the Accesi company, first in Lyon and then in Paris for the wedding of Maria de’ Medici and Henry IV. Back in Italy, he probably performed DOI: 10.4324/9781003100676-5

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

97

in Mantua and Florence before being banished, for unknown reasons, from the theatres of the Duchy of Modena at the express request of the Cardinal Legate of Romagna Bonifacio Caetani. However, in 1611, under the protection of Vincenzo I Gonzaga, his magnum opus, Il Teatro delle favole rappresentative, was published with a preface by Francesco Andreini, one of the most famous dell’arte actors of his time. In 1614, Scala became the capocomico of the Confidenti, a company active under the protection of Don Giovanni de’ Medici, and a few years later, became the owner, in the Venetian district of Rialto, of a perfume shop – a supplemental business activity that allowed him “to enjoy a certain autonomy in the choices inherent to the acting profession” (Spinelli 2018). Don Giovanni’s death on 19 July 1621 put an end to the Confidenti company and to Scala’s theatrical fortune, and in 1624, the actor accepted a post as perfumer in Mantua under the protection of the ducal authority, where he died a few months later, on 9 December 1624. Faced with Flaminio Scala’s “imposing work” – forty comedies, a tragedy, a heroic drama, four royal dramas, one pastoral, and a mixed drama – scholars have offered, as Ferruccio Marotti noted, very contrasting interpretations, especially in trying to answer why Scala wanted to publish his scenarios and if these scenarios are to be considered a synecdoche of plays – offering only the plot without the dialogues – or of their performance (Marotti 1976: xxxiii–iv). As Siro Ferrone argued, however, Scala’s scenarios can be considered the “beginning of a new dramaturgical tradition, independent from the literary one,” a tradition that, by drawing “a dividing line between two cultures, that of the theatre to be read and that of the theatre to be recited, designate to the latter the task of transmitting the actors’ know-how as an autonomous value” (2014: 97). In addition, as Marotti points out, if we consider that the collection is also the work of a 64-year-old man toward the end of his career, we can better understand why its author wanted to present it as a sort of global summa of the commedia dell’arte, with its imaginary all-stars cast and bringing together, on paper, the best interpreters of its first two generations, from Francesco and Isabella Andreini to Giovanni Pellesini (Pedrolino) up to the Harlequin Tristano Martinelli (Marotti 1976: xlvii–viii). The format of Scala’s scenarios is consistent throughout and similar to the one that was also used in other manuscript collections: the only distinguishing feature in Scala is that each scenario is preceded by an argument, with the purpose of offering the reader the background of the play proper. After the argument, there is a list of characters, organized in households, a list of necessary properties, and the location of the action, more often than not an Italian city. Then the three acts of the scenario follow, divided into scenes. Ferruccio Marotti has defined these scenarios as an ordito complesso – a complex ‘warp’ – one that offers first the actor and then, in turn, the reader, a double register: the development of a fabula [or story] characterized by the invention of ingenious comings and goings, and the development of a comic theme that seems to be charged with giving unity to the action, understood not only as written fiction, but also as blueprint for performance. (1976: lvi)

98 The collections of scenarios

The social reality depicted in Scala’s scenarios, as Richard Andrews notes, is quite limited and deals almost exclusively with “relations within the ordinary respectable family” and with a focus on “hierarchical dependency and a preoccupation with sexual virtue or ‘honor’” (2008: xlviii). This is, of course, not surprising since, as has often been discussed by scholars, in the political economy of early modern Italy, hierarchy – the male head of the household had total control over the rest of the family – and honor were of primary concern for every individual and for every family. For women, honor depended primarily on their chastity, followed by obedience and silence (Ghirardo 2020: 56). These issues constitute the background of the majority of Scala’s scenarios and translate into stories in which the younger generation – sons and daughters of the vecchi – usually Pantalone and Dottor Graziano – with the help of their servants, devise schemes to be able to marry the person they actually want rather than the one imposed by their parents. A translation of all of Scala’s scenarios was edited by Henry Salerno in 1967, and partial translations have been more recently edited by Richard Andrews (2008) and Natalie Crohn Schmitt (2014). Since Scala’s work is easily accessible through modern editions both in Italian and English, we have thus decided here to retranslate five of its most famous scenarios: The Tooth-Puller, The Husband, The Jealous Old Man, The Madness of Isabella, and The Mirror.

Primary text Scala, Flaminio (1611) Il teatro delle favole rappresentative. Venice: Pulciani.

Recent editions and translations Scala, Flaminio (1967) Scenarios of the Commedia dell’Arte: Flaminio Scala’s Il teatro delle favole rappresentative, translated by Henry F. Salerno. New York: New York University Press. Scala, Flaminio (1976) Il teatro delle favole rappresentative, edited by Ferruccio Marotti. Milan: Il Polifilo. Scala, Flaminio (2008) The Commedia dell’Arte of Flaminio Scala. A Translation and Analysis of 30 Scenarios, edited and translated by Richard Andrews. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. Schmitt, Natalie Crohn (2014) Befriending the Commedia del’Arte of Flaminio Scala: The Comic Scenarios. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. [translation and analysis of four scenarios]

The Jealous Old Man The Jealous Old Man is arguably the best known and also “among the more indecent” of the scenarios in Scala’s collection ( Johnson 2017: 73). The plot centers around a trick that is played at the expense of Pantalone, an old and impotent

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

99

jealous husband. Orazio sets up the plan and shares it with his friend Flavio during the first scene of the play so that “we, as audience, share in the privileged information from the outset” (Kerr 2015: 51). Pedrolino, Pantalone’s servant, Burattino, the local gardener, and his wife, Pasquella, all offer their support to Orazio, agreeing to hide him in a room of Pasquella’s cottage. The pretext for taking Isabella to the same room is that she needs to urinate: what can be considered a burla is then enacted as, one by one, many of the other guests approach the cottage and ask to enter to answer their call of nature. Pantalone, standing guard at the door, prevents them from entering by telling them “Please, don’t disturb my wife, who is attending to her needs” (2.26). When Isabella reappears all in a sweat and Pantalone gathers what has happened – thanks to Burattino’s story – Orazio tells all the guests that Isabella, and not her husband, has been disgraced, “because when he made love to her, he found out that she was still a virgin” (3.38). His impotence exposed, Pantalone capitulates to the circumstances, and the scenario ends with the celebration of three weddings: Isabella with Orazio, Capitano with her sister Flaminia, and Pedrolino with Olivetta. The overall structure of this scenario invites connections “with the ruthless ritual of charivari in medieval society, where married couples who had been mismatched or were misbehaving were subject to aggressive satirical mockery involving a kind of street theatre” (Andrews 2008: 40). In addition, the scenario borrows its framing device from Boccaccio’s The Decameron, where people from the city listen to and tell stories while on a stay in the country: two stories, “very much like those in The Decameron, are enacted,” and a story “actually from The Decameron is narrated” by Graziano at the beginning of the first act, functioning as “another of the many parallels to that of Pantalone” (Schmitt 2014: 146). The structure of the scenario is unusual in other ways: according to Fitzpatrick (1995: 108–118), three characters are more often than not the maximum viable number for a scene, while here much of the stage action is collective and is provided by the diegetic singing, dancing, partying, and storytelling of the many characters on stage. Given the parallelisms existing between the main plot – Pantalone’s cuckoldry – and stage situations and stories narrated by the characters, Natalie Crohn Schmitt states that the structure of this scenario is both syntactic (sequential) and paradigmatic (consisting of parallels) (2014: 149), while Ferruccio Marotti compares this “double register” to Sergei Eisenstein’s use of rhythmic and tonal montage (1976: lviii).

Day 6 The Jealous Old Man (Il Vecchio Geloso) Comedy3 Argument There lived in Venice an old merchant named Pantalone de’ Bisognosi, who had a beautiful woman as his wife, named Isabella; fervently in love with her there was a young man, rich and of honorable manners, called Orazio Cortesi of Venice.

100 The collections of scenarios

To his own great misfortune, the old man was very jealous of his own wife, and to keep her away from indiscrete eyes and reassure himself, he decided to take her to his own villa near Venice. The lady was followed by her lover and, with her consent, he made love to her, and the pleasure was all the more gratifying because the two enjoyed each other while the husband was standing guard. Then, it happened that, while talking one day to the same merchant, the young man told him, as a joke, of all the pleasures he took with his wife; on hearing this, the old man realized his own impotence and foolish mistake (that of living in jealousy), and gave her with good a grace to the young man as his wife. Characters of the Comedy Pantalone, an old merchant Isabella, his wife Pedrolino, servant Graziano, family friend Capitano Spavento, as a hunter Hunters, his companions Orazio and Flavio, friends Burattino, gardener Pasquella, his wife Olivetta, their daughter Cavicchio, a peasant from Norcia Flaminia, a widow and Isabella’s sister [Three beggars] [Damsels] [Servants] Properties Hunters’ costumes Rods, horns, dogs, and similar things A basket Silver saucers Flasks of wine Drinking glasses Snacks on silver plates Beggars’ costumes for the musicians Lute, or theorbo A plate with figs or other fruits A Villa near Padua

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

101

ACT ONE 1 Orazio [Flavio] tells his friend Flavio that he has come to the villa because of his love for Isabella, Pantalone’s wife, who loves him in return; and how Pedrolino, her servant, knows of their love, and that he [Pantalone] has never enjoyed her; but Isabella has promised to satisfy him, taking advantage of the situation at the villa. Flavio says that he has a good go-between and should not worry. Next 2 Pedrolino with a straw hat and a stick, telling Orazio that Pantalone is about to arrive with his wife. Flavio goes to meet him right away. Pedrolino asks if Tofano, who owns a villa about two miles from Pantalone’s, is his friend, and if Pantalone knows that he is. Orazio says yes. Pedrolino tells him that he might need his house when the time comes; then [he says] that he sees Pantalone coming. Orazio remains. Next 3 Pantalone [Isabella] [Flaminia] [Flavio] [Graziano] leads his wife, Isabella, by the hand, and Flavio [does the same with] Flaminia, a widow. Orazio greets Pantalone and all his company, expressing his delight that he has come to favor this villa with his presence; and since a long bench has been prepared there for people to seat, they all decide to rest and beg Dottor Graziano to tell and narrate a story. Graziano at first shows reluctance, but in the end he tells that story from Boccaccio, called ***.4 They all praise it, apart from Pantalone, who says that it is not too appropriate when ladies are present. Next 4 Pedrolino all out of breath, tells Orazio and Flavio that some gentlemen from Bergamo have arrived who are asking about them. They leave right away to find them, and all the others remain. At that point they hear singing from indoors. 5 Cavicchio peasant, singing in the style of Norcia;5 he sings about the torment felt by an old husband jealous of his wife; they all laugh, then beg Cavicchio to narrate some stories. Cavicchio narrates the story of the painter who used to paint the devil in such a beautiful way, etc. They all laugh at the good story. Cavicchio invites them all to a place he is renting so that they can relax and

102 The collections of scenarios

have a pleasant time. They accept the invitation. Graziano takes Flaminia by her hand, and behaves in a lustful way, and they go on ahead; Pantalone remains with Isabella and urges her to maintain her honor. She is angry at such words. Pantalone calms her down, embraces her and they both follow the others who have left. 6 Burattino [Olivetta] gardener, with Olivetta, his daughter, reproaching her because she doesn’t know how to dig nor plant, even though she is old enough to marry; he teaches her how to manage the handle of the hoe. Next 7 Pedrolino greets Burattino and his daughter, saying that he can help them earn ten scudi. Pedrolino tells him to prepare a tray with his best figs or peaches, and take them to Orazio, saying that Tofano Braghettini has sent them from his place, asking him to go over there because he wants to talk to him about a very important matter; he gives him two scudi in advance, and asks him to send out his wife Pasquella. Burattino goes indoors with Olivetta; Pedrolino remains. 8 Pasquella comes out; Pedrolino, on behalf of Orazio, offers her a big reward. Pasquella says that Orazio is a courteous gentleman and that she will do anything he wants. Pedrolino tells her that Orazio is in love with Pantalone’s wife and that, in order to enjoy her, he needs to hide in her house, in one of her rooms and that, when Isabella will need to urinate, she [Pasquella] will take her to that room, and be sure not to let anyone but her go into the house. Pasquella agrees. Pedrolino gives her two scudi. Pasquella [goes] inside the house. Pedrolino: that the plan is well under way. Next 9 Graziano [says] that those gentlemen have left; he tells Pedrolino that the love he feels for Flaminia is in his hands. Pedrolino promises to help him. Next 10 Orazio [Flaminia] [Flavio] [Isabella] [Pantalone] holding Flaminia’s hand, and Flavio escorting Isabella, and Pantalone following them. They find Graziano and Pedrolino; they ask them if the dinner is ready. They: [say] yes and that they will all be pleased. Next

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

103

11 Burattino gardener, with a gorgeous tray of figs or peaches, presents it to Orazio on behalf of Tofano Braghettino, asking him if after dinner he’ll be willing to go to his house. Orazio accepts the present, gives him a tip for a drink, saying that he will certainly go. Burattino exits. Pantalone orders that water be brought to the table for washing their hands. Next 12 Pedrolino with a silver washbasin. 13 Graziano with a silver jug and a hand towel; they all wash their hands and thus happily go indoor for dinner, and the first act ends. ACT TWO 14 Three Beggars poorly dressed, with their musical instruments, they go from villa to villa playing and singing for a living; they play their instruments. Next 15 Pasquella, Olivetta come out. The beggars ask for something to eat, offering to sing and play; Pasquella sends for some bread and wine. Next 16 Pedrolino from the house, tells Pasquella that the time for Orazio’s business is approaching, using the musicians as excuse, and they send Olivetta to assemble some damsels from the villa for the dances. Olivetta exits. Pedrolino asks the musicians to play and promises them a good reward. The beggars play. Next 17 Olivetta [Damsels] arrives with the damsels and their companions from the villa. Pasquella goes indoors to fetch benches and chairs, and then comes back with her husband.

104 The collections of scenarios

18 Burattino, Pasquella with benches and chairs, they arrange them for everyone to sit, while the musicians play. Next 19 Pantalone [Isabella] [Flavio] [Orazio] [Graziano] comes out of the house with the entire company, sits down with all the others, and here they all begin to dance, first one and then the other, as it is the custom with those women. Orazio, in the middle of the dance, leaves the company, saying that he is compelled to go to Tofano, and exits. Burattino goes indoors to fetch his instrument and then they dismiss the musicians; Flavio pays them, and they exit. Burattino: that he wishes to take them around and play for fun, and they thus all agree and leave, except Pasquella, who remains to guard the house. Next 20 Orazio arrives, greets Pasquella, who tells him all the things that Pedrolino told her on his behalf, and she takes him inside the house and puts him in the bedroom already prepared for him to enjoy Isabella, and they go indoors. 21 Graziano [Pedrolino] who have drunk with pleasure at the peasants’ house. Graziano entrusts Pedrolino with his love for Flaminia. Pedrolino: that he will have her for the entire day. At that point they hear the sound of horns and the cries of hunters, and there arrives 22 Capitan Spavento [dressed] as a hunter, with dogs and horns, comes to the villa because of his love for Flaminia, Isabella’s sister; he asks Graziano about Pantalone, Flavio, and Orazio. He: that they are not at the villa, and he goes to inform them, exiting. Pedrolino tells the Capitano how Graziano is his rival for Flaminia’s love. The Capitano laughs at this. Next 23 Flavio [Pantalone] [Graziano] [Isabella] [Flaminia] [Burattino] arrives with the whole company, they greet the Capitano and express delight for his arrival. Flavio immediately suggests that they all sit down and go back to dancing, but that they have to freshen-up first; they all sit. Next

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

105

24 Pasquella, Olivetta sit down with the others. Next 25 Pedrolino, Graziano, Servi with plates full of candies, f lasks of wine, fruits, glasses and saucers, set up for the collation, in which everyone eats and drinks; then they start to dance, doing the “dance of the separation,” and, while they all dance, Isabella tells her husband that she needs to urinate. Pasquella, right away, with Pantalone’s permission, takes her inside the house. Pantalone, immediately, stands on guard outside the door because of his jealousy, and while they are still dancing again 26 Flaminia would like to go inside Pasquella’s house; immediately Pedrolino, so that she won’t disturb Orazio, invites her to dance; and this way everyone would like to go inside Pasquella’s house and use the restroom, and Pantalone keeps saying: “Please, don’t disturb my wife, who is attending to her needs.” In the end, there comes out 27 Isabella all in a sweat. Pantalone immediately dries her with his handkerchief, telling her that when those needs come, she should attend to them immediately and without any suffering. They all leave the dancing and go somewhere else, and Pantalone follows them, still wiping his wife’s face, while she behaves modestly, caressing her husband, and they all exit, and the second act ends. ACT THREE 28 Flavio [Pedrolino] that he can’t wait to see Orazio, to hear how the plan went. Next 29 Orazio from Pasquella’s house, tells them about the brief pleasure he had with Isabella. Pedrolino: that he wants to play a trick on Graziano, since he is in

106 The collections of scenarios

love with Flaminia, and how the Capitano loves Flaminia to death, who has just come out to see her, pretending to go hunting. Next 30 Capitano, Pantalone, Isabella, Flaminia arrive, see Orazio, are pleased at his quick return, and they are all nice to one another. Isabella begs Orazio to fetch his chitarrone, or theorbo, and then sing one of his songs in the Roman style, to entertain the company. Orazio, in a good mood, sends Pedrolino for his instrument. Orazio asks the Capitano if he is planning to get married. The Capitano, looking at Flaminia, says yes. Orazio: that he should entrust him with his wedding’s negotiation. Capitano agrees; and, while Orazio wants to talk to Pantalone about this wedding, there arrives 31 Burattino who takes Orazio aside, asking him to pay for the headboard he broke while he was in the bedroom with Isabella. Orazio: that he will pay him back, and he sends him away; then he asks Pantalone for Flaminia’s hand on behalf of Capitano. Pantalone: that he agrees, if she is also willing. Flaminia agrees and touches his hand [Capitano].6 Next 32 Pedrolino with the chitarrone, gives it to Orazio; then they all sit down. Next 33 Graziano arrives; Pedrolino immediately tells him to go inside the house, into Flaminia’s bedroom, and to lie down on her bed, shutting the windows, and that she will go and visit him. Graziano enters. Orazio begins to sing, and sings so sweetly that Pantalone falls deeply asleep. Next Orazio, still singing, leads Isabella away. Capitano, Flaminia, and Flavio follow them. Pedrolino remains. Next 34 Pasquella comes out; Pedrolino tells her that Isabella is waiting for her inside the house, in her sister Flaminia’s bedroom, to give her a tip; and she must go very quietly, because she is lying on the bed. Pasquella, cheerful, exits. Pedrolino remains. Next 35 Pantalone wakes up, sees Pedrolino, and asks him where Isabella is. Pedrolino: that he was sleeping as well, and he does not know. Pantalone is amazed. Next

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

107

36 Burattino asks Pantalone if he has seen his wife, Pasquella, and Pantalone asks Burattino if he knows where his own wife is. Next 37 Orazio [Capitano] [Flavio] [Isabella] [Flaminia] singing, followed by the whole company; they see Pantalone, and make fun of him because he fell asleep, saying: “Oh what a fine guardian of his wife, a guardian that can barely look after her while he is awake, oh think then what he would do while sleeping!” Pantalone loses his temper. Next 38 Pasquella [Graziano] running away from Graziano, who is trying to embrace her. Burattino intervenes; Pasquella recounts how Graziano has taken her virtue by force. Graziano apologizes saying that he has been tricked, and that he can’t speak about it now, but that he will take his revenge. Burattino asks Pantalone if, since Graziano has been with his wife, he can be called a cuckold. Pantalone says yes. Then Burattino, hearing this, says: “My lord Pantalone, you should know that I am not the only one, but that there are other cuckolds here and not too far away”; and that he wants to tell him what happened to an acquaintance of his; and he narrates of how an old jealous man found himself in a villa with his wife, and how he was guarding her at all times, until it happened that a young man, who was in love with her and could not manage to enjoy her, found a way with the help of his servant to be summoned by a friend living a few miles away from the house, and so, taking his leave, he went and hid in the house of a woman friend, waiting for the occasion he had arranged with the lady. At that moment the damsels of the villa decided that they wanted to dance and so, assembled a good company of both male and female dancers, the dances began, accompanied by good music; after they had danced for a while, the wife of the old jealous man pretended that she had a need to attend to, and on hearing these words, the woman who had lent the house to the lover, led her by the hand and put her, with her husband’s permission, into the arms of her lover; in the meantime, the old man, because of his jealousy, stood at the door and told everyone who wanted to go in not to go and disturb his wife, because she was attending to her needs. When the clever wife had finished her amorous labors, she came out of the room all in a sweat because of the efforts she had made, and was told by her husband that whenever she felt such needs she should immediately attend to them, without feeling uncomfortable, and wiping her face with his handkerchief, he caressed her. Pantalone, hearing how the end of the story had turned against him, starts shouting that he has been betrayed and disgraced by his own wife. Orazio then tells him that it was not he who had been disgraced, but

108 The collections of scenarios

his wife, because when he made love to her, he found out that she was still a virgin; and so he was disgracing her by not making love to her because of his impotence. Pantalone, seeing himself exposed, confesses the truth, and agrees that Isabella shall be his [Orazio’s] wife; and thus, they arrange a marriage between Orazio and Isabella, between the Capitano and Flaminia, and between Pedrolino and Olivetta; and without mentioning Burattino’s dishonor, they arrange to hold the weddings in Pantalone’s house, and the comedy of the old jealous man ends.

The Husband Il marito, “probably the most transgressive scenario” in Scala’s collection (Kerr 2004: 108), is “a tightly constructed, if complex, play” (Andrews 2008: 48). The main plot follows the love story between Orazio, Pantalone’s son, and Isabella, Dottor Graziano’s daughter. The “Argument” offers a detailed narration of the lovers’ background story: Orazio and Isabella, living in Naples, “growing in age as well as in love, were almost always together, in a friendship which began when they were children.” However, fearing that Orazio will eventually marry the not-too-well-off Isabella, Pantalone sends his son off to Lyon to stay with some relatives. Before his departure, Orazio makes sure to promise Isabella that he would be back in three years and that she should not get married. However, since Orazio’s return is delayed by his father, Franceschina, Isabella’s nurse and servant, decides to take matters into her own hands and to help her lady by devising a complicated plan: she will fake her death, go to Rome dressed as a man for a year, and return to ask Dottor Graziano – and successfully obtain – her lady’s hand. Pantalone, thinking that Isabella won’t be a problem any longer, calls his son Orazio back to Naples. The play begins with Orazio’s return and his intent to win back, with the help of his servant Pedrolino, Isabella’s love. Orazio and Isabella are placed alongside two other pairs of lovers: Capitano Spavento and Flaminia, Pantalone’s ward, and Pedrolino and Franceschina. Pedrolino’s orchestration of bed-tricks culminates in the exhilarating “sequence of repetitive mayhem” (Andrews 2008: 48) in Act Three, during which Pantalone, Graziano, and Arlecchino – dressed as a woman – are made fools of by Pedrolino, while everything is sorted out for the three couples of lovers. The bed-trick is one of those “novellagrams,” in this case from Boccaccio’s Decameron, turned “theatregrams” – that is, “plot modules, topoi, characters, character systems, dialogic agons, speech-acts, places, and framing devices that constituted a common European theatrical language” (Henke 2008: 2). As it is often the case in both the Decameron and Scala’s scenarios, “female agency, perseverance, and ingenuity are foregrounded and even celebrated” (Nicholson 2014: 173). As Rosalind Kerr has argued, while it is usually the innamorata who impersonates a noble young male – in 13 of the 50 scenarios – in this case it is the maid who plays the husband: “crossing over gender lines has now

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

109

been made doubly subversive because the masquerading maid pushes the fantasy to the limits by usurping a higher-class position” (2004: 108–109). This tightly constructed scenario was the one chosen by Scala himself to be expanded into a fully scripted play; published in 1618 as Il finto marito [The Fake Husband],7 it was meant to “legitimize” the commedia dell’arte “special form” (Falavolti 1982: 224), whose value laid in its performative qualities, and its primary focus was “on presenting the acting body rather than the speaking body” (Kerr 2004: 107).

Day 9 The Husband (Il Marito) [Comedy]8 Argument There were in the city of Naples two old men, one named Pantalone and the other Dottor Graziano: one of these had a son named Orazio, and the other a daughter named Isabella, who, growing in age as well as in love, were almost always together, in a friendship which began when they were children. Pantalone was afraid that his son might marry Isabella, he being very rich and she, although of noble birth, not too well off. For this reason, with the excuse of having some business to take care of in Lyon, France, he sent his son Orazio to stay with some relatives of his who lived there; Orazio, being forced to go and saying goodbye to Isabella, told her that within three years he would certainly return: and that she should not get married, unless he did not come back; and that he might be back home before the time prescribed. After he had gone, the young woman waited for the time prescribed and, being toward the end of it, she began to complain with her nurse about Orazio. This woman was almost certain that the reason for this delay was Pantalone, who was keeping his son there so that Isabella would marry someone else and Orazio could not have her; for this reason, she promised to help her and, after having collected money and jewels, convinced a doctor to give her [Franceschina] a nonlethal sleeping pill, and she took it; and because this pill dulled the senses in such a way that a person seeing her would think that she were dead, she was buried. Therefore, having being brought out by night with the doctor’s help, she left for Rome, where she lived for a year dressed as a man; thus, she came back to Naples and, making friends with Isabella’s father, asked for her in marriage; and he, mistaking her for a Roman gentleman, accepted the offer. Pantalone, seeing that Isabella would not be a problem any longer, called back Orazio to Naples. What then happened, the play will reveal. Characters of the Comedy Pantalone, an old man Pedrolino, servant

110 The collections of scenarios

Olivetta, servant Orazio, son Flaminia, Pantalone’s ward Graziano, Dottore Arlecchino, servant Isabella, daughter Cornelio, husband, that is Franceschina, Isabella’s nurse Capitano Spavento Properties Lots of lanterns Lots of shirts Woman’s costume for Arlecchino The city of Naples ACT ONE 1 Orazio [Capitano] tells Capitano the reason why he is in the city incognito, about his love for Isabella, and that he wants to talk to her before revealing himself to his father. Capitano tries to dissuade him from this love, because she is already married. He: that he cannot do it. Capitano offers him his house, and exits. Orazio talks about the death of Franceschina, Isabella’s nurse. Next 2 Pedrolino dreamed that Orazio had come home; he sees him, they greet each other and together talk about Isabella and Franceschina; then, dolefully, they exit. 3 Pantalone from inside the house, calling Pedrolino. 4 Graziano from inside the house, calls Arlecchino. They come out: Pantalone complains about Pedrolino’s attentiveness, and Graziano about Arlecchino’s laziness. Pantalone congratulates Graziano for having married Isabella to

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

111

that young Roman, and that he would like to marry his ward Flaminia, daughter of the late Cassandro. Graziano offers to take her. Pantalone: that he will talk to her. Graziano: that he will send Arlecchino for an answer, and exits. Pantalone remains and talks about his love for Flaminia and that he hopes to exploit this opportunity to enjoy her, since Dottore is poor and he is rich: he calls her. 5 Flaminia [Olivetta] hears about the potential husband; she says that she will think about it. Pantalone: that she should take him; he sends her home and then begs Olivetta to persuade Flaminia, and exits. She laughs about Pantalone, and talks about her love for Arlecchino. Next 6 Capitano Spavento sees her and asks her about Flaminia; she says that he came at the right time, and calls her. 7 Flaminia tells Capitano about the deal between Pantalone and Graziano; then they pledge their love once again and agree to speak to the old man, so that Flaminia can have a chance to speak to Isabella on Orazio’s behalf, since Capitano has first told her about his arrival and explained the whole thing. The women go back inside the house; Capitano exits down the street. 8 Pedrolino in despair because Orazio wants to talk to Isabella: he decides to satisfy him, and knocks. Next 9 Cornelio answers from indoors; Pedrolino stands aside. Cornelio comes out, sees him but pretends not to, then calls his wife, Isabella. 10 Isabella does a scene of jealousy with him, then Cornelio exits and she remains; Pedrolino, who has watched everything from aside, starts crying; Isabella asks him why he is crying; he says it is the memory of Franceschina. Isabella says that you can’t stop loving a person you once loved, and that a perfect love can’t ever be forgotten. Pedrolino takes the opportunity from

112 The collections of scenarios

these words and tells her about Orazio’s arrival; Isabella refuses to speak to him, because she is married and must not stain her honor, and that she now knows that Orazio did not love her. Next 11 Orazio sees her, wants to come close to her but, as soon as she sees him, falls senseless. Orazio cries over her and Pedrolino does the same. Next 12 Arlecchino from the house, sees Isabella as dead, cries over her, and takes her inside the house with Pedrolino’s help; Orazio exits in tears, and here the first act ends. ACT TWO 13 Olivetta sent by Flaminia to talk to Isabella on Orazio’s behalf. Next 14 Pedrolino from Isabella’s house, is told by Olivetta that she is going to speak to Isabella on Orazio and Capitano’s behalf. Pedrolino sends her home, saying to leave things to him: she goes inside the house and he remains. Next 15 Capitano, Orazio speaking of what has happened, they see Pedrolino, who gives them the news that Isabella is no longer ill. They rejoice at this; Pedrolino, upon seeing Graziano, tells them to pretend to know that he is to be the bridegroom, just to play a trick on him, since he does not know who they are. Next 16 Graziano all happy, says he wants to send Arlecchino for Pantalone’s answer. Orazio and Capitano greet him, saying that they want to honor his wedding, which is being talked about all over town, and they exit. Graziano rejoices at this, and calls his servant.

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

113

17 Arlecchino comes out; Graziano sends him to Pantalone for the answer about his wedding, and exits. Arlecchino, all happy, since he will have Olivetta. Next 18 Pedrolino who has overheard everything, pretends to be out of breath and tells Arlecchino that he is bringing the news to Graziano that Flaminia will marry him and that Olivetta will do the same with Arlecchino; and that he wants a tip. Arlecchino: that he can say what he wants. Pedrolino: that he only wants to talk to Isabella and tell her of Orazio’s love; Arlecchino, who hates her husband Cornelio, is happy to call her. 19 Isabella comes out, and is urged by Pedrolino and Arlecchino to make Orazio happy; she is coy: at last she gives in to their many pleadings and decides to speak to him. Pedrolino, all happy, goes to find Orazio. Arlecchino, praising the courtesans’ lifestyle, urges Isabella to make not only Orazio happy but also all the gentlemen who love her. Next 20 Cornelio who has overheard all that Arlecchino said, comes out; Arlecchino, fearing that he did hear the conversation, tells him immediately that he is married to the most chaste woman in the whole city. Cornelio and Isabella go back inside the house exchanging courtesies. Arlecchino: that he got out of this one, and he exits. 21 Pantalone hoping that Olivetta has persuaded Flaminia to marry Graziano. Next 22 Olivetta tells Pantalone that Flaminia is happy about what he wants to do. Pantalone rejoices at this. Next 23 Arlecchino asks Pantalone for his answer about the wedding with Graziano; Pantalone tells him that the bride is happy and that he will send Olivetta with the news, and then he goes back inside the house. They remain and discourse about their love. Next

114 The collections of scenarios

24 Pedrolino is happy for them, then he marries them, and urges them to sleep together and enjoy each other that same night, and that he will help them do this: they are delighted. Pedrolino asks them to get Graziano and Cornelio out of the house so that Orazio will be able to speak to Isabella; they knock, and Pedrolino stands back. 25 Cornelio says that Graziano is not at home. Next 26 Graziano arrives; the servants tell him that the bride has agreed, and they urge him to send her a present. Graziano and Cornelio go off to the goldsmith; the servants exit as well. 27 Pedrolino, Orazio arrive to talk to Isabella, since she is home alone, and knock. 28 Isabella comes out to listen to Orazio, who tells her of his passion, offering many excuses for not having come back as promised; she also offers excuses for [not] having waited for him, begging him to leave for the sake of the love he claims to feel for her, because she does not want to commit any error; Orazio obeys and exits with Pedrolino. Isabella remains, saying that it has required a great effort to restrain herself and that it is clear to her now that Orazio loves her more than ever. Next 29 Cornelio arrives; Isabella reports what has happened and says that it is about time to unveil their deception; and here, each one of them saying that their nature has been suffering, go back inside the house with their arms around each other, and here the second act ends. ACT THREE 30 Pantalone says that Olivetta is very late coming back home, and that he feels great passion for Flaminia. Next

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

115

31 Pedrolino arrives, and is told by Pantalone that he is in love with Flaminia, and then says that it is a mistake if he doesn’t take the first mouthful; he urges him; Pantalone agrees. Next 32 Graziano [Olivetta] with Olivetta, jewels and other things for the bride. They greet Pantalone, and then they send Pedrolino to call Flaminia. They talk about their relatives, and how the wedding will be tomorrow evening. Next 33 Flaminia [Pedrolino] with Pedrolino, who tells her: “Play along with me.” Flaminia touches Dottore’s hand,9 receives the presents, and then enters inside the house with Pantalone and Olivetta, who tells Pedrolino: “Don’t forget me.” Graziano hears from Pedrolino that the bride would like to sleep with him that same night, that they are making arrangements for him to enjoy her, and that he will beckon him; he sends him inside the house, so that he can send out Arlecchino. Pedrolino: that he wants to trick the old men and make the young ones happy. Next 34 Arlecchino comes out; Pedrolino orders him to dress up like a woman and that, when he beckons him to come over, he will take him to Olivetta, this having been agreed with her. He sends him inside the house, so that he can send out Isabella and talk to her; he remains. Next 35 Pantalone arrives, and begs Pedrolino to get him to enjoy Flaminia that same night. Pedrolino: that he should leave it to him and sends him back inside the house to wait until he beckons him, since he has promised Dottore to be able to enjoy Flamina that same night, although he will be given Olivetta; when he [Pedrolino] will bring out Flaminia by night, he will send her back to her house again, and that before daybreak he will take Olivetta away from Graziano and Flaminia from him [Pantalone], and Dottore is so stupid that he won’t realize in the dark whom he is sleeping with. Pantalone, delighted, goes back inside the house. Pedrolino remains. Next 36 Isabella hears from Pedrolino how he wants her to make Orazio happy; she, after many pleadings, agrees to meet him that night; she says that Pedrolino

116 The collections of scenarios

must come as well and sleep with her husband, while she will go and take pleasure with Orazio. Pedrolino thinks about it and eventually agrees. Isabella goes back inside the house, and Pedrolino goes to look for Orazio. 37 Flaminia at the window, fearing that Pedrolino might play a trick on her, and regretting to have touched Dottore’s hand. Next 38 Capitano sees her, and she tells him all the things that have happened: that they were supposed to be meeting that night and that she doesn’t know what to do. Capitano encourages her. Next 39 Orazio arrives, they caress each other; Flaminia asks him about Pedrolino. Orazio: that he does not know where he might be and that night is now approaching. Flaminia goes back inside, they remain. Next Night 40 Pedrolino sees the lovers, and makes them stand back, saying that they’ll soon be happy; they stand back. Pedrolino beckons somebody over as agreed. 41 Arlecchino dressed as a woman. Pedrolino makes him stand aside and then beckons Pantalone over. 42 Pantalone comes out; Pedrolino gives him Arlecchino instead of Flaminia, and he takes her inside the house. Pedrolino beckons Dottore over. 43 Graziano comes out; Pedrolino makes him stand back, and then beckons Olivetta over. 44 Olivetta comes out; Pedrolino gives her to Dottore instead of Flaminia; he takes her inside the house. Pedrolino beckons Flaminia over.

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

117

45 Flaminia comes out; Pedrolino gives her to the Capitano, and they go inside the house to enjoy each other. 46 Isabella comes out; Pedrolino gives her Orazio; they enter the house to enjoy themselves, and Pedrolino goes inside as well to lie down next to Cornelio. 47 Pantalone with a lantern, in his shirt, and with a dagger, running after Arlecchino. 48 Arlecchino running away, says that Pedrolino has betrayed him, since he promised to put him with Olivetta. Pantalone: that he has heard noises coming from the house; he goes inside. Arlecchino remains. Next 49 Pantalone indoors, shouting: “Neighbors, to arms, to arms!” Next 50 Capitano [Flaminia] in his shirt with Flaminia, saying that they are husband and wife, married by Pedrolino. Next they hear a noise 51 Olivetta [Graziano] running away, Graziano follows her; they realize they have been tricked by Pedrolino. They hear again a noise. Next 52 Orazio [Isabella] in his shirt with Isabella; they blame Pedrolino when Graziano reproaches them. They hear again a noise. Next 53 Pedrolino in his shirt, running away.

118 The collections of scenarios

54 Cornelio following Pedrolino who, upon seeing him with long hair, thinks he is the ghost of Franceschina. Orazio explains everything, having heard it from Isabella. Pantalone scolds his son Orazio, but then he calms down; then Orazio marries Isabella, the Capitano Flaminia, and Pedrolino Cornelio, who is in reality Franceschina, Isabella’s fake husband, and here the comedy ends.

The Tooth-Puller This scenario is an extremely well-constructed story and characterized by that “double register” that Marotti has identified as one of the main structural elements of Scala’s scenarios: on one hand, there is the development of a tale “through the invention of ingenious comings and goings”; on the other, there is the development of a comic theme (1976: lvi). In The Tooth-Puller, the first register proceeds in a linear fashion and is characterized by the love story between Orazio, Pantalone’s son, and Isabella, a widow – a story that finds a parallel in the love story between Flaminia, Orazio’s sister, and Flavio, Isabella’s brother. The second register, the comic theme, unfolds through a series of variations: the tooth-puller prank organized at the expense of Pantalone – a “moment of actor’s skill” (Cotticelli, Heck and Heck 2001: 298), – and the magic potion concocted by Pasquella, an old woman helping Isabella, that drives Orazio and Pedrolino crazy. The comic theme, which opens the scenario and seems at first to proceed independently, with each variation becomes more and more interrelated with the main intrigue, until it ends up being perfectly integrated with it in the third act, where “the sweetmeats of madness are not a means for mockery any longer, but an expedient” that brings to a happy ending the two love stories (Marotti 1976: lvi). As Richard Andrews states, the scenario’s efficiency “must have been recognized, because it remained in the repertoire long after 1611” (2008: 68), and a quasi-identical version can be found in the Neapolitan collection of the Casamarciano family.10 It is also a perfect example of how much of the creation of the scenarios of the comici dell’arte “involved a labor of repetition, or recycling” in which “a relatively small number, certainly a finite number, of well-known and well-tried narrative units is permuted in endlessly different combinations” (Andrews 2014: 41). In this case, for example, the central incident “is the same as that introduced in a minor part of Boccaccio’s ninth novella of Day 8” (Smith 1912: 13); Pasquella’s potions are “reminiscent of the Fountains of Love and Hate in Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso” (Andrews 2008: 68); and the disguise trick, where a character is persuaded to dress up as someone else in order to spend time with a beloved person – here Flavio disguised as the second tooth-puller and Capitano as Pantalone – first appeared in Alessandro Piccolomini’s play Alessandro (1545).

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

119

The tooth-pulling sequence orchestrated by Arlecchino in the first act, as Richard Andrews has noted, would have played out into “a climax of comic violence . . . hard to stomach” for some modern spectators (2008: 69). However, this was probably the highlight of the entire show – it concludes in the first act but provides the title to the scenario – and quite a common scene, if we add visual sources to the aforementioned literary ones. The tooth-puller, in fact, is one of the “clusters of evidence” identified by David Gentilcore at the basis for his analysis of the interaction between literary and visual representations of charlatans in early modern Italy: “in the commedia dell’arte tradition, both the toothdrawer and his patients were depicted as figures of fun: the inf lictor of pain and his victim were both lampooned” (2006: 30). Such episodes, which can be found in the commedia dell’arte scenarios, short pieces of the Sienese tradition, such as Il ciarlone by Angelo Cenni Manescalco – probably the source for Scala’s scenario – and performances of charlatans eventually gave birth to a rich iconographic tradition.11

Day 12 The Tooth-Puller (Il Cavadente) [Comedy]12 Argument In the city of Rome there lived one Pantalone, father of a young man, Orazio, and of a daughter named Flaminia. This young man, having fallen in love with a young widow named Isabella, was loved with reciprocal affection; but Pantalone was in love with the same woman as his son, no less. Pantalone, seeing himself scorned, and thinking that the reason was because he had his son as a rival, resolved to send him away to the university so that he would not be an obstacle in the future. This came to the ears of the widow Isabella, who was not willing to endure such a thing and, having consulted with an old woman who was her adviser, was told that she had a secret potion that would cause anyone who tasted it to lose his wisdom, and that she also had another potion that could reverse the effect; she thought that by driving Orazio out of his mind with the potion, she could easily be able to dissuade the father from sending him away. Isabella, agreeing to the plan, gave Orazio the secret potion. What happened next, the ending of this play will reveal. Characters of the Comedy Pantalone Orazio, his son Flaminia, his daughter Pedrolino, his servant Flavio Isabella, his widow sister Franceschina, servant

120 The collections of scenarios

Arlecchino, servant Dottore,on his own Capitano Spavento, on his own Pasquella, old woman on her own Properties Two boxes with sweetmeats A tooth-puller’s costume Blacksmith’s tools A nice chair The City of Rome ACT ONE 1 Pantalone [Pedrolino] tells Pedrolino of the love he feels for the widow Isabella, and how he fears that his son Orazio might be his rival and how, for this reason, he has resolved to send him to the university. Pedrolino rebukes him, taking Orazio’s part. They quarrel and fight: Pantalone beats Pedrolino and then bites his arm, showing that it was a very tough bite. Pantalone leaves, threatening him, and telling him to talk to Franceschina on his behalf, and exits. Pedrolino: that he will take revenge for the bite he got from Pantalone. Next 2 Franceschina goes to look for Orazio, on her mistress’ orders; she sees Pedrolino and hears why his arm is hurting; in revenge, they agree to pretend that Pantalone’s breath stinks. Franceschina goes inside the house; Pedrolino remains. Next 3 Flavio tells Pedrolino about his love, bumping into his arm. Pedrolino yells, then they agree to pretend that Pantalone’s breath stinks. Flavio exits; Pedrolino remains. Next 4 Dottore says that Pantalone owes him twenty-five scudi; grabbing Pedrolino by his arm, he yells, and then they both agree on the same plan about the stinking

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

121

breath, and Pedrolino promises him that he will have his twenty-five scudi back. Dottore exits; Pedrolino goes to look for Orazio, and exits. 5 Capitano Spavento on his love for Isabella and his exploits. Next 6 Arlecchino Isabella’s servant: the two do a silly scene together, and Arlecchino goes indoors to fetch Isabella. Capitano waits. 7 Flaminia has seen the Capitano, whom she loves, from her window, and begs for his love. Next 8 Isabella out of her house, expecting to find Orazio; Capitano begs for her love. She chases him away, and he does the same with Flaminia, so they play a threeway scene.13 In the end Isabella enters her house, dismissing the Capitano; he does the same with Flaminia, and exits; she remains in distress. Next 9 Pedrolino aside, having overheard it all, threatens to tell her father; then they agree on the matter of the stinking breath with her father; she goes back inside. Pedrolino: that his arm is hurting more than ever, despite the fact that he received treatment, and that he wants to take revenge at all costs. Next 10 Arlecchino arrives. Pedrolino bribes him to pose as a tooth-puller, sends him off to disguise himself, and Arlecchino exits. Pedrolino remains. Next 11 Orazio hears from Pedrolino how Pantalone, his father, is his rival for Isabella’s love, and that he wants to send him off to the university. Orazio, upset at these news, entrusts himself to Pedrolino, who promises to help him, and they agree on the matter of the stinking breath. Orazio: that he would like to talk to Isabella. Pedrolino calls her.

122 The collections of scenarios

12 Isabella hears of his love and of his cruel departure. She is saddened. Next 13 Pantalone speaking loudly. Isabella, on hearing him, goes back inside. Pedrolino scolds Orazio for not wanting to go to Perugia. Pantalone sees his son and orders him to go get ready immediately, because he wants him to go to Perugia. Orazio, afraid, goes inside to get ready, nodding at Pedrolino. Pantalone is told that Pedrolino has talked to Franceschina; then he hears Pedrolino saying: “Pish, my Lord, your breath stinks so badly!” Pantalone laughs at this. Next 14 Franceschina does the same, adding that, if his breath did not stink, Isabella would love him, and goes back inside. Pantalone is amazed. Next 15 Flavio passes by and, as soon as Pedrolino prompts him, does the same with Pantalone, and exits. Pantalone is left amazed by such rudeness. Next 16 Dottore arrives; Pedrolino signals him about the matter of the breath; Dottore does the same, and exits. Pantalone: that he wants to ask his daughter if it is true that his breath stinks; he calls her. 17 Flaminia tells her father that his breath stinks very badly, and goes back inside. They remain. Next 18 Orazio from the house, confirms the same, then goes back inside the house. Pantalone decides to pull out the tooth that is causing the stench; he orders Pedrolino to bring him a tooth-puller and goes inside. Pedrolino remains. 19 Arlecchino dressed as a tooth-puller. Pedrolino orders Arlecchino to pull out all Pantalone’s teeth, telling him that they are all rotten; he exits. Arlecchino,

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

123

underneath the window, screams: “Anyone here with rotten teeth?” Next 20 Pantalone calls him from the window, then comes out. Arlecchino gets his tools out, all blacksmith’s tools, giving them ridiculous names; he makes him sit down and with a pincer he pulls four good teeth out. Pantalone, in pain, grabs the tooth-puller’s beard, which is fake and comes off in his hand. Arlecchino runs away, Pantalone throws the chair after him and then, complaining about the pain in his teeth, goes inside the house, and here the first act ends. ACT TWO 21 Pasquella an old woman, Isabella’s friend, comes to visit her; she knocks. 22 Isabella tells Pasquella about Orazio’s love, and how he has to leave to obey his father. Pasquella comforts her, and promises to help her by means of her magic powers; in about an hour, she must send for Arlecchino to fetch the magic potions; she exits; Isabella remains, happy. Next 23 Pedrolino happy with the prank he played on Pantalone, tells Isabella that Pantalone is obstinate about sending Orazio out of town. Next 24 Pantalone [Orazio] Taking Orazio to the bank for money, so that he can leave right away; he sees Isabella and greets her, then leaves with Orazio following behind, who signals greetings to Isabella and appeals to Pedrolino. They then both exit. Isabella tells Pedrolino that in about an hour he must come back to her. Next 25 Flavio sees him [Pedrolino] talking to his sister, gets suspicious and sends her back inside the house, threatening Pedrolino, who calms him down by telling

124 The collections of scenarios

him that he will arrange his marriage with Flaminia by getting him into her house. Flavio, delighted, is told to dress up as a tooth-puller, and exits. Pedrolino, laughing, goes to look for Orazio, and exits. 26 Arlecchino that he got away with it with Pantalone. Next 27 Isabella from the window, sends him to Pasquella’s house for the magic potions; she goes back inside. Arlecchino remains. Next 28 Pedrolino arrives, and they start laughing about the prank they played on Pantalone. Next 29 Capitano arrives, bullies Arlecchino, who, taking him aside, tells him that his mistress has instructed Pedrolino about what he is supposed to do to get into her house. Capitano turns to Pedrolino. Arlecchino runs away. Pedrolino, knowing nothing about it, tells him, off the cuff, to dress up in the Venetian way like Pantalone, so that he will introduce him into the house. Capitano, happily, goes to dress up and exits. Pedrolino remains. Next 30 Flaminia asks him what will become of her affair. Pedrolino: that her friend will arrive that evening dressed up like a woman; he asks her for one of her dresses. Flaminia, happily, gives him one, and goes back inside. Pedrolino remains. 31 Dottore wants from Pedrolino the twenty-five scudi he promised him on behalf of Pantalone, and Pedrolino, badgered, gives him the dress; Dottore accepts it. Next 32 Pantalone arrives, sees Dottore with the dress and insults him by calling him a thief. Pedrolino does the same, without listening to a single word Dottore is saying, and they go inside. Dottore, desperate, goes to call in the law and exits.

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

125

33 Orazio goes to pay respects to Isabella before his departure; he knocks. 34 Isabella comes outside; they play a love scene; Isabella begs Orazio to eat certain sweets that she will send him, before he leaves. Orazio promises. She goes back inside the house; Orazio exits. 35 Flavio dressed as a tooth-puller, shouts under Pantalone’s window. Next 36 Pantalone comes out and, believing he is Arlecchino the tooth-puller, beats him, and goes back inside. Flavio runs away. 37 Capitano dressed as Pantalone. Next 38 Flavio believes he is Pantalone, beats him up very hard, and they all exit, and here the second act ends. ACT THREE 39 Arlecchino with the boxes of sweetmeats, knocks. 40 Isabella receives the boxes, and sends the one which causes madness to Orazio, keeping the one which cures, and goes inside. Arlecchino remains. Next 41 Pedrolino arrives; Arlecchino gives him the box to give to Orazio, and goes inside the house. Pedrolino steals some of the sweets and puts them in his pouch. Next

126 The collections of scenarios

42 Orazio receives the box; Orazio takes Arlecchino with him, to send some things to Isabella. Pedrolino remains and eats the sweets he has just stolen, and then he goes crazy. Next 43 Capitano wants to kill him. Pedrolino says senseless things and acts like crazy. Capitano is surprised, lets him go, and remains. 44 Flaminia begs for his love one more time; he gets angry and dismisses her; upset, she decides to love Flavio, and goes inside. 45 Dottore says that the law will be on his side. Next 46 Pedrolino arrives; Dottore scolds him; he answers like a crazy man. Dottore exits; Pedrolino remains. 47 Franceschina talks to him, and he does the same, and exits. Franceschina follows him. 48 Arlecchino in despair, knocks at Isabella’s door. 49 Isabella is told that Orazio, after having eaten the sweets, has gone mad. She: that he must do all he can to bring him to her. Arlecchino exits. She remains. Next 50 Flavio asks her why she looks so sad. She tells him everything about her love and about Orazio’s madness, and that she knows how to cure him. Flavio,

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

127

delighted, saying that he is in love with her sister and that he will take care of the matter, sends her home; he goes to look for Pantalone. 51 Pantalone does not know if Orazio has left. Next 52 Pedrolino arrives, and keeps giving Pantalone crazy answers. Next 53 Orazio [dressed only] in his waistcoat, does crazy things, and exits. Pedrolino does the same, and exits. Pantalone despairs. Next 54 Flavio offers comfort to Pantalone, telling him that Orazio’s health is in the hands of his sister. Pantalone sends for her. 55 Isabella tells Pantalone that she can cure his son Orazio, but that she wants two favors in return: the first is that Flaminia may marry her brother Flavio, and the second is that Orazio may marry whomever she wants. Pantalone, delighted, calls. 56 Flaminia she happily accepts Flavio as her husband. Next 57 Orazio does and says crazy things. Flavio takes him abruptly inside the house, the others remain. 58 Flavio comes back, saying that Orazio is cured. 59 Orazio [Isabella] with Isabella, who asks Pantalone for the other favor, and asks that Orazio be her own husband; Pantalone agrees. Next

128 The collections of scenarios

60 Dottore [Pedrolino, Franceschina] running away from a crazed Pedrolino. Flavio takes him inside the house, cures him, and takes him back outside; Pedrolino explains to Pantalone his revenge for being bitten, with the plan of the bad breath and getting his teeth pulled out, and all the other things he has done; he says that he confesses all his mistakes and that he forgives all those who have been wronged by him; they all laugh, and here the play ends.

The Mirror As Richard Andrews points out, this is one of Scala’s “third-act scenarios,” that is to say, “its title comes from a concluding sequence which is restricted to Act Three” (2008: 95). The series of tricks devised in the first two acts by Arlecchino and Pedrolino, the servants of the two households, make for quite an elaborate play, stretching the events out until the end of the third act, with the inevitable marriage between the two young couples. The argument, as customary in Scala’s scenarios, offers the background to the play proper: Pantalone, while in Naples for business, falls in love and impregnates a noblewoman named Olympia. Despite his promise to marry her, he leaves for Rome and falls in love with another woman, Flaminia, from whom he has a son, Flavio. A few years later, Olympia decides to go to Rome and look for Pantalone and, having found him, places her daughter Isabella, disguised as a man called Fabrizio, into the service of her own father. The scenario starts in media res and fast-paced: a double chase with Flavio running after Fabrizio (in reality Isabella) with a dagger and Fabrizio, in turn, running after Arlecchino with a stick. The action then slows down, and we are introduced to Flavio’s love for Flaminia (the stepdaughter of Laura, a widow) and its obstacles – Pantalone has deprived Flavio of the legal control of the family business and wants Flaminia for himself, while Laura wants Flaminia to marry her stepbrother, Orazio, so that the dowry will stay in the family. Flavio and Orazio, good friends, promise to help each other and the rest of the first act hinges on, on one hand, Arlecchino and Flavio’s plan to steal the ring that Pantalone is planning to use to marry Flaminia, and substitute it with a fake one; and, on the other, on Pedrolino’s prank of the ghosts at the expense of Graziano and Pantalone. The second act is centered around an elaborate plan organized by Arlecchino and Pedrolino to first steal Pantalone’s ring and then accuse – in cahoots with an alleged band of thieves, who are instead Capitano in disguise and a group of singers and dancers – Graziano of its theft. The third act then unravels the various knots of the plot thanks to the introduction of the ‘magic’ mirror. As Richard Andrews points out, even if the title of the scenario “may raise false expectations for modern critics,” too fond of “associating mirrors with baroque theater and literature, because of the questions which they can raise with

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

129

regard to illusion and reality” (2008: 96), in Scala’s scenario these expectations are betrayed, and the mirror is no more magical than the fake ghosts conjured by Pedrolino in the first act. The different characters placed in front of the mirror pretend to be seeing the events that previously unfolded – events and tricks that they are the architects of and that they already know. The scenario ends thus with the characters forgiving each other and with the two young couples’ weddings: Orazio with Isabella, and Flavio with Flaminia.

Day 16 The Mirror (Lo Specchio) [Comedy]14 Argument A certain Pantalone from Venice was in Naples for business and, while he was attending alone to his affairs, seeing that his wife was dead, fell in love with a noblewoman named Olympia, and having promised to marry her, one day he had relations with her; she thus fell pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, whom they named Isabella. Meanwhile, since he needed to go back to his town, Pantalone left, and once in Rome, he forgot about his love and the promise he had made to Olympia, and fell in love with a young woman named Flaminia. A few years went by, and since he had forgotten about Naples, Olympia decided to go look for him in Rome; once she arrived in the town where Pantalone was reportedly living, having brought her daughter with her, she dressed her [daughter] as a man and put her in service of her father, and he kept her in the house without recognizing her, although she knew very well that he was her father. What then happened will be known as the story unravels itself. Characters of the Comedy Pantalone, a Venetian Flavio, his son Fabrizio, his servant, later his daughter Isabella Arlecchino, servant Laura, widow Flaminia, her stepdaughter Orazio, her son Pedrolino, a family friend Graziano, Dottore Capitano Spavento Companions Two ghosts Several Policemen The City of Rome

130 The collections of scenarios

Properties Two f lasks of wine A large free-standing mirror A bench Two low chairs Identical rings ACT ONE 1 Flavio with a dagger, running after 2 Fabrizio [Arlecchino] who is running after Arlecchino with a stick, calling him a traitor. Flavio comes in between them. Fabrizio: that he will tell Pantalone how these two planned to give him [Pantalone] a sleeping pill, and he exits angrily. They remain and complain. Flavio complains that his father has removed him from the family business; then he complains about his love for Flaminia. Arlecchino promises to help him. Flavio gets him to knock at Flaminia’s door. 3 Flaminia tells Flavio how her stepmother would like to marry her to her own son Orazio, so that the dowry will stay in the family; they agree to elope and to steal his father Pantalone’s diamond ring. Flaminia goes back inside the house, and they go to the goldsmith to find a ring that looks like his father’s but is a fake; they exit. 4 Orazio tells Pedrolino that he is sad because Laura, his mother, wants him to marry Flaminia, even though she knows that Flavio, his friend, is in love with her, and he does not want to betray him; he begs Pedrolino to find a way to solve the problem. He promises, and goes to look for him [Flavio]; Orazio exits. 5 Pantalone [Graziano] talking about getting married, urges Graziano to marry Laura, and he will take Flaminia. Graziano: that he wants the daughter, not the mother;

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

131

they realize that they are rivals for Flaminia’s love, and they start fighting. Next 6 Capitano Pantalone’s friend, comes in between them; Graziano exits. Pantalone tells the Capitano that he has removed his son Flavio from the family business and that he wants to marry Flaminia. Capitano offers to marry Laura. Pantalone shows the Capitano the diamond ring with which he wants to marry Flaminia. They go and look for Pedrolino, who is something of a magician, so that he can help them, and exit. 7 Flavio [Orazio] saying that he owes him, since he is refusing to marry Flaminia in order not to betray their friendship, and he thanks him, offering to do the same for Orazio in return; hearing someone coming, they exit. Next 8 Laura [Flaminia] begs Flaminia to take her son Orazio as her husband. She agrees, if he is willing. They see the two young men. Next 9 Capitano circles around the two women, then exits. Laura sends Flaminia inside the house while she remains to mock the Capitano; they do a love scene. Laura at the end asks him to look for Pedrolino, who will tell him what he is supposed to do. The Capitano exits. Laura: that she wants to play a trick on the Capitano. Next 10 Pedrolino arrives, she begs him to play a trick on the Capitano. Pedrolino promises, since he still has to do the same with Pantalone, and says that he has recruited some ghosts for this purpose. She goes back inside, and Pedrolino exits. 11 Flavio [Fabrizio] begs Fabrizio not to tell anything to his father. Fabrizio says that he has at stake as much as he does with that marriage; he reveals himself as a woman and says she is the daughter of Pantalone and Olympia Belmonti, who got married with Pantalone in Naples and, having discovered afterwards that

132 The collections of scenarios

she had been betrayed, decided to come to Rome and place her [Isabella] at the service of her father Pantalone. Flavio caresses and embraces her, recognizing her as his sister, and also hears from her where her mother, Olympia, is. Fabrizio realizes that he is in love with Orazio, and that she would like to marry him. Flavio promises to let her have him, urging her to go home or to put some women’s clothes on. She goes inside, and he remains. Next 12 Pantalone [Arlecchino] asks Arlecchino what he was doing around the goldsmith’s. Arlecchino circumambulates and shows the two rings in secret to Flavio. Pantalone sees his son and tells him that he is betrothed to Flaminia. Flavio blames him and exits angrily. Pantalone and Arlecchino knock at Flaminia’s door. 13 Flaminia tells Pantalone freely that she does not want to be his wife. Pantalone: that she has no idea how powerful a magician Pedrolino is. She laughs at him, goes back inside the house. Pantalone does the same, since this is what Pedrolino has suggested him to do. 14 Pedrolino [Graziano] tells Graziano that he must come with a f lask of wine, and that the first person he will see carrying a similar f lask of wine will be Flaminia, who will have taken the shape of a person who is in love with her, and that, by drinking from the bottle little by little, she will regain her own shape; and that all this must be done right away. Graziano exits, Pedrolino remains. Next 15 Pantalone with the f lask, in accordance with the orders he received. Pedrolino performs silent spells and, seeing Graziano coming, he exits. Pantalone remains. Next 16 Graziano with the f lask, sees Pantalone and says that he is Flaminia transformed. Pantalone, seeing Graziano, says the same, and they start to drink, so to transform each other back to Flaminia’s shape; they complain about how long it takes. Next

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

133

17 Ghosts come out, take the f lasks away, beat them all up with sticks, and they all exit running down the street, and here the first act ends. ACT TWO 18 Flavio [Arlecchino] from the house and with the fake diamond rings similar to Pantalone’s, gives one to Arlecchino and keeps the other for himself; they agree that the first who will have the opportunity to give the sleeping pill to Pantalone will also take the real ring off his finger and put the fake one on; then he says he has spoken with his stepmother, who has given him permission to marry his sister whenever he wants, although he said he wants to give her to Orazio, and exits. Arlecchino thinks he is crazy, saying that he knows well that he does not have a sister. Next 19 Orazio [Laura] tells Laura that he does not want to marry Flaminia; Laura curses him angrily, Orazio exits, and she: that she wants to go to her notary and disinherit him; Arlecchino tells him that Orazio does not want Flaminia, because he is in love with Flavio’s sister; she gets even more angry, firmly believing that Pantalone has no daughters. Next 20 Pantalone arrives complaining about the devilish beating; Laura immediately scolds Pantalone for wanting to marry his daughter to Orazio. Pantalone laughs at it, saying that he has no daughters, and then orders Arlecchino to go and fetch some wine to make a soup; he invites Laura to drink some but, angrily, she goes to look for her notary. Pantalone goes back inside to refresh himself, being excited from the running, and goes in. 21 Pedrolino laughing about the prank he played on the two old men. Next 22 Capitano tells Pedrolino that Laura sent him, so that he can tell him about the plan. Pedrolino pretends to know everything, and then asks him if he has any

134 The collections of scenarios

virtue, because he knows that Laura likes virtuous men; he tells him to disguise himself and to bring back a companion who can play, sing, and dance or who has some other talent; and that he should return in about half an hour. Capitano exits. Pedrolino: that if he can, he would like to send him to jail. Next 23 Orazio who would like to calm his mother down, appeals to Pedrolino, who promises to help him and, on seeing Laura, tells him to go back inside. Next 24 Laura was not able to find the notary. Pedrolino tells Laura he has seen her son Orazio crying, [he is] sorry to have made her angry, and that he has decided to take Flaminia as his own wife to make her happy. Orazio shows that he is crying. She blesses him and goes back inside. Orazio is amazed that Pedrolino made him say such things; Pedrolino tells him not to do anything but look for Flavio. Pedrolino remains. Next 25 Fabrizio dressed in women’s clothes, pretends to cry, saying that her mother has banished her from the house. Pedrolino shows compassion. Next 26 Laura [Flaminia] is happy because Orazio is marrying Flaminia. Fabrizio, as a woman, gets down on her knees, explaining her mother’s anger and how she has wrongly banished her from the house; the women let her into their house to help her with the troubles. Pedrolino tells them that some virtuous men are coming; the women go back inside the house. Pedrolino goes to arrange a prank on the Capitano. 27 Flavio trying to understand what Arlecchino has done. Next 28 Arlecchino happy, tells Flavio that he has given Pantalone the sleeping pill, because he asked him for a glass of water on their way back home, and that he changed the diamond ring, and gives Flavio the ring. Next he hears his father coming, and exits. Arlecchino remains.

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

135

29 Pantalone tells Arlecchino that he has slept for too long, then he looks at the ring, and realizes that it is not his own. Arlecchino blames the long sleep. Next 30 Graziano [Policemen] quarrels with Pantalone and, insulting him, exits. Pantalone is angry with Pedrolino for having tricked him. Next 31 Pedrolino arrives; Pantalone mocks him. He: that Graziano has ruined the whole thing, because he did not know how to do the spell. Pantalone calms down. Pedrolino asks him for his ring, which he needs for some business. Pantalone lends him the ring. Next 32 Capitano [Companions] dressed as a poor man, with his companions, playing music, dancing, and singing. Next 33 Graziano [Policemen] arrives; Pedrolino cleverly puts the ring that Pantalone gave him into Dottore’s sleeve, then approaches Pantalone, telling him that these are all con men and that Graziano is their chief, and that he has seen him stealing a ring from Pantalone. The policemen arrest Graziano on Pantalone’s orders, search him, and they find the ring; then they all attack Dottore [Gaziano] and manhandle him. Graziano appeals to Pedrolino and Arlecchino; they set him free and they all exit; and here the second act ends. ACT THREE 34 Capitano angry for what happened to him. Next 35 Pantalone teases the Capitano about the new skill that he has learned, and tells him how Pedrolino tricked him. Pantalone shows him the ring. Capitano: that it is a fake; they go to a goldsmith to make sure.

136 The collections of scenarios

36 Orazio that he has heard that Flavio wants to give him his sister as wife, but that he does not know who she might be. Next 37 Fabrizio in women’s clothes, says that she is Flavio’s sister. Orazio accepts her as his wife, and gives her the ring. She goes back inside the house, and he goes to look for Flavio. 38 Pedrolino laughing at the prank he played on the Dottore. Next 39 Flavio [Arlecchino] arrives and gives Pedrolino the real ring, so that with it he’ll be able to marry Flaminia on his behalf, and exits with Arlecchino. Pedrolino remains. 40 Flaminia comes out and hears from Pedrolino what Flavio wants and, just as he is about to put the ring on her finger, immediately arrives 41 Orazio who gives her the ring, saying that he is the one who wants to marry her. Next 42 Laura thinking that he wants to marry her on his own behalf, is delighted, and sends him off to invite his relatives. Orazio exits, the women go back inside the house. Pedrolino remains. 43 Flavio hears from Pedrolino of Orazio’s betrayal, that he has taken the ring from him and has married Flaminia himself. Flavio, enraged, goes to look for him, and they all exit.

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

137

44 Pantalone, Capitano realize that the ring is a fake and that the real one has been stolen. Capitano: that Laura knows how to find stolen goods. Next 45 Graziano [Laura] arrives and hears about the ring; they make peace and call Laura; they ask for help with her ability to find Pantalone’s ring again. They beg her and eventually she asks for A bench A large mirror Two low chairs; and, after having put the mirror on top of the bench, she calls the daughters out of their house. 46 Flaminia, Fabrizio are made to sit and look in the mirror. Flaminia says that she can see someone who looks like Pedrolino, and she narrates all the tricks that Pedrolino played on the old men with the f lasks. Next 47 Pedrolino aside, looks into the mirror. Flaminia says: “Look at him, look at him!” They all look in the mirror. Pedrolino, laughing, exits. Laura makes Fabrizio look, who says he is able to see Arlecchino, who cooks a soup for Pantalone and pours some liquid from an ampoule; then Pantalone falls asleep and Arlecchino takes his ring off, and puts a different one on; then he gives Flavio the ring. Next 48 Arlecchino in hiding, looks in the mirror. Fabrizio says: “Look at him, look at him!” They all look in the mirror. Arlecchino, laughing, exits. Flaminia looks again, and says she is able to see Pedrolino taking Pantalone’s ring and hiding it in Graziano’s sleeve. Next 49 Pedrolino, Arlecchino arrive and circle around the mirror, then exit. Pantalone asks Fabrizio if she can see anything else in the mirror. Fabrizio says that she can see a young man who looks like Pantalone in a city like Naples, making love to a woman who eventually is left pregnant; then she says she is able to see

138 The collections of scenarios

Pantalone leaving for Rome, the woman giving birth to a daughter and, when she grows up, putting her at the service of her father, Pantalone, disguised as a man; she sees the daughter reveal herself to Flavio as his sister; she sees her dressing up like a woman and how the father makes her look in a mirror, saying: “Father, I am that girl and Olympia is my mother!” Pantalone, weeping with emotion, embraces her and accepts her as his daughter. Next 50 Pedrolino, Arlecchino on their knees; they ask for forgiveness for the trick they have played, and Pantalone forgives them. Next 51 Flavio, Orazio fighting; everyone comes in between them. Orazio: that he married Flaminia on Flavio’s behalf. Thus they agree that Orazio will marry Fabrizio, that is Isabella, and Flavio Flaminia, and here the comedy ends.

The Madness of Isabella In the spring of 1589, the Gelosi company was invited to perform in Florence as part of the celebrations for the marriage of Christine of Lorraine and Francesco de’ Medici. Led by Isabella Andreini and her husband, Francesco, the Gelosi were among the very best commedia dell’arte players of their time, and “their fame heralded throughout the noble and royal households of Western Europe” (MacNeil 1995: 195). Giuseppe Pavoni (1589), an eyewitness of the actual performance, provided a detailed description of the 1589 events and their performances: one of the innamorati characters was called Flavio, and this could be “the only documented occasion on which Flaminio Scala may have shared the stage with Isabella” (Andrews 2008: 234). A quick comparison between Pavoni’s description and Scala’s scenario makes clear that the two versions are very different: besides the title, the only other element in common is the scene of madness, used by Isabella on many occasions to display her virtuoso skills and knowledge of different languages.15 The argument to Day 38 is one of the longest in the entire collection and provides a detailed account of the facts preceding the play proper and, as Andrews has noted, “it reads almost like a novella to be enjoyed in its own right” (2008: 234). The reason for this long argument might be owed to the fact that the background events are an important part of the scenario, and most probably a great moment of storytelling during the performance itself. In the first scene, in fact, Flavio narrates all the events to his servant Pedrolino: Orazio, a nobleman for Genoa and in love with a woman, Flaminia, who lives many miles away, is

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

139

asked by his lover to join her. However, during his trip, Orazio is captured by the Turks and sold to a Captain in Algiers. While a slave, Orazio falls in love with the Captain’s wife, and the two of them organize an escape back to Italy, where the woman will convert and marry Orazio. Reached by the Captain, the Turkish woman kills both her husband and child and f lees to Mallorca with her lover, where she converts to Christianity with the name of Isabella. The scenario itself is relatively simple and revolves around Orazio’s dilemma: is he supposed to marry Flaminia, who was first promised, then entered a convent after his abduction by the Turks, and may still be in love with him? Or is he supposed to marry Isabella, who changed religion and moved to a new country for him? His desire is for Flaminia, but the code of honor of the time should direct him toward Isabella, who sacrificed so much more for him. The solution is ushered in by Flaminia’s change of heart, impressed by what Flavio has endured and his sense of loyalty. Isabella’s scene of madness was, beyond any doubt, one of Isabella’s virtuoso routines and for that reason inserted into a variety of different plots.16 Interestingly enough, the two mad scenes published by Scala include passages in direct speech, while his scenarios – and we can say all scenarios more in general – usually avoid offering any words that the actor is supposed to say. According to Chiara Sbordoni, the reason for Scala’s stepping “outside the format” and choose “to record exactly what an actor should say” in these mad scenes is because he “wished to give his readers a commemorative sample of Isabella Andreini’s virtuoso plays” by “resurrecting on the page a style of performance which some of his readers might actually remember” (2016: 112).

Day 38 THE MADNESS OF ISABELLA (LA PAZZIA D’ISABELLA) [Comedy]17

Argument Orazio, a nobleman from Genoa, falls in love with a noblewoman from his own town who, while staying in a villa many miles away from the town, asked her lover to move to where she was. Her lover, who desired nothing more, after having prepared a good ship and set off in that direction, was captured by some Turkish vessels (that were hidden along the way) and eventually carried off as a slave to Algiers. Once the news became well known throughout Genoa, it caused his unlucky lover to retire to a convent, determined that she would end her days there. It happened that this same Orazio was sold to a great Captain, who had as his wife a Turkish woman from the seraglio, who was young, graceful, and beautiful. As soon as she saw the slave, she immediately fell in love with him; and after having had numerous close and loving conversations, it was agreed that she

140 The collections of scenarios

should turn Christian so that he could take her to his own country, marry her, and also bring her little 2-year-old son. Having settled on this, they equipped a vessel with the help of other Christian slaves so that they could all secretly escape. In the meantime, it happened that the Captain, the husband of this Turkish wife (who was staying at his villa a short distance away), sent word to his wife that she should come to him quickly; taking advantage of this opportunity and without fearing the suspicion of the other Turks, they departed, and by oars and sails, in little time, they were in open sea, directed toward Mallorca. When the Captain heard about the escape by means of an armed vessel, he decided to follow them the best he could with a galley that he had there for his own use; before a very long time had passed, he arrived very close to the Christian shores; when the wife realized this, and seeing her attempt to escape being compromised, she forced a Turk to dress in Orazio’s clothes and, as soon as the husband (who was after her) could see her, she threw the Turk overboard, while Orazio was hiding below deck in the vessel; then, with a loud voice, [she] asked her husband, the Captain, to help her; the armed vessel was thus effortlessly captured; once on board, the Captain heard from his wife how the slave Orazio wanted to kidnap her, and that she was able to throw him overboard with the help of his Turkish slaves. The husband accepted his wife’s fake and simulated explanation, and she immediately placed their baby in his arms; she then asked for a arquebus to one of the men with arms, because she wanted to shoot the treacherous slave, who was swimming for his life; and thus, turning toward her husband (who was not expecting something of this kind), fired a charge that killed both her husband and child; once Orazio heard the shot (according to the plans), came out from his hiding place, took back command of the vessel, confronted the Captain’s galley, and put it to f light; continuing their voyage, they arrived in Mallorca, where the Turkish woman was converted to Christianity with solemnity. After a short period of time, they went to Genoa and lived happily for a while, until the unfortunate Turkish woman (now named Isabella) suffered a series of misfortunes that eventually drove her mad and out of her mind. Once she was cured, she had the chance to enjoy her husband for a long time. Characters of the Comedy Pantalone, a Venetian Orazio, son Isabella, taken as wife Franceschina, servant Burattino, servant Dottor Graziano Flaminia, gentlewoman Ricciolina, servant Flavio, gentleman Pedrolino, servant

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

141

Innkeeper Capitano Spavento Arlecchino, servant Properties A large suitcase A costume for the madwoman Several apothecary jars A fine glass ampoule Bladders filled with blood Scene: Genoa ACT ONE 1 Flavio [Pedrolino] complains to his servant Pedrolino that Flaminia, after coming out of the convent, is not as nice to him as she used to be when she was shut away there; but he is not surprised at this, because there are worse things to consider: and here he narrates the story about Flaminia and the Turkish woman who converted in Mallorca, as it is said in the argument of this comedy; Pedrolino says that he does not believe he really married her, and that he will try to find out from a servant from his own village, who was taken from Mallorca to Genoa; Flavio agrees, and they exit down the street. 2 Orazio, Isabella [Franceschina, Burattino] arrive from a garden where they have been to relax. Isabella asks him why he seems to be so melancholic after he has come back home. Orazio: that it is his own nature. She begs him to marry her, as he promised in Algiers. Orazio: that very soon he will keep his promise; he sends Isabella, Franceschina, and Burattino inside the house; he [Burattino] jokes about the fact that Orazio has had enough of Isabella. Orazio remains, sighing with love. Next 3 Flaminia at the window, greets Orazio and says: “Have you taken your wife out for a walk?” Orazio immediately answers: “I have taken my own death out for a walk, not my wife.” Flaminia replays that if he hasn’t married her yet, he will do so out of obligation and honor. Orazio looks at her, and

142 The collections of scenarios

almost crying exits without saying a word. Flaminia: that she recognizes from Orazio’s words and sighs that he still remembers his love for her and, pleased with this, goes back inside. 4 Capitano Spavento [Arlecchino] coming from the island of Mallorca, where he was in his King’s service, on his way to Milan; he wants to spend a few days in Genoa to find out more about that Turkish woman who converted to Christianity in Mallorca. Arlecchino: if he remembers the man who got her baptized. Capitano: that he was named Orazio Bisognosi; while looking for an inn, they see one, and call the innkeeper. 5 Innkeeper coming out, receives Arlecchino with the luggage. Capitano: that he would like to have some conversation18 until dinnertime comes. Next 6 Ricciolina Flaminia’s servant, comes in from the village. Capitano makes advances to her. Next 7 Pedrolino arrives and out of jealousy quarrels with Capitano. Ricciolina goes back inside the house; Capitano challenges Pedrolino and, while doing so, ends up underneath Isabella’s window. Next 8 Burattino from the window he pours a pot of warm water over his [Capitano’s] head. Capitano, soaking wet, goes inside the inn. Pedrolino goes back inside. Next 9 Pantalone suffering because his son Orazio does not want to marry Isabella and keep the promise he had made to her in Algiers; knocks at the door. 10 Burattino comes out; Pantalone asks him if he knows why Orazio does not want to marry Isabella. Burattino: that he does not know. Next

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

143

11 Pedrolino comes out, telling Pantalone that, if he is able to keep a secret, he will tell him the reason why. Pantalone promises. Pedrolino says that Orazio, before he was enslaved, was in love with Flaminia and that she loved him as well and still does; and that she has left the convent because of his return, and this is the reason why Orazio does not want to marry Isabella, and that he could say many more things, but he is afraid to do so. Next 12 Flavio arrives and immediately Pedrolino comes close to him. Pantalone greets Flavio, and exits with great ceremony. Flavio hears from Pedrolino how Pantalone wants Orazio to marry Isabella so that he won’t live in a state of sin. Flavio is pleased with this. Next 13 Flaminia at the window; Flavio greets her, complaining about the little attention she has paid to him since she came out of the convent. Flaminia uses beautiful words to find excuses. Pedrolino jokes with her, saying that the new love chases the old one away. Flaminia, pretending not to understand him, calls him an insolent, and goes back inside. Flavio complains with Pedrolino, who says he has touched her on her Achilles’ heel. Next 14 Franceschina by the door, hears Pedrolino telling Flavio of how Flaminia is in love with Orazio and that he loves her; and that Orazio does not want to marry the Turkish woman who converted to Christianity because he is in love with Flaminia. Flavio, upset with Pedrolino, exits; Pedrolino, upon seeing Franceschina, greets her; she asks him who was the person he was talking to. Pedrolino tells her that he is his master’s rival, in love with Flaminia, who lives in that house, and shows her the house, and adds that his master, Orazio, is in love with that woman as well. Franceschina goes back inside the house. Pedrolino exits and goes to look for Orazio. 15 Pantalone [Orazio] asks his son Orazio why he is reluctant to marry Isabella, since he promised her. Orazio tells him the reason, saying that he is in love with Flaminia, and that he was in love before he was enslaved, and that he does not know what to do. Pantalone: that Flaminia will easily find another match, and

144 The collections of scenarios

that he is supposed to make Isabella happy, and that he already knew the reason, since a porter had told him. Next 16 Pedrolino arrives; Pantalone says that this is the porter. Orazio asks Pedrolino who told him that he was in love with Flaminia. Pedrolino: that the whole of Genoa knows, and then scolds Orazio because he does not want to marry Isabella and obey his own father. Orazio is enraged. Next 17 Flavio asks what he is doing with his servant. Orazio does not answer. Pedrolino challenges him. Pantalone would like to calm them down. Flavio is enraged. Next 18 Isabella listens from her window. Flavio, upon seeing her, turns to Orazio and tells him that he should marry Isabella since he converted for his sake, and should keep his promise, instead of trying to marry Flaminia and thus wrong her; and that he is not behaving like a gentleman. Orazio draws his sword; Flavio does the same and they start fighting in the street. Pantalone and Pedrolino follow them. Isabella, crying, goes back inside, and here the first act ends. ACT TWO 19 Isabella asks Franceschina to point out Flaminia’s house to her and then sends her to find out what has happened to Orazio; then, left alone, she says that she realizes that Orazio has betrayed her, but that because of her love for him, she would rather die than give him displeasure. Next 20 Flaminia at the window; Isabella, upon seeing her, greets her and tells her that, since they are neighbors, they should also be friends. Flaminia thanks her and, while they are exchanging courtesies, there arrives 21 Burattino all out of breath because of the two young men’s quarrel. Flaminia asks him if Orazio is injured. Burattino: that he does not know. Isabella asks

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

145

Flaminia if she would be upset if Orazio were injured. Flaminia answers: “Perhaps I would be more than you, madam.” Next 22 Capitano sees Isabella, recognizes her as the woman who converted to Christianity in Mallorca, and greets her; she returns his greeting and then, turning to Flaminia, says: “Madam, I cannot stay here any longer; I leave with the hope that this will make you feel better.” She goes back inside with Burattino. Capitano greets Flaminia, who asks him where he has met that woman before. Capitano: that he met her in Mallorca, where she converted to Christianity. Next 23 Arlecchino with a hand brush, cleans up his master. Capitano acts gallantly with Flaminia. Next 24 Ricciolina comes out, sees Capitano, and recognizes him as the man who f lirted with her before; she turns to Flaminia and tells her to forget her lover. Arlecchino greets her. Next 25 Orazio upon seeing Capitano talking to Flaminia, gets angry. Flaminia tells Orazio not to get upset with her, because Capitano is a friend of his wife. Orazio, upon hearing those words, draws his sword. Capitano runs away, Orazio follows him, and so does Arlecchino; the women go back inside the house. 26 Isabella, Burattino still wondering about the recent quarrel. Next 27 Pantalone [Flavio] [Pedrolino] arrives urging Flavio to make it up with Orazio; he [Flavio] says that he will never make it up to him until he decides to marry Isabella, as it is his duty; he wants everybody to know what kind of traitor he is. Isabella, who has a knife, comes close to him, saying that he is lying, and stabs him two or three times. Flavio, bleeding, falls to the ground. Next

146 The collections of scenarios

28 Orazio arrives. Isabella, embraces him and says that she has taken vengeance for him, and takes him inside the house. Pantalone and Burattino, terrified, go inside the house. Pedrolino cries over his wounded master, and calls for Flaminia. 29 Flaminia [Ricciolina] hears what has happened to Flavio and expresses her grief. Flavio, bleeding and not being able to stand, tells Flaminia how he is about to lose his life and honor because of her cruelty, dying by a woman’s hand. Flaminia, moved by these words, tries to console him, and she feels sorry for what she has done to him. Next 30 Graziano physician and surgeon; Flaminia pleads with him to attend to the wounded man. Graziano, together with Ricciolina and Flaminia, takes him into Flaminia’s house to cure him. 31 Isabella [Orazio] begs Orazio to tell her if he is in love with Flaminia and whether he promised to marry her before he was enslaved; if this is true, she will try to content him. Orazio denies it, saying that he is in love only with her and caressing her more than usual; he is so successful by his pretense that she goes back inside the house quite reassured; then, left alone, he says that love, duty, and fidelity constantly battle in his heart; then, upon seeing some people coming, he exits. 32 Graziano tells Flaminia that the wounded man must be kept cheerful, and that this way he might be able to cure him, and then goes to fetch some medicines. Flaminia marvels at herself for having been able to wrong Flavio in such a way, and that she wants to avenge him, if not against Isabella, at least against Orazio. Next 33 Orazio arrives and greets her; she asks him with nice words when he intends to marry his warrior maiden, who was so skillful in hurting Flavio. Orazio is struck dumb. Next

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

147

34 Isabella at the window, hears it all, then comes to the door and overhears Orazio telling Flaminia that he will never marry Isabella, because he wants to marry her, as he had promised before he was enslaved; and that whenever she will desire to have him, he will get rid of Isabella with some stratagem, even with poison if necessary. Flaminia: that she is happy to accept him again, and she reaffirms her fidelity to him and thus embraces him and takes him inside the house. Isabella is struck dumb and then bursts out with words against Orazio, Love, Fortune, and herself, and at the end she turns mad and furious. Next 35 Ricciolina shouting: “Oh poor young man, what kind of a murder is this!” and tells Isabella that Orazio has been killed. Isabella, having a lucid interval in her madness, makes her repeat the story of Orazio’s death over and over again; eventually, saying that her soul wants to take that traitor’s soul, goes completely mad and tears all her clothes, and thus runs in the street. Ricciolina, completely terrified, f lees inside the house, and the second act ends. ACT THREE 36 Orazio [Flaminia] complaining about Flaminia who, by pretending affection, has taken him inside the house and then attacked him with arms with the intention to kill him. She: that she is sorry she wasn’t able to take his life, because he is the worst of traitors; she also realizes that she was blind to believe the words of a man who had betrayed and intended to betray a woman who had sacrificed her freedom, honor, possessions, and herself. Next 37 Ricciolina shouting that Flavio is taking the bandages off his wounds. Flaminia immediately rushes inside with Ricciolina. Orazio: that he had run a great risk and that, if Flavio had been able to help Flaminia, he would have ended up dead; and he also realizes what a mistake he has committed in thinking of abandoning Isabella. Next 38 Pantalone arrives, asks about Isabella, saying the she is not in the house. Next

148 The collections of scenarios

39 Graziano with lots of pots of medicament to cure Flavio, tells Pantalone that he had a hard time saving himself from a mad woman, who he then says is the Turk whom his son Orazio brought from Algiers. Pantalone is stupefied. Orazio is amazed. Graziano goes into Flaminia’s house. Orazio goes off to find Isabella. Pantalone, full of sorrow, calls to his own house. 40 Burattino Pantalone asks him [Burattino] for how long Isabella has been out of the house. Burattino: that he does not know. Next 41 Graziano [Ricciolina] tells the maid that they must administer the medicaments the way he has suggested. Ricciolina: that she will not fail, and goes back inside. Pantalone asks the doctor what can be done with Isabella. Graziano: that she must be caught while her sickness is still fresh, and he will be able to cure her with some of his marvelous secrets. Pantalone calls. 42 Franceschina comes out; Pantalone tells her to go with Burattino to find Isabella and that, with the help of other people, they must catch her, tie her up, and bring her back home; then he goes with Graziano out in the street: Franceschina and Burattino remain. Next 43 Isabella dressed as a mad woman, goes in between Burattino and Franceschina saying that she has to tell them very important things. They stay to listen, and then she starts off saying: “I remember, but the year I don’t remember, that a cymbal accommodated a Spanish Pavaniglia19 with a Gagliarda 20 composed by Santin da Parma.21 and that, for this reason, the lasagne, the macaroni, and the polenta all dressed in black, not being able to stand the fact that the dairy cake22 should befriend the pretty girls in Algiers; in addition, since it pleased the Caliph of Egypt, it was decided that the two of you will be publicly shorn tomorrow morning,” and so on, with similar crazy things. They want to catch her, but she escapes down the street, and they follow her.

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

149

44 Pedrolino on his way to inform Flavio’s family, so that they can come and get him from Flaminia’s house; he claims that Graziano is a great doctor and full of secrets. Next 45 Pantalone in despair for not being able to find Isabella. Pedrolino says to himself that he would like to play a trick on Pantalone and tells him that Flavio has died as a result of the injuries inf licted by Isabella, and that both she and Orazio will be condemned to death according to the law. Pantalone despairs. Pedrolino, crying, exits. Pantalone remains. Next 46 Orazio in despair at not finding Isabella. Pantalone tells him that she has gone mad because she saw him going inside of Flaminia’s house while embracing her; but there is worse to tell, and he tells him that Flavio has died, and that Isabella and he are being sought by the law. Orazio despairs. Next 47 Franceschina shouting: “run here immediately if you all want to see the madwoman,” and she takes all of them down the street. 48 Capitano [Arlecchino] that he wants to kill Orazio before he leaves for Milan. Next 49 Isabella as a mad woman, tells Capitano that she knows him, greets him, and tells him to have seen him among the forty-eight celestial images, dancing the Canary23 with the Moon dressed in green, and other crazy things; then she beats Capitano and Arlecchino with her stick, they run away, and she follows them. 50 Pantalone in despair, fearing that Orazio may kill himself out of despair. Next

150 The collections of scenarios

51 Graziano with a pot containing a potion composed of hellebore, with which he says he can cure Isabella in a heartbeat, and that he has tried it out many times in the asylum for mad people in Milan. Next 52 Isabella arrives quietly, and comes in between Pantalone and Graziano, saying that they must calm down, and not make a noise, because Jupiter wants to sneeze and Saturn wants to fart; then, saying more crazy things, asks them if they have seen Orazio fighting alone against the whole of Tuscany. Next 53 Orazio arrives and says: “I am here, my dearest soul”; and she replies: “The soul, according to Aristotle, is a spirit that pervades the barrels of muscatel wine from Monte Fiascone, and that for this reason the rainbow was seen giving an enema to the Island of England because it could not pee,” adding more nonsensical things. Next 54 Pedrolino, Burattino, Franceschina, Capitano [Isabella] all shouting: “catch the madwoman, catch the madwoman,” and thus they are all on top of her, they catch her, and they tie her up. Graziano immediately grab his potion, with which he anoints all of her senses, and then makes her drink a liquor that he keeps in a little ampoule; having done this, little by little she comes back to her senses. Once sober, she sees Orazio, and reminds him, in a few words, of all the things she has done for him, and complaining that he has betrayed her and abandoned her for another woman. Orazio confesses his mistake and betrayal, and asks her for forgiveness, saying that he is willing to marry her on the spot. Isabella, full of joy, agrees to forget the past, and accepts him as hers. Pantalone rejoices. Next 55 Flavio [Flaminia] [Ricciolina] with his arm in a sling; he sees Isabella, who humbly begs for forgiveness, and tells him how Orazio has asked to marry her. Flavio is pleased and forgives her; and thus Orazio marries Isabella, Flavio Flaminia, Pedrolino Franceschina, and Burattino Ricciolina, and the comedy of the Madness of Isabella ends.

Il teatro delle favole rappresentative

151

Notes 1 Ferruccio Marotti (1976: xvii–xxxii) offers an excellent review of the scholarship regarding Scala’s life, for too long based on the “false records” generated by eighteenth-century scholars such Francesco Bartoli (1781) and Luigi Riccoboni (1730–31) and later on advanced, in even more unsubstantiated versions, by nineteenth-century scholars such as Adolfo Bartoli (1880), Charles Magnin (1847), and Maurice Sand (1862). For more recent takes on Scala’s biography, see Ferrone (1993: 137–190); Burattelli, Landolfi and Zinanni (1993: Vol. 1, 437–149); Henke (2002: 181–185); Andrews (2008: ix–x); and Schmitt (2014: 8–10). 2 His date of birth is known thanks to a will that Scala wrote in 1616 and that can be found in the Archivio di Stato di Venezia (Notarile testamenti, Becian Fabrizio, b. 56, n. 236). 3 Flaminio Scala, Il teatro delle favole rappresentative (Venezia, 1611), Giornata VI, cc. 20r-23r. 4 Blank space in the original text. 5 Small town in the Umbria region. 6 See Chapter 1, note 13. 7 The play has been edited by Falavolti (1982: 215–365) and recently translated into English by Kerr (2020). 8 Flaminio Scala, Il teatro delle favole rappresentative (Venezia, 1611), Giornata IX, cc. 28r-30v. 9 See Chapter 1, note 13. 10 The Casamarciano scenario can be found in Cotticelli, Heck and Heck (2001: Volume 2, 285–287). For a detailed comparison between Scala and Casamarciano’s The ToothPuller, see Fitzpatrick (1995: 185–215). 11 See Gentilcore (2006: 30–40) for an analysis and reproduction of these visual sources. 12 Flaminio Scala, Il teatro delle favole rappresentative (Venezia, 1611), Giornata XII, cc. 36r-38r. 13 In the original text, scena interzata. As Richard Andrews observes, this “three-way scene” has been much speculated on by critics; it probably “involved some kind of repetition,” with Flaminia and Capitano echoing what took place earlier between Capitano and Isabella. In addition, “the fact that the procedure is given a name from professional jargon indicates that it was a recognized practice” (2008: 69). 14 Flaminio Scala, Il teatro delle favole rappresentative (Venezia, 1611), Giornata XVI, cc. 47r-49v. 15 Regarding Isabella’s performance of scenes of madness and their potential meanings, see Marotti (1976: xxxv–vii); Molinari (1985: 119–122); Clubb (1989: 265); MacNeil (1995); Andrews (2008: 234–235); MacNeil (2015: 251–253). Regarding Isabella’s knowledge and use of different languages, see Jaffe-Berg (1998); MacNeil (2003: 61–63); Heck (2015: 259–260); Jaffe-Berg (2015: 66–87). 16 For example, the scenario performed at the 1589 celebrations and the tragedy entitled The Mad Princess [La principessa forsennata], Day Forty-one of the Scala collection. 17 Flaminio Scala, Il teatro delle favole rappresentative (Venezia, 1611), Giornata XXXVIII, cc. 114r-118r. 18 In the original text, banchio. Salerno translates, more properly, with “the square” (1967: 284), while Andrews confuses it probably with banco, and translates with “money changers” (2008: 227) As Testaverde points out, banchio is a “meeting place for conversation” (2007: 114). 19 Pavaniglia: an Italian-Spanish dance, common between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. 20 Gagliarda: also a dance, popular primarily in Italy and France. 21 Santin da Parma: Santino Garsi (1542–1604), lutist and composer at the service of the Farnese family (see Testaverde 2007: 121).

152 The collections of scenarios

22 Gatta fura in the original text. Both Salerno and Andrew literally translate with “stole cat” and “sly puss,” respectively. Testaverde points out that the “gatta fura” is a dairy cake (2007: 121). 23 Canario in the original text: probably a dance that originated in the Canary Islands (Testaverde 2007: 122).

3 RACCOLTA DI SCENARI PIÙ SCELTI D’HISTRIONI DIVISI IN DUE VOLUMI. CODICES 651 AND 652, MANUSCRIPTS 45.G5 AND 45.G6 (ROME, BIBLIOTECA DELL’ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE DEI LINCEI E CORSINIANA) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick This collection contains one hundred handwritten scenarios divided into two volumes and bound in red leather with gilt edges. The coat of arms of Cardinal Maurizio di Savoia is emblazoned on the front and back covers of both volumes, which allows us, at least, to historically place the addition of the covers to between 1621 and 1642, when Maurizio di Savoia was cardinal (Testaverde 2007: 427). However, the Corsiniana scenarios clearly predate their binding. The manuscripts have been provided with a number of different watermarks that seem to confirm, as Elsebeth Aasted (1991) has argued, that “the scenarios themselves are older than their bindings” (95) and that, “through internal as well as external evidence,” they can be dated to “the second half of the 1500’s” (108). Both volumes “are badly marked by wear and tear, have holes in several places and are all quite tattered with frayed, worn edges” (94). As was the case of the previous ones, this collection presents a broad spectrum of dramatic genres: seventy-five comedies, ten tragicomedies, eleven pastorals, one tragedy, one royal work, and two Turkish plays. Demis Quadri, following Kathleen Lea’s discovery that the scenarios had been written by two different hands (1934: I, 138), proposes a distinction between authors and redactors, arguing that the texts of this collection are the work of two redactors – perhaps three – who copied the scenarios from older texts, “with a fidelity that sometimes seems to know oscillations” (2012: 11). For example, the manifestation of geographically foreign elements, within a text attributable to Rome and its environs, seems to suggest a passage of the texts through multiple hands, beyond those already mentioned in terms of handwriting, and despite other possible explanations DOI: 10.4324/9781003100676-6

154 The collections of scenarios

such as the inf luence of the itinerant nature of the commedia dell’arte companies, or the cosmopolitan and protean character of Rome. (12) The origin and context of this collection have been much debated, especially because many of its scenarios present numerous similarities to the ones contained in the Locatelli collection. Albino Zenatti (1885) was the first to point out the similarities between fortyfour scenarios of the two collections, and a few years later Antonio Valeri (1894) argued that the Corsiniana scenarios were a debased copy of Locatelli’s. Kathleen Lea (1934) was the first to dispute this argument, and today scholars mostly agree that the Corsiniana scenarios are older and most probably authored by professional actors. Eventually, these scenarios piqued the interests of the amateur circles of the Roman academies, prompting the creation of new redactions (Quadri 2012: 13). It is important to remember, as Ferdinando Taviani and Mirella Schino (1982: 311–332) have pointed out, that the activities of the professional and amateur actors were not completely separated, as once believed, and that their compositional and executive methods were characterized by a complex and mutual relationship. In addition, the Corsiniana manuscripts do not contain a dedication or a foreword, as Scala and Locatelli’s texts do: “this seems to indicate that the Corsiniana scenarios have not, at any time, been addressed to a reading audience and were not meant for publication” (Aasted 1991: 95). Among all the collections, the Corsiniana scenarios are unique in that they are illustrated. Each of its hundred scenarios is in fact preceded by a title page with an illustration done “in pencil and afterwards outlined in India ink and painted in watercolour” (Aasted 1991: 97). Can these illustrations be considered direct documents of past performances? According to recent studies, these illustrations were either meant to impress prospective patrons (Aasted 1992) or to be independent research objects in their own right. According to Stefano Mengarelli, in fact, Rather than having any direct documentary value, they convey an idea. They are the end-product of a successfully achieved abstraction, based on converting textual into visual information, typically through the use of more than one plot episode. They convey narration at the level of plot coherence, and direct the spectator’s attention towards specific content related and scenographic elements of the scenario. Through specific selection of depicted incidents, each picture captures a characteristic aspect that differentiates that particular scenario from all the other scenari. (2008: 217) This chapter offers the transcription and translation of three scenarios from three completely different genres: Elisa Alii Bassà, a Turkish opera; The Nobility of Bertolino, a tragicomedy; and The Enchanted Fount, a pastoral. In addition, the

Raccolta di scenari più scelti d’histrioni

155

introduction had already introduced an opera reale from this collection, entitled The Madness of Orlando.

Primary text Raccolta di scenarj più scelti d’histrioni divisi in due volumi. Codices 651 and 652, Manuscripts 45.G5 and 45.G6 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana.

Recent editions and translations Hulfeld, Stefan (ed.) (2014) Scenari più scelti d’istrioni. Italienisch-Deutsche Edition der einhundert Commedia all’improvviso-Szenarien aus der Sammlung Corsiniana (2 vols.) Göttingen: V&R unipress. Testaverde, Anna Maria. (2007) I Canovacci della Commedia dell’Arte, 425– 526. Torino: Einaudi (partial).

Elisa Alii Bassà Pantalone, a doctor banned from Venice, lives in Modone1 where, “because of his skills, he is considered one of the uppermost citizens” (1.1). He is also a friend of Silvio, a young man who lives in self-imposed reclusiveness in a cave and only feeds on roots, since the day his beloved Flavia was kidnapped and beheaded by the corsairs. Next to the cave is Flavia’s tomb, and Silvio has promised that “he will live there until he dies” (1.11). However, the Turks, led by Alii Bassà, come to the island, and Silvio is persuaded by his servant Graziano and by Pantalone and Staniza to take up arms and fight. Silvio and Alii, the first a Christian and the other a Muslim, meet and fight, and when Alii falls to the ground injured, “Silvio ties him up to a tree and goes to chase the other Turks” (1.16). In the meantime, Staniza is captured by the Turks and is tied to a tree next to Alii: both find themselves in the same predicament and lament their injuries while comically mirroring each other. This “performative act” becomes, as is typical of the far-fetched nature of the commedia dell’arte, the “gateway for characters to arrive at recognition. In this case they discover that they are actually father and son,” Alii being Staniza’s long-lost boy ( Jaffe-Berg 2015: 61). Pantalone is able to cure and save both men, and the scenario ends with another – albeit less comical – recognition: Silvio meets Elisa, a woman captured by the Turks and brought by Alii to the island, and recognizes her to be his long-lost beloved, Flavia. Eventually, Staniza “embraces his son Orazio and discovers Elisa to be his daughter; they recognize each other, and they are happy that Flavia belongs to Silvio, Angelica to Alii, who used to be named Orazio when he was taken away from his father Staniza by the Turks” (3.27). This scenario, the second and last Opera Turchesca of the Corsiniana collection,2 can also be found in the Locatelli’s collection with the same title (volume 1,

156 The collections of scenarios

scenario 38). The title itself, Elisa Alii Bassà, as well as some of the “scenographic and sound elements” – trumpets, castanets, carpets, seat cushions, etc. – obviously aim at referring to and reproducing “an exotic atmosphere” (Hulfeld 2014: 2, 842).3 Although both the themes and setting of the Corsiniana scenarios are derivative of the sixteenth century commedia erudita, with the typical piazza and houses all around, we must not forget that the Corsiniana collection “opens with a reworking of Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso and that bucolic or exotic backgrounds are far from rare” (Quadri 2012: 107).

Elisa Alii Bassà (Elisa Alii Bassà) [Turkish Opera]4 ACT ONE 1 Pantalone a doctor banished from Venice, who has come to live in Modone; because of his skills, he is considered one of the uppermost citizens and friend to Graziano and Silvio. Next 2 Graziano talks about the life of Silvio, who lives in the cave near the tomb and eats only roots, despite the fact that he brings him very good food; they hear a noise, and exit. 3 Turks about the love between Alii and Elisa. Next 4 Trumpets and castanets with many Turks, who lay down their rugs with two big pillows. Next 5 Alii, Court, Elisa, Turks they sit and order all the others to leave; he narrates Elisa’s abduction in Corone, where he pretended to cut her head off with the traditional method, while he was chased by the husband; he declares his love but she rejects him because of the law; he promises to abjure his faith in order to be able to help her when needed; she asks him if Zanni can be her servant; he calls for Zanni.

Raccolta di scenari più scelti d’histrioni

157

6 Zanni is given to her, after having done a few different lazzi. Next 7 Noise from inside. 8 Turk that he has abducted a Christian woman; Alii asks to bring her in. 9 Angelica, Franceschina Elisa consoles her, saying that she is also still a Christian. Next 10 Turk, Francatrippe that he has caught Francatrippe while he was trying to escape; Alii orders them to beat him in the Turkish way; they beat him on his naked belly and they all exit, bringing the first act to an end. ACT TWO 11 Silvio narrates of Flavia’s loss, who was caught by the corsairs, and that he saw them cutting her head off; he talks about her burial and about the fact that he will live by her tomb until he dies. Next 12 Graziano, Pantalone, [Staniza] with food, try to persuade him to abandon that lifestyle and go look for his daughter and people; they realize he is a Christian, and having heard that the Turks have come to the island, they all go to arm themselves. 13 Trumpets castanets. Next 14 Alii, Elisa, Angelica, Franceschina, Zanni, Turks orders them to keep Elisa happy. Next, upon hearing sounds of trumpets and drums, Alii and the Turks exit; Zanni takes Angelica and Franceschina

158 The collections of scenarios

into the woods; Elisa, upon seeing the tomb and wondering about the name, talks about it; Zanni hides her inside the tomb. Next 15 Francatrippe dressed as a Turk, has been given arms because he was pretending to be a Turk; he frightens Zanni; they hear a noise and run away trying to save themselves. 16 Alii, Silvio they fight; Alii, injured, falls to the ground; Silvio ties him up to a tree and goes to chase the other Turks; he complains. Next 17 Elisa upon hearing the complaint, comes out of the tomb, sees Alii, and feels compassion for him; he confesses that his father was a Christian. A noise is heard; she goes back to hide in the tomb. Next 18 Turks, Staniza running after Staniza; once caught, they tie him to a tree, and exit; he complains. Alii complains as well, and they realize they are father and son. Next 19 Zanni, Francatrippe who do not know where to escape, see Alii and want to hurt him; he tells them that he is the son of a Christian man. Next 20 Silvio, Pantalone catch the porters, mistaking them for Turks; they tell them to be Christians. Silvio recognizes the porters; they hear about Alii and Staniza; he orders them to be taken to his house to be cured, bringing the second act to an end. ACT THREE 21 Zanni that the Turks have all left. Next

Raccolta di scenari più scelti d’histrioni

159

22 Silvio Zanni, after having frightened him, says he is a Necromancer, and that he wants to show him his Flavia; he does some lazzi, then goes to the tomb and calls 23 Flavia who sees Silvio and embraces him; they all go into the street. 24 Angelica, Graziano, Franceschina having found refuge in Pantalone’s stables, they hear a noise, and hide. Next 25 Alii narrates how Pantalone has cured him. Next 26 Silvio, Flavia, Pantalone that Pantalone the doctor has cured the injured people; they see Alii, who hears that Silvio is married to Flavia and that he is the son of a Christian; next they celebrate. 27 Staniza embraces his son and discovers Elisa to be his daughter; they recognize each other, and they are happy that Flavia belongs to Silvio, Angelica to Alii, who used to be named Orazio when he was taken away from his father, Staniza, by the Turks. Next 28 Zanni, Francatrippe dressed like Turks, having undressed the dead ones, frighten everybody; eventually, they reveal themselves and recognize their masters; they all celebrate and bring to an end the Turkish opera. Properties Woods. A tomb with name and cave. Many costumes for Turks. Arms and castanets. Rugs, pillows, swords, wheels, arms, sword and knives for stabbing. Things to eat, ropes, trumpets, drums, Turkish and Christian sticks. Costumes for the burial.

160 The collections of scenarios

Characters Pantalone, doctor Silvio, called Ergasto Angelica, sister Franceschina, servant Flavia, called Elisa Alii, brother, then Orazio Staniza, father Zanni, servant Francatrippe, servant Graziano, Silvio’s servant

The Nobility of Bertolino At the request of the “Signore” (i.e., the Lord of an otherwise unidentified estate), Pantalone, his secretary, is asked to “urge his son to get married, so that the state won’t remain without an heir to the throne” (1.3). The Prince agrees and chooses Pimpinella as his wife, the daughter of Bertolino, a peasant, and “sends her to the palace to get dressed as a noblewoman, together with her father Bertolino” (2.9). As soon as he arrives to the palace, Bertolino asks Pantalone for a princely meal, and then what follows is a series of lazzi that sees Bertolino acting as a parvenu at court. In the meantime, the Prince grows tired of Pimpinella and banishes her “from the palace and his presence” (3.13). The Prince, Pantalone, Bertolino, and Pimpinella eventually get into a brawl at court, and the Lord, enraged, asks what the “reason for the noise” is (3.16). Bertolino gives the Lord a letter and, as a consequence, he decides to celebrate once again the wedding between the Prince and Pimpinella, bringing the tragicomedy to an end. Based on “Griselda,” the last novella of Boccaccio’s Decameron, this scenario must have enjoyed quite a success with commedia dell’arte troupes: in fact, a very similar story can also be found in La nobiltà, the scenario number 35 of the second volume of this collection,5 and in Basilio Locatelli’s collection with the title of Le grandezze di Zanni (scenario number 10 of the first volume).6 However, as Demis Quadri has pointed out and as the tile itself suggests, the main character of this tragicomedy is not “the virtue of the humble and obedient shepherdess” but rather the “inappropriate behavior” at court of her father Bertolino, who becomes the protagonist of a series of bizarre actions (2012: 154). In addition, this scenario is unusual in regard to the number of characters (only five, compared to the twelve of Le grandezze di Zanni, the similar scenario in the Locatelli collection) and for its extremely concise dramaturgy: it would be very difficult to understand the end of this tragicomedy without knowing the content of the letter that Bertolino gives to the Lord. In the Locatelli’s version, in fact, the letter is read in its entirety, and we thus learn that the young and beautiful peasant

Raccolta di scenari più scelti d’histrioni

161

is actually the long-lost daughter of the Duke of Assisi and raised in secret by a family of peasants – an anagnorisis that guarantees the reestablishment of the social order.

The Nobility of Bertolino (La nobiltà di Bertolino) [Tragicomedy]7 ACT ONE 1 Bertolino, Pimpinella want to go to town to get some clothes to wash; they make fun of the zeal for honor; after many lazzi, Pimpinella exits; Bertolino remains. Next 2 Prince sees Bertolino and, after having done some lazzi concerning the jealousy of Bertolino’s honor, the Prince wants to give him money; he [Bertolino] rejects it, saying that he will complain with the Lord; the Prince exits; Bertolino, happy, remains. Next 3 Pantalone, Lord rebukes the Lord for the misgovernment of the city and for his son, who does not want to get married; the Lord begs Pantalone to urge his son to get married, so that the state won’t remain without a heir to the throne, and goes back inside the palace; Pantalone remains and talks about the misdeeds he is subjected to by the Prince. Next 4 Prince hears from Pantalone that his father wants him to get married; after doing some lazzi, the Prince agrees; Pantalone leaves happily and goes to give his Lord the news; the Prince remains. Next 5 Bertolino, Pimpinella talking to each other; the Prince, with a fake beard, does some lazzi with them; eventually, the Prince marries Pimpinella and goes to the palace; Bertolino and Pimpinella go back inside the house. With some lazzi, the first act ends.

162 The collections of scenarios

ACT TWO 6 Pantalone wants to find the Prince and wants to know who his wife is. Next 7 Prince hears everything and tells Pantalone to knock at Bertolino’s door. 8 Bertolino does lazzi with Pantalone, who asks for forgiveness; the Prince asks him to call Pimpinella. 9 Pimpinella comes out; the Prince sends her to the palace to get dressed as a noblewoman, together with her father, Bertolino, because this is what the Prince has in mind. Next 10 Lord asks the Prince which one is his wife; the Prince says that now he’ll be able to see her and calls her. 11 Pantalone, Pimpinella, Bertolino after some lazzi, the Lord accepts Bertolino’s daughter as his daughter-inlaw and lets her enter the palace; Bertolino is with Pantalone in the street; Bertolino asks for something to eat and makes some lazzi together with Pantalone. Pantalone gives him some food and brings a chair. With many lazzi, the second act ends. ACT THREE 12 Prince enraged and tired of Pimpinella’s love, calls her. 13 Pimpinella comes out; the Prince is enraged and banished her from the palace and his presence; she leaves crying and in despair. Next

Raccolta di scenari più scelti d’histrioni

163

14 Pantalone shouts that Bertolino is acting cunningly both in the city and at the palace; the Prince hears everything and orders him to remove his nobleman’s clothes and send him away; he exits; Pantalone: that he will do as ordered. Next 15 Bertolino scolds Pantalone who, enraged, insults him and tears apart his gorget and clothes; Bertolino despairs and, full of anger, enters the palace to get undressed as the Prince asked; next the Prince comes out. Next 16 Lord asks the Prince what the reason for the noise is; the Prince gives him the letter; the Lord, after reading the letter, understands the whole thing. Next 17 Bertolino, Pimpinella with their clothes torn, and complaining, ask the Lord for justice for having been wronged by the Prince; pitying them, the Lord celebrates once again the wedding between Pimpinella and the Prince; with many lazzi, makes Bertolino and Pimpinella happy; end of the Tragicomedy. Properties A piece of cheese, a chair, extravagant clothes for Bertolino, nice clothes for the Lord, a long beard, a Spanish beard. Characters Lord Prince, his son Pantalone, his secretary Bertolino, porter Pimpinella, his daughter

The Enchanted Fount Silvio and Flavia are in love and, in a rare instance for a typical commedia dell’arte scenario, their respective fathers, Pantalone and Graziano, agree to the wedding. The two old men, for unbeknownst reasons, decide not to immediately disclose their decision to the two young lovers, who, as a consequence, devise a plan to

164 The collections of scenarios

elope. However, Capitano finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Flavia, mistaking him for Silvio, sets off with him. Flavio, heartbroken, becomes insane and leaves his father Pantalone hopeless, until a Magician reveals that the water from a magic well might be able to heal his son. The well is guarded by a lion, and the boasting Capitano agrees to carry out the mission together with Flavia, now disguised as a man, and retrieve the healing water. However, as soon as he is faced with the lion, Capitano runs away in fear, while Flavia is able to tame the lion and thus procure the healing water. The second interrelated plot tells the story of Pantalone’s attempt to marry Ortensia, who by the end of the play turns out to be his own daughter. Zanni, disguised as Count Polidoro, consummates the marriage with the young Ortensia, after having been blessed with a different kind of magic water: the content of a urinal emptied on his head by Francatrippe. The scenario ends with two weddings: Flavio marries his beloved Flavia, and Ortensia marries Zanni. The scenario is referred to in the subtitle as a “pastoral” and at the end is referred to as a “tragicomedy,” while a similar text in the Locatelli collection – Il Fonte incantato, scenario 44 of the first volume – is categorized as a “comedy.” This confusion regarding genres and their boundaries, according to Demis Quadri, is owed to the fact that the core of the scenario is constituted by traditional commedia elements: the typical characters – Pantalone, Graziano, Capitano, Zanni, the young lovers – their disguises – Capitano as Silvio, Flavia as a man, Zanni as Count Polidoro – and the wedding plans of Pantalone for the young lovers. Other elements, on the other hand, such as the magic fountain in the forest guarded by a lion and the presence of a Magician revealing its secret, lead to an environment that, while it cannot be properly equated with Arcadia, forces the characters to leave the urban space. The tragicomic element could be ascribed to the fact that Zanni, a servant disguised as Count Polidoro, is able to consummate the marriage with the rich Ortensia, an element which could hardly convene well in a society forcefully engaged in naturalizing gender boundaries and legislating class rigidity (Quadri 2012: 176–177).

The Enchanted Fount (Il Fonte incantato) [Pastoral]8 ACT ONE 1 Silvio about his love for Flavia, Pantalone’s daughter; he knocks. 2 Flavia they realize that they are in love and agree to elope the following morning; she goes back inside, and he goes to look for musicians.

Raccolta di scenari più scelti d’histrioni

165

3 Pantalone about his love for Ortensia, Franceschina’s daughter; he knocks. 4 Ortensia hears the whole thing, tells him to talk to her mother, and goes back inside. Next 5 Capitano about his deeds; they realize that they are rivals in love and decide to talk to her mother; they knock. 6 Franceschina comes out; Capitano asks her if Ortensia can be his lover; she chases him away; Capitano exits with boasts; Pantalone asks her to marry her daughter; she agrees and goes back inside. Next 7 Graziano tells Pantalone that he agrees to give Flavia to Silvio but asks him not to say anything until the next day; Graziano goes to alert his relatives. Next 8 Zanni comes out; Pantalone tells him that he wants to go to a banquet in the evening; Zanni wants to go with him; eventually, Pantalone agrees and calls 9 Flavia hears that Pantalone won’t come back that evening and pretends to be sorry; he exits; she tells Zanni about the whole thing; Zanni agrees and they go back inside. 10 Capitano, Francatrippe, Musician they do some lazzi; they lurk in the dark, and the musician sings. 11 Flavia believing him [Capitano] to be Silvio, elopes with him. Next

166 The collections of scenarios

12 Zanni empties the urinal over Francatrippe, bringing the first act to an end. ACT TWO 13 Silvio, Musician singing underneath Flavia’s window. Next 14 Zanni with a cap, complains from the window that they don’t let him sleep. Silvio identifies himself and Zanni comes out; he says that Flavia has left; he [Silvio] exits acting crazy; Zanni does the same. Next 15 Pantalone comes back from the banquet, laughs at Zanni, and eventually asks him to take a wife in his place; Zanni laughs at this; eventually they agree, and Zanni pretends to be Count Polidoro; Pantalone knocks at 16 Franceschina hears about the Count; they make some lazzi; eventually, she agrees and calls 17 Ortensia upon her mother’s request, she touches the Count’s hand,9 and goes back inside together with him; Pantalone gives Zanni some money for the banquet and the bride’s dress; he goes back inside the house; not being able to find Flavia, he shouts at Zanni, who runs away. Next 18 Graziano in despair for his son’s madness, hears from Pantalone that Flavia has eloped; they both feel sorry. Next 19 Zanni from the street; he is caught, and tells them the whole truth. Next

Raccolta di scenari più scelti d’histrioni

167

20 Magician tells them about the water of the enchanted fount, guarded by a lion; he exits; Graziano looks for somebody who can go for the water. Next 21 Capitano comes out; Pantalone begs him to attempt the deed; he agrees and goes for his arms. Next 22 Silvio acting crazy; they play cards, and he [Silvio] tricks them and exits. Next 23 Francatrippe beats Zanni up for the urine, and this ends the second act. ACT THREE 24 Flavia dressed as a man, narrates the courtesies received from Capitano and of the dress she received from one of her relatives; she says that she wants to go and attempt the deed of the water to cure Silvio. Next 25 Silvio acts crazy and exits; she [Flavia] leaves for the woods. 26 Pantalone, Graziano despairing for their children, they go to see if they can find them. 27 Zanni with the money that he has not spent, knocks at 28 Franceschina they do some lazzi and eventually she reveals she is Zanni’s sister; she sends him inside the house and tells him to consummate the marriage. Next

168 The collections of scenarios

29 Pantalone feeling sorry for Flavia; she consoles him by telling him that she is not his daughter; she tells him about the barter and that Zanni is in the house with the bride; she calls him. 30 Zanni while tying his socks, confesses the whole thing; he [Pantalone] sends him to dress up like a noble man, after having boasted with Franceschina; she goes back inside the house. Next 31 Graziano they bump into each other. Next 32 Silvio they catch and bring him inside the house. 33 Capitano in the woods, with a slingshot. Next 34 Flavia begs him to let her go first, but he does not want this. Next 35 Lion comes out, and Capitano runs away; the lion caresses Flavia, who enters to get the water as the Magician asked. Next 36 Magician comes back with the carafe, and they go to town. 37 Capitano arrives first in town. Next 38 Pantalone makes fun of him. Next

Raccolta di scenari più scelti d’histrioni

169

39 Flavia, Magician with the water asks for Silvio to be summoned. 40 Silvio tied down, is wet by Flavia with the water; he comes back to his senses and marries her; Pantalone calls 41 Zanni dressed as a noble man; after many lazzi, marries Ortensia. 42 Ortensia they celebrate; and here the tragicomedy ends. Properties Woods, carafe with water, lion, light armor, money, urinal, nobleman dress for Zanni, musicians, ropes, dress for madman scene. Characters Pantalone, merchant Flavia, believed to be his daughter Zanni, servant Graziano Silvio, son Capitano Francatrippe, servant Franceschina Ortensia, who turns out to be Pantalone’s daughter Magician

Notes 1 Located on the western side of the Peloponnese, this coastal Greek city was used as basis for shipping traffic. It was conquered first by the Byzantines, then by the Venetians, and finally by the Ottomans in 1498 (Hulfeld 2012: 2, 842). 2 The other Opera Turchesca is La battagliola, scenario number 42 in the second volume. For an analysis of this scenario, see Quadri (2012: 142–143). 3 For an analysis of commedia dell’arte scenarios as a site of “intercultural encounters and hybridized identities of converted characters,” and as a “production of theatre accomplished by ‘others’ themselves, such as Turks and Jews living withing the Italian peninsula,” see Jaffe-Berg (2015).

170 The collections of scenarios

4 Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni. Divisi in due volumi, Manuscript 45 G6 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Corsiniana, vol. 2, cc. 14r-15r. 5 Edited in Hulfeld (2014: vol. 2, 1205–1214). 6 See Chapter 4. 7 Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni. Divisi in due volumi, Manuscript 45 G6 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Corsiniana, vol. 2, cc. 18r-20v. 8 Raccolta di scenari piú scelti d’Istrioni. Divisi in due volumi, Manuscript 45 G6 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Corsiniana, vol. 2, cc. 111r-113v. 9 See Chapter 1, note 13.

4 BASILIO LOCATELLI, DELLA SCENA DE SOGGETTI COMICI ET TRAGICI DI B. L. R. MANUSCRIPTS 1211 AND 1212 (ROME, BIBLIOTECA CASANATENSE) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick This collection of scenarios, entitled Della Scena de Soggetti comici et tragici and divided into two parts dated 1628 and 1632, respectively, is preserved in the manuscripts 1211 and 1212 of the Casanatense Library in Rome, originally part of the library of Cardinal Girolamo Casanate. The collection contains mostly comedies, but amongst its one hundred and three scenarios we can also find tragedies, pastorals, tragicomedies, and a heroic opera. These scenarios were first discovered by Antonio Valeri in 1894. Vito Pandolfi later published the list of the scenarios together with a description of their subjects (1988: vol. 5, 223–252), and Anna Maria Testaverde transcribed and edited twenty-three of them (2007: 177–424). Despite being the author of one of the earliest commedia dell’arte collections, Basilio Locatelli is still a somewhat unknown figure. He was most likely born in Rome at the end of 1590 or the beginning of 1591 and soon became part of the environment of the Barberini cardinals. Upon the death of his brother Cesare in 1632, he inherited a huge fortune (Megale 2005). There is uncertainty regarding his affiliations with the amateur environment of the commedia ridicolosa: according to some scholars, he was part of the Accademia degli Umoristi, while others place him at the service of the Accademia degli Integrati, founded in 1606 by Virgilio Verucci. However, according to Teresa Megale (2005), regardless of the uncertainty regarding these affiliations, Locatelli was certainly trained, and he subsequently performed in the context of the Roman academic theatre, in one or more of the numerous academies active in the city; in addition to those already mentioned were the Desiosi, the Infiammati, the Fantastici, the Disuniti, and the Vogliosi. Because of the strong similarities of some of their plots, Anna Maria Testaverde believes Locatelli’s scenarios to be amateurish variations of the ones DOI: 10.4324/9781003100676-7

172 The collections of scenarios

contained in the Corsiniana collection, belonging instead to professional actors, which Locatelli transcribed in a more detailed and elegant form. Locatelli himself, in the preface to the first volume of his manuscript collection, describes his scenarios as a rewriting of preexisting ones, “devoid of any ornament and decoration,” and that he decided to “dress them again” so that they could be “civilly” performed “without feeling ashamed” (2007: xxxv). According to Cesare Molinari, the similarities between these two collections are proof of the close relationship between professional and amateur actors, despite Basilio Locatelli’s contempt for the professional histrioni and their work (1985: 43–44). Locatelli was a staunch defender of the amateur theatre that developed in the Renaissance academies of his time and opposed the expansion of theatre created by professional actors. In his Discorso per il quale si mostra esser l’accademico virtuoso, le rapresentationi et commedie del quale si possono ascoltare et permettere et non quelle dell’histrione infame – which can be found in the second volume of his Della Scena de Soggetti comici et tragici – he writes: “the professional actors [istrioni] are the ones who perform on the stage for a price and who are declared infamous by the laws. On the other hand, the ones belonging to the academies [accademici letterati], who represent comedies for their own entertainment and pleasure, are called comedians and are honored and esteemed by all as virtuous; whereas these [the academics] in their representations are instructing their listeners, the professional actors, on the contrary, are harmful to those who listen to them.”1 Teresa Megale (2005) has been able to indicate some of the many literary borrowings on which these scenarios are based. Among them are many sixteenthcentury comedies: La fantesca (vol. 1, scenario 17) from Giovan Battista Della Porta’s comedy of the same title; Le due sorelle schiave (vol. 2, scenario 9) from Luigi Groto’s Emilia, that is in turn based on Plautus’ Epidicus; Il finto schiavo (vol.1, scenario 30) from Della Porta’s Olimpia and Fabrizio De Fornaris’ Angelica; Il finto servo (vol. 1, scenario 36) from Ludovico Ariosto’s I Suppositi; Li furti (vol. 2, scenario 32) from Francesco D’Ambra’s Il furto; and La zinghera (vol. 2, scenario 19) from Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena’s La Calandria. Numerous also are the borrowings from Plautus’ comedies: La fantasma (vol. 1, scenario 19) from the play Mostellaria; Li prigioni (vol. 2, scenario 31) from the Captivi; La tramutatione (vol. 2, scenario 36) from the Amphitryon. In addition, there are also borrowings from episodes of Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso and adaptations of stories from Boccaccio’s Decameron. This chapter offers the transcription and translation of three of its scenarios: Zanni Puts on Airs, and The Two Look-Alikes by Plautus, and A Comedy Within a Comedy, perfect examples of comedic scenarios that are either based on ancient sources (Plautus) or that will constitute the basis for famous comedies in the following decades. In addition, the Introduction had already presented The Madness of Orlando, a scenario from this collection and representative of a very different genre: the opera eroica.

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

173

Primary text Locatelli, Basilio (ca. 1590–1654). Manoscritti, 1211, 1212 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Casanatense.

Recent editions and translations Bragaglia, Anton Giulio. (1943) La Commedia dell’arte. Canovacci della gloriosa commedia dell’arte italiana. Torino: Il Dramma (partial). Testaverde, Anna Maria. (2007) I Canovacci della Commedia dell’Arte, 177– 424. Torino: Einaudi (partial).

Zanni Puts on Airs According to Cesare Molinari, the short comic scenes with two or three characters that can be seen represented in the images of the Fossard Collection probably illustrate credible scenic practices at the origin of the commedia dell’arte2 and are generally based on the disputes between servants and masters. The actors in these scenes, Molinari continues, were likely part of a small company that can “be traced back to the extremely fluid reality of street or fair theatre, a theatre of charlatans and buffoons,” from which “arose that dramatic nucleus composed of a Zanni and a Magnifico, which is the basis of the commedia dell’arte” (1985: 84). The character of Zanni was originally used to represent those coming from the lower classes and from the countryside who, during the sixteenth century, were absorbed as a new labor force in the major cities of Northern Italy (Andrews 2008: xxiv). This figure then evolved into two different kinds of servants: one was “the astute and sordid plot master (for example, Brighella)”3 and the other was the “tightrope walker and half-crazy fool (for example, Arlecchino)” (Ferrone 2014: 254). The Zanni, however, were also the most versatile of the commedia characters, and they could at times exceed the role of the servant. In this scenario, for example, Zanni is not a servant but a farmer who lives with his wife, Aurelia, and his beautiful daughter, Flaminia. Leandro, one of the Duke of Cesena’s sons, falls in love with Flaminia at first sight, after having seen her going into the woods, where she was looking for some firewood. Zanni, however, has promised Flaminia’s hand to his servant Burattino, and when Leandro goes to the village to ask Zanni for his daughter’s hand, he is met with resistance: “My father once told me that there is no other thing more important than somebody’s honor; and even if I have never seen nor known him, I will never agree to this, since I know that, after having enjoyed her, you will send her back home” (1.10). Even Zanni’s code of honor, however, dwindles, and he agrees to the wedding when Leandro names him “Don Elmo, Count of High Dust, Marquis of Terebinto” (1.11). The Second Act is characterized by the blend of comic moments, such as the series of lazzi involving Zanni and his grandezze, as he tries, with no avail, to play the part of the Count at court, and tragic situations, such as the attempt of Curzio, Leandro’s younger brother, to damage Flaminia’s honor, resulting in her death sentence. The scenario ends, through

174 The collections of scenarios

anagnorisis, with the reestablishment of the social order: Flaminia is discovered to be Diana, the Duke of Assisi’s long-lost daughter, raised in secret by Zanni. This tragicommedia, as well as many other scenarios from different collections, bears witness to the “passion” that the commedia dell’arte actors had for a “varied and bizarre” assortment of theatrical genres: The comici dell’arte themselves dispelled the opinion that they were exclusively devoted to comic texts.  .  .  . Scala had already reiterated in the title Teatro delle favole rappresentative that his work was to be understood as a “comic, pastoral, and tragic recreation” . . . . The scenarios collected by Basilio Locatelli represent the most complete and multiform compendium for the improvisations of amateur actors, both for their thematic variations and for the articulated typology of the proposed theatrical genres. ( Testaverde 2007: xlii–xliv)

Zanni Puts on Airs (Le grandezze di Zanni) [Tragicomedy] B. L. R. 104 Characters Duke of Cesena His Court Pantalone Coviello Leandro, Duke’s nephew Curzio, Duke’s nephew Zanni, peasant Aurelia, wife Flaminia, false daughter Burattino, Zanni’s servant Magician Messenger The City of Cesena Properties A fake stick, a golden necklace, bag for money, high paper necklet and cuffs, gentleman outfit for Zanni; bloody sword, letter, fake beard, and a judge outfit. ACT ONE 1 Duke [Pantalone] [Coviello] [Court] coming out of the palace, says he has two nephews: the eldest son is named Leandro and the younger one Curzio; he wants to marry Leandro with a

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

175

princess, but he can see that he has little inclination; thus, he asks for advice about what he is supposed to do, and he is told that to marry him is the right thing to do; the Duke also asks his counselors to find out the reason why he does not want to marry and to suggest to him to do as his Duke demands; the Duke and the court go back inside the Palace; Pantalone and Coviello remain. Next 2 Leandro from the street, hears that his uncle the Duke wants to give him a princess as his wife; he rejects her and realizes that he is in love with Flaminia, daughter of the peasant Zanni, and that he does not want anybody but her as his wife; they try to dissuade him, but he says that he wants to follow his feelings and orders Pantalone and Coviello to go and find out if Flaminia agrees, and to try to convince her with presents and gifts; Coviello and Pantalone agree and exit; Leandro remains. Next 3 Curzio comes out of the palace; hears about his brother Leandro’s love for Flaminia; he tries to dissuade him from loving such a base woman, the daughter of a peasant, and to think about their reputation; Leandro says that he wants to do it, and exits. 4 Zanni [Burattino] from the villa; he praises Burattino’s great attitude, his faithfulness, and the long time he has been working for him; he says he wants to give him Flaminia, his daughter, as his wife; Burattino does the lazzi of not knowing what a wife is and what [she] is good for; he asks if a wife is good in the salad; Zanni thinks that this animal will eat her up, and tells him that he is supposed to caress her; Burattino says that the dog caresses him as well, but eventually agrees to marry her. Next 5 Flaminia from the villa, they do lazzi about the good news; she realizes that she has been promised to Burattino, and she happily accepts him as her husband; then she says: “Father, I want to tell you something that will make you laugh so much that you will die of laughter”; he begs her to tell him what it is; Burattino begins to laugh and Zanni says: “Be quite, because this is not a laughing matter”; Flaminia says: “The other day, when you told me to go into the woods and pick up some firewood, I picked some and placed it on a rope and tried to tie it, but it was so big that I could not tie it by myself ”; they do the ta-nà-nà lazzo with the nose and dance; “then I saw a gentleman

176 The collections of scenarios

with a horse who asked me if I needed help”; Zanni says: “Now I cannot swallow my laughter,” and Burattino says that he does not want her as his wife any longer, since that gentleman loves her; Zanni replies that it is not a big deal if he offered his help since she needed it; Burattino: “Let’s go ahead, I want her,” and they make lazzi over not wanting her a few times; Flaminia continues: “The gentleman dismounted and asked me about my name; then, he on one side and I on the other, tried to tie the rope; but the rope was too short and so I was pulling hard and he was pulling hard; now you are going to laugh and laugh”; they laugh, but Zanni says: “I cannot laugh at this”; Flaminia says: “He was pulling so hard and I was pulling so hard that the rope broke; I fell on the ground and he fell upon me so hard that my body still aches”; Burattino says that he does not want her anymore and does some lazzi; Zanni scolds Flaminia, tells her not to talk, and sends her away; Flaminia enters the house; Burattino exits through the street; Zanni remains. Next 6 Aurelia from the villa, asks Zanni what has happened to Flaminia, who is crying; Zanni scolds her for having sent her into the woods by herself and that she broke a rib trying to tie up some firewood; he wonders what would have happened if that gentleman had broken his head; he wants to know how things went, but Aurelia does not know; he wants to kill her, and she falls on her knees saying: “Who is going to cook you the macaroni if you kill me? Who will caress you?” Zanni replies: “Don’t mention those things, that you’ll dissuade me from killing you.” He eventually forgives her and they go back inside the house. 7 Pantalone, Coviello from the street, say that they want to do what Leandro ordered, that is, to talk to Flaminia; they knock at the door. Next 8 Flaminia From the villa; they greet her and she does lazzi on Pantalone’s attire; they caress her and they want to touch her hand;5 they place her in between and do some lazzi; she screams. Next 9 Zanni, Burattino from the villa; after having heard the screams, they beat Pantalone and Coviello; Flaminia goes back inside the villa and Zanni says: “so that you, Pantalone, might consider me worthy of respect;” [Pantalone]: “You are

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

177

lying though your teeth because you are not telling the truth;” and they start fighting; next 10 Leandro from the street; he comes in between; he sends Pantalone, Coviello, and Burattino away; they go, and Coviello and Zanni remain; Leandro asks him who he is, and Zanni says that he is the gardener and that he has a daughter and a wife; Leandro caresses him and says that when one of his sisters died, in her will she left 100 scudi as dowry for some maidens so that they could get married; he hands him a bag with 100 scudi and tells him to use them according to his needs; Zanni takes it and thanks him by saying: “You should know about my daughter”; Leandro calls him back and tells him: “Your daughter is so beautiful!” Zanni gives him back the bag with the money; Leandro calls him back by saying “It’s a lot of money” and gives him back the bag; Zanni takes it and says that he cares more about his honor; Leandro asks him to call his own daughter, because he would like to see and talk to her; Zanni does lazzi about returning the bag; Leandro gives him the bag back and puts a golden necklace around his neck; then he orders him to send his daughter to the palace, because his Mistress wants to talk to her; Zanni does lazzi on returning the bag and the necklace; Leandro gives him everything back and reveals that he is the Duke’s nephew; Zanni greets him and tells him that he did not know him; Leandro says that he wants his daughter, and Zanni says that he does not want to give her to him; Leandro says that he wants her as his wife, and Zanni says that he has already promised her to Burattino; Leandro says that he will kill everybody and have her anyway; Zanni replies: “My father once told me that there is no other thing more important than somebody’s honor; and even if I have never seen nor known him, I will never agree to this, since I know that, after having enjoyed her, you will send her back home”; Leandro says that he will marry her and adds that he has already enjoyed her in the woods when she went there to pick firewood; Zanni happily agrees, and calls her. Next 11 Flaminia From the villa; she is asked if she recognizes the gentleman who helped her with the firewood in the woods; Flaminia sighs and says that she recognizes him; she hears that he will be her husband; they compliment each other and touch each other’s hand;6 Leandro tells Zanni that from now on his name won’t be Zanni, but Don Elmo, Count of High Dust, Marquis of Terebinto; Zanni says that he only has two hoes, half a barrel of vinegar, and some cheese as dowry; Leandro says that he does not need those things. Next

178 The collections of scenarios

12 Aurelia, Burattino from the villa; they call and tell Zanni to go hoeing; Zanni replies that he does not want to hoe anymore and that he is no longer Zanni, but Don Elmo, Count of High Dust and Marquis of Terebiri-biribinti; they do lazzi, and then he tells them how his daughter is engaged with Leandro; they compliment him and call him Count; Zanni puts on airs. Next 13 Pantalone, Coviello from the palace; they see Zanni around the palace and chase him off with a stick; Zanni says: “These people do not know me, Signor Leandro; could you please tell them who I am?” Leandro tells them the whole story, that he has married Flaminia and that he made Zanni a Count; Pantalone and Coviello pay him respect; then, when alone, they complain that such a peasant must be so respected; Pantalone says: “This is the way things work at Court”; Leandro, Flaminia, and Aurelia enter the palace; Zanni says: “You go ahead, no, you go ahead, step behind, step ahead, one step ahead, two steps behind,” making these kinds of lazzi; they all enter the palace. End of the First Act

ACT TWO 14 Pantalone, Coviello, Burattino from the palace; with chairs, they arrange them for the married couple and rejoice for the wedding; they arrange for celebrations, dances, tournaments, banquets. Next 15 Leandro [Flaminia] [Aurelia] from the palace; they prepare sumptuous dresses and talk about their happiness; Pantalone does lazzi of coming in and out and tells Leandro that Zanni has turned the kitchen and chefs upside down; he does more lazzi and says that Zanni has broken all the glasses and that he wants people to drink from the urinal; Pantalone comes back and says that [Zanni] has filled a tub with macaroni, and Coviello says that since [Zanni] thought that the pot with the soup was not fat enough, he put

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

179

about a hundred candles inside; Leandro tells them to let him do whatever he wants, since he is the master now and they cannot tell him what to do. Next 16 Zanni from the palace, dressed as a duke, with a paper ruff and cuffs, with a sword and ornaments made out of heads of lettuce; Pantalone says: “Sir Don Elmo, Count of High Dust, be sure not to go among ducks, because they will eat all of your ornaments”; Zanni sits down and says: “Since Leandro made me who I am, not out of kindness, but because of my worthiness, I also need to appear worthy of respect”; then he calls everybody: “Oh there!” and everybody comes to hear his orders; Zanni says: “We have lost our appetite and we are not hungry, but since it is necessary to get our appetite back; go and cook me a veal, half-boiled and half-roasted, and up to two hundred eggs, and four parmesan cheeses; in the meantime, prepare the necessary things to mount and dismount the horse, and get the litter ready, as I do not want to travel in carriages with other people, since the gout gives me problems”; then he assigns the duties: Burattino is the secretary; Pantalone is supposed to take the dogs for their shit; Coviello will empty out the chamber pots; they complain about the base duties they have received, but Leandro tells them to be happy for what they got, while they all stand around him with the hats in their hands. Zanni stands up and screams: “Alas, alas, call the cops, alas, alas”; they all ask him what has happened, and he says that he has gas in his stomach and it was bothering him; then he orders them to make a golden garter with diamonds, rubies, and pearls; Burattino reminds him about his wife, Aurelia, but Zanni replies: “Princes do not bother about their wives, if not as a caprice”; then he asks what the chef has cooked, and Pantalone says that he has cooked macaroni; Zanni stands up and screams: “Where is the kitchen, where is the kitchen, where is the kitchen?” and he runs up and down until he is taken there; Zanni, Pantalone, Coviello, Burattino, and Aurelia go back inside the palace; Flaminia and Leandro remain. Next 17 Curzio from the street, he compliments Leandro for his marriage; Leandro introduces Flaminia to his brother Curzio, and they compliment each other; Curzio says that Leandro is wanted by the Duke and that he has to go; Leandro goes to the palace; Flaminia and Curzio remain complimenting each other; Curzio tells her that there was another young man in love with her, like his brother is, and willing to take her as his wife; Flaminia says she is happy with Leandro and that she does not care about anybody else; Curzio reveals that he is the young man and begs her to accept him as her

180 The collections of scenarios

lover; Flaminia says that she cannot do it, and Curzio tells her that Leandro’s intention is to send her back home, once [he has] enjoyed her, and that he has pretended to be in love; Flaminia does not believe him, because she believes Leandro to be a noble man; Curzio tells her not to think about Leandro anymore because the Duke was so enraged and ireful with him, that he wanted him dead, and that at this point he could already be dead, because this was the reason to call him to court; Flaminia complains and, out of distress, falls into Curzio’s arms. Next 18 Pantalone from the palace; he sees Flaminia in Curzio’s arms; he steps aside and hears her saying: “My heart, my soul”; Pantalone repeats: “My heart, my soul”; Flaminia recovers, complains about her lover’s death, and says that she wants to die as well if it’s true that he is dead; she enters the palace; Curzio says that he wants to take advantage of the situation and plans something against Flaminia; he sees Pantalone and asks him if he has seen Flaminia in his arms saying “My heart, my soul”; Pantalone confirms and Curzio asks him if he is willing to be his witness when he will tell the whole thing to his own brother; Pantalone begs him not to implicate him in these matters. Next 19 Leandro from the palace, saying that the Duke did not want anything from him; he asks where Flaminia is and is told that she is in love with his brother Curzio and that she has lost her senses in his arms saying “My heart, my soul,” in order not to yield to her own desire; Curzio calls Pantalone as his witness; Pantalone says: “I only know that I have seen her in Curzio’s arms saying my heart, my soul”; Leandro is astonished at Flaminia’s infidelity; Curzio exits; Pantalone and Leandro remain and discuss what has happened. Next 20 Flaminia from the palace; looking for Leandro, she sees him and wants to caress him; Leandro chases her away and does not want her to get close; he says: “this was not worthwhile of my love”; Flaminia asks what is the reason for his rejection, but Leandro does not want her to talk and says: “Be silent, dishonest woman,” and orders for Coviello to be called; Pantalone enters the palace. Next 21 Coviello from the palace; he hears that he has to take Flaminia to the woods, kill her, and bring back the bloody sword as proof; Coviello feels awkward for

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

181

not knowing how to kill, but hears that he is supposed to put the sword into her chest; Coviello says: “This time I will show them all who I really am!” Leandro does not want to hear Flaminia and tells her: “Be silent, don’t talk,” and exits; Flaminia cries about her fate and because she does not know why she’s been sentenced to die; Coviello does some lazzi telling her that he will kill her slowly but that she won’t feel any pain once dead; he says that if she has never been killed before, the first time it will be a little annoying; Flaminia scolds Coviello by telling him: “Cruel and unjust! How can you stain your hands with my innocent blood?” Coviello says: “Watch, now she is the one who will kill me!” and eventually he screams: “Go there!” threatening her with the sword, “Sister, be patient; if I were not doing it, someone else would take my place,” and they go to the woods. End of the Second Act. ACT THREE 22 Coviello from the street, with a bloody sword, says that he is coming back from the woods and that he did not kill Flaminia because she was able to escape and [he] could not find her afterwards; he says that he put the sword into a donkey’s head and got some blood on it; he will make Leandro believe that he has killed Flaminia; he enters the palace. 23 Leandro from the street; talks about Flaminia’s infidelity, and then he feels sorry for having asked somebody to kill her so inconsiderately, without having heard her reasons. Next 24 Coviello from the palace, looking for Leandro without being able to find him; eventually he sees him and shows him the bloody sword and tells him that he has executed his orders; Leandro is full of sorrow for Flaminia’s death and says: “Thus, this sword and this arm gave her the death?” Coviello says yes and Leandro grabs the sword and says: “I want to avenge her with this same sword and against this arm”; he says he wants to kill him and Coviello runs away; Leandro says that he will get and kill Coviello and then himself, and that he regrets his mistake; running after Coviello, they exit.

182 The collections of scenarios

25 Magician [Flaminia] from the street; he says that he has saved Flaminia from her own death and that he wants to convince Leandro of her innocence and reveal Curzio’s betrayal; he wants to send Flaminia incognito to the Duke, so that she’ll tell him about her innocence and all the betrayals; Flaminia thanks the magician and they exit. 26 Pantalone, Zanni, Aurelia, Burattino from the palace; they are all banished by Pantalone with bad words and kicks; he says: “Go away, go to hell, you scoundrels;” he shreds the paper necklet and cuffs and says: “Go away, go to hell, you rascals!” They are all astonished for not knowing the reason of all this; Zanni: “Now I’m not the Count of High Dust any longer, nor the Marquis of Tiribiri-biritinti”; then they hear that Flaminia is a slut and that she has been killed; Pantalone exits; they remain, complaining about their fate, the betrayal, and Flaminia’s death; they say that they want to go and talk to the Duke and ask for justice; they exit. 27 Duke, Court, Flaminia from the palace; Flaminia, disguised as a judge, with a fake beard; the Duke tells Flaminia: “Since you are our judge, I order you to bring justice and bring peace back for the tranquility of our Country,” and [tells her] not to take into consideration the fact that Leandro is his nephew [in judging] the murder that has been committed, and that he has to bring justice with rigor; Flaminia says that she will do it. Next 28 Zanni, Aurelia, Burattino from the street; they kneel in front of the Duke and scream: “Justice, justice, justice,” since Leandro took their daughter’s life and honor; the Duke orders to do them justice, and goes back inside the palace; Flaminia, Zanni, Burattino, and Aurelia remain. Next 29 Pantalone from the street, chases Zanni out by saying: “To hell, scoundrels!” They scream: “Justice, justice, justice”; Flaminia, posing as the judge, orders Pantalone not to make any noise, since she has heard from Zanni the reason for his complaints; next she calls

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

183

30 Leandro from the street, not having been able to catch Coviello, but still looking for him, hears that the judge wants to know what happened to Zanni’s daughter, Flaminia; Leandro says that he had her killed by Coviello, a Private First Class, because Curzio, his brother, told him that she fell in love with him, without taking into consideration his own honor, since he took her as his own wife; Zanni and Aurelia scream: “Justice.” Next 31 Coviello from the street; he is asked if he has committed the murder; Coviello is hesitant: “If I say yes, the judge will have me hanged, and if I say no, Leandro will kill me”; he answers: “Sir, I have killed her, but I don’t think she is dead”; Zanni and Aurelia do lazzi and scream justice, justice. Next 32 Curzio from the street; he is asked by the judge if Flaminia was really in love with him and if she really made advances to him, and he is urged to freely tell the truth; Curzio calls Pantalone as his witness; Pantalone says: “I have seen her in Curzio’s arms saying “My heart, my soul,” but I do not know anything else”; he [Curzio] is asked if those words were directed at him and for what reason; eventually Curzio admits everything and says that he faked the entire thing so that the wedding would be ruined; he did not think it appropriate for his brother, one of the Duke’s nephews, to marry a peasant; but he pretended to be in love with her and made her believe that his brother was not, and that, after having enjoyed her, he would have sent her back home; in addition, [he made her believe] that the Duke, angered with him, would have killed him for this wedding; Flaminia, having heard all of this, with great sorrow fell into his arms saying: “My heart, my soul”; having heard all of this, Leandro grabs his sword in order to kill his brother Curzio for his betrayal; Flaminia, takes off the fake beard and reveals who she really is, and falls on her knees in front of Leandro; she begs him to forgive Curzio since she is not dead; she was liberated thanks to a magician who also came up with the idea of dressing her up as a judge in order to discover the truth about the whole thing; Leandro forgives his brother Curzio and takes Flaminia as his wife; Zanni and Aurelia rejoice because their daughter is alive; Zanni says: “Will I be Don Elmo, Count of High Dust and Marquis of Tiribiribiritinti?” Leandro gives him back all of his titles and dignities. Next 33 Messenger from the street, with a letter for Leandro, sent by the Duke of Assisi; he looks at Zanni, then grabs him and says: “This is he;” Leandro reads the

184 The collections of scenarios

letter and understands that in his estate there is a person who kidnapped two of his daughters and asks for him to be sent to prison; Zanni confesses that it is true and that he was the one who kidnapped the two daughters: one of them died and the other one is Flaminia, who was raised by him since she was little and kept as his own daughter because he had no sons; her previous name was Diana; Leandro rejoices because Flaminia is of noble origins; he tells the messenger that he will personally write to the Duke and will tell him about the whole thing; they all enter the palace with joy. End of the Comedy. Letter Most Excellent Sir, Having no doubts that in your estate there is a certain Zanni who, many years ago, kidnapped one of our young daughters named Diana, I beg you to put this Zanni in jail and allow me to reunite with my own blood. In order for this to happen, I have sent this messenger who knows him. I kiss your hands, Your Humble Servant, The Duke of Assisi

The Two Look-Alikes by Plautus The contribution of Plautus’ Menaechmi to the development of European theatre can hardly be overestimated. Beginning with a watershed occurring in Ferrara in 1486, when the play was produced as one of the entertainments organized by Ercole I d’Este to honor the betrothal between his daughter Isabella and the Marquess of Mantua, Francesco Gonzaga,7 up to Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, this comedy of twins and mistaken identity was the first classical comedy to appear on the early modern stage in a vernacular translation8 and to serve later as the basis for numerous other translations and adaptations.9 The explicit reference in the title of this scenario to the original source has been variously interpreted: it could indicate a clear intent to more directly imitate Plautus’ play;10 it could have also aimed at reinforcing the scenic and playful parodic effects; or it could have been used as a comic strategy, that is, the option for the commedia actors, needing to justify themselves, to “bathe in the radiance of humanism” (Hulfeld 2014: 1, 350). In this version, Silvio lives in the city of Fano with his wife Flavia and their servant Zanni. When Silvio’s missing twin brother, Capitano, arrives in the city with his servant Burattino, the confusion generated by various mix-ups unfolds around the two twins. Ortenzia, a courtesan, receives gifts from Silvio, which he has borrowed from his wife under the pretense that they are needed for a commedia performance. Ortenzia becomes more and more confused by what she perceives to be Silvio’s erratic behavior; unbeknownst to her, she is instead

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

185

dealing with two different persons. Pantalone, called upon by his daughter Flavia to deal with Silvio’s apparent idiosyncratic behavior, is also left to wonder about his son-in-law’s supposed dual nature. The recognition scene brings the comedy to the unavoidable happy ending: Silvio becomes a good husband, while his twin brother, Capitano, marries the courtesan Ortenzia. While the basic plot and characters correspond to those that can be found in the original Plautine comedy, Locatelli’s version aims at maximizing the scenes of confusion and those of adultery and jealousy, especially thanks to the addition of the characters of the Innkeeper and his wife, Olivetta (Hulfeld 2012 and 2014). In many of the scenarios of the commedia dell’arte, the theme of the “double” and mistaken identity was often exploited for its farcical aspects and potential series of misunderstandings. Angelo Moscariello, analyzing a series of comic mechanisms in his book on slapstick, states that In its various forms, the figure of the double is a classic, first of burlesque and then of comic cinema, which derives from the “lazzo of the double” successfully used by the actors of the Commedia dell’Arte. The doubling of a character causes a mirror effect that generates endless surprises and misunderstandings. (2009: 70)11

The Two Look-Alikes by Plautus (Li duo simili di Plauto) [Comedy] B. L. R. 2612 Characters Pantalone Flavia, daughter Silvio, husband Capitano, look-alike brother Zanni, servant Burattino, servant Ortenzia, courtesan Franceschina, servant Innkeeper Olivetta, wife Dottore The scene is the city of Fano Properties Two similar costumes and beards, gown, rings, necklace, signboard for the inn, a suitcase, glasses, and wine.

186 The collections of scenarios

ACT ONE 1 Silvio [Zanni] from the house; he says he is in love with the courtesan Ortenzia and that he promised her a dress, a necklace, and two rings, but that he has no money or the things he is supposed to give her; he asks Zanni to come up with a stratagem to steal the goods from Flavia, his wife; Zanni tries to dissuade him from the courtesan but, eventually, because of Silvio’s insistence, he says to have found a stratagem: some actors will stage a beautiful comedy, and Flavia will say that she wants to go; you can say that you promised the actors a dress, a necklace, and rings; Silvio says: “If she’s willing to go, say that you promised them,” and thus they do the lazzi of the yes and the no; they knock at the door. Next 2 Flavia From the house, hears the whole thing and refuses, saying that she does not want to see the comedy because she does not want to give them her dress; eventually, because of Silvio’s begging, she gives him everything and tells them to bring the things back as soon as possible; they do their lazzi; Flavia goes back inside; Silvio and Zanni, full of happiness, knock at the door. Next 3 Ortenzia [Franceschina] From the house; she receives the dress, the necklace, and the rings from Silvio, and thanks him; then Ortenzia invites him for dinner and Silvio promises to go; Ortenzia and Franceschina go back inside the house; Silvio and Zanni exit through the street. 4 Pantalone from the street, says that he has come from the villa because of a letter that his daughter Flavia sent him; he praises his villa: he knocks at the daughter’s door in order to know what she wants. Next 5 Flavia From the house, hears from Pantalone that he has received the letter and has come from the villa to hear what she needs; he wonders why he left her with Silvio, his son-in-law; Flaminia complains about her husband, saying that he steals all of her stuff in order to go to taverns and with harlots; Pantalone, astonished, says that he will take care of it; Flavia goes back inside; Pantalone says that he wants to go and look for Silvio and exits through the street.

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

187

6 Capitano [Burattino] from the street; he says that he has come from Spain, where he was taken when he was a little kid, and that he has a brother in Bologna, his hometown; they do some lazzi; eventually, they say that they want to lodge and knock at the door. Next 7 Innkeeper from the inn, does some lazzi with the foreigners, praising his inn and wine; he calls 8 Olivetta from the inn, caresses the foreigners; she picks up the suitcase, doing lazzi with Burattino; they all enter the inn; Capitano remains, saying that he wants to wander around the town and take a look at how beautiful the city and its women are. Next 9 Ortenzia from the house; she is waiting for Silvio for dinner and sees the Capitano; she mistakes him for Silvio and invites him for dinner, since everything is ready; Capitano is astonished because he does not know the woman, but he thanks her for her kindness, and eventually, pestered by Ortenzia’s insistence, he accepts the invitation, and they enter the house, 10 Innkeeper [Olivetta] [Burattino] from the inn, shouting at Burattino for having put about ten candles in the cabbages and for f lirting with his wife, Olivetta; they beat him; Burattino exits through the street; Olivetta and the innkeeper go back inside. End of Act One ACT TWO 11 Capitano [Ortenzia] come out of the house; he says goodbye, compliments her, and thanks her for the courtesies received; Ortenzia gives him the dress, the necklace, and the rings, so that he can take them to be fixed; Capitano takes

188 The collections of scenarios

everything, saying that he’ll obey; Ortenzia goes back inside the house; Capitano, wondering at all these courtesies, says that he does not know her; he knocks at the door. Next 12 Innkeeper comes out of the inn and receives the things from the Capitano in order to guard them; he does his lazzi and goes back inside; Capitano remains and says that he wants to wander through the streets of the city. Next 13 Pantalone from the street, has been looking for Silvio but was not able to find him; he sees Capitano and mistakes him for Silvio; he scolds him for his lifestyle and for misbehaving with Flavia; Capitano insults him and calls him a pimp; he accuses him of lying and exits; Pantalone remains and is astonished because he has become so insolent. Next 14 Silvio from the street, sees Pantalone, embraces and caresses him, rejoicing at his visit from the villa and thanking him for his advice; Pantalone marvels at his conversion and reminds him about Flavia; he says that he loves her and that he cares about her; he exits; Pantalone, astonished, remains and compares the first beastlike encounter with Silvio with the gentle second one. Next 15 Capitano from the street, enraged because people mock him: Pantalone urges him to take care of his wife and house; Capitano, enraged, insults him by saying that he has no wife and that he is a cuckold; he exits; Pantalone is astonished and fears he has gone crazy; he wants to go and look for a doctor; he exits. 16 Silvio, Zanni from the street, they say that they want to have lunch at Ortenzia’s house, who is waiting for them; they knock at the door. Next 17 Ortenzia [Franceschina] comes out; she hears that Silvio and Zanni have come to have lunch with them; they chase Zanni away and say that Silvio has already been there for lunch with them by himself; Zanni goes inside the house to make sure and comes back outside, crying and saying that the table has been cleared and

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

189

that there is nothing left to eat; Silvio screams and tells the women that he has not been there; they do some lazzi, and he talks about the things he has donated and the bad treatment he is receiving in exchange; Ortenzia asks how he can behave that way since he has eaten and gotten his things back; they argue with each other; Silvio and Zanni, enraged, exit; Ortenzia and Franceschina are astonished and wonder why Silvio has behaved that way and denied everything. Next 18 Capitano from the street; Ortenzia asks him about the things she gave him and why he is angry at her; Capitano says that he is not angry and that he will go to get the things and be back; he exits; Ortenzia and Franceschina remain. Next 19 Silvio from the street, saying that he wants to go back home; he sees Ortenzia, who asks him if he has brought the things back; they argue again; Silvio, enraged, exits; Ortenzia and Franceschina remain. Next 20 Capitano from the street; Ortenzia screams and asks about her things; Capitano replies that she will have her things back as soon as possible; Ortenzia and Franceschina go back inside the house; Capitano remains. Next 21 Zanni from the street; he sees Capitano and mistakes him for his master Silvio; he asks him about his wages; Capitano replies that he does not know him; Zanni wonders why he is denying it and that he will have his wife confirm that he has been serving him; he knocks at the door. Next 22 Flavia comes out; sees Capitano, mistakes him for her husband Silvio, and tells him to give Zanni his wages; Capitano laughs at this, then tells Zanni to enjoy Flavia instead of getting paid; Zanni agrees and goes inside the house with Flavia; Capitano exits. 23 Silvio from the street; talks about Ortenzia’s bad behavior. Next

190 The collections of scenarios

24 Burattino from the street, sees Silvio, mistakes him for his master Capitano, and tells him to go to the innkeeper to get his things back; he is waiting for him at the Inn of the Sun; Silvio says that he will do everything; Burattino exits; Silvio, astonished, says that he wants to check this out; he knocks at the door. Next 25 Innkeeper comes out, sees Silvio, mistakes him for Capitano, brings all of his things outside, and hands him the bill; Silvio pays him, and the innkeeper goes back inside; Silvio, with all the things, is astonished and knocks at the door. Next 26 Zanni from the window, complains with Silvio about his wife, Flavia, because she does not want to make love to him, and that he wants his wages instead; Silvio scolds him, but Zanni bets with him that he was the one who told him to go to bed with his own wife instead of getting paid; he says that Flavia will confirm this. Next 27 Flavia comes out, tells Silvio to his face that he was the one who told Zanni to sleep with her in exchange for his wages; Silvio is astonished and says that it is not true; Silvio gives his wife her things back; Zanni is astonished; they are about to beat each other, and they all go back inside the house. 28 Pantalone, Dottore from the street, say that they want to cure Silvio because they believe him to be mad. Next 29 Silvio comes out, invites Pantalone for dinner and goes back inside the house; Pantalone says that Silvio has come back to his senses and dismisses Dottore, who exits; Pantalone remains. Next 30 Capitano from the street, sees Pantalone and they start arguing; Pantalone calls Dottore. Next

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

191

31 Dottore from the street; Capitano, enraged, exits; Pantalone tells Dottore that Silvio has gone mad again and that they must find him. Next 32 Silvio comes out, invites again Pantalone for dinner; Dottore checks his heartbeats and finds him in good health; Silvio, astonished, goes back inside the house; Dottore leaves and exits; Pantalone remains. Next 33 Capitano from the street, once again he starts arguing with Pantalone and insults him; Pantalone next calls 34 Dottore from the street, wants to check Capitano’s heartbeats, believing him to be Silvio; Capitano beats them all and they all exit. End of the Second Act. ACT THREE 35 Capitano from the street, astonished for what has happened, says he wants to take his own things and knocks. Next 36 Innkeeper comes out of the inn, hears that the Capitano wants his things, but he replies that he has already given them to him; they argue; Capitano, enraged, says that he wants to bring him to justice and exits; the innkeeper is astonished. Next 37 Silvio from the street; the innkeeper mistakes him for Capitano and asks him if he received his things; Silvio says yes, and they do their lazzi; Silvio exits; the innkeeper is astonished. Next

192 The collections of scenarios

38 Capitano from the street, says he wants his things; they argue; the innkeeper says that he just said he has received his things; Capitano denies it and, enraged, exits; the innkeeper remains. Next 39 Silvio from the street, is asked by the innkeeper about his things and he says that he has received them. Next 40 Pantalone from the street, steps aside to check if Silvio is sane; the innkeeper asks him to be his witness; Pantalone steps aside; Silvio admits one more time to have received his things and exits; the innkeeper and Pantalone remain. Next 41 Capitano from the street, asks the innkeeper about his things, with kind and loving words; the innkeeper is enraged and calls his witness, Pantalone who, while hiding, says he has heard everything and that he confessed; Capitano, enraged, enters the inn and says that he will get his things by force; the innkeeper and Pantalone follow him inside the inn. 42 Silvio from the street, wondering about the strange things that are happening and the things he received. Next 43 Pantalone comes out of the inn and says he has locked Silvio inside a room and that he wants to go and look for a doctor; he sees Silvio and is astonished, wondering if he’s a ghost; eventually, Pantalone,13 filled with wonder, asks Silvio how he got out of the inn; they marvel at each other; noises are heard from the inn, and Silvio unsheathes his sword. Next 44 Capitano [Innkeeper] [Olivetta] comes out of the inn, with his sword unsheathed, shouting that he wants his things; they all arrive; Pantalone is astonished and does not know which one is his son-in-law Silvio. Next,

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

193

45 Zanni, Burattino from the street; Zanni says that he cannot tell which one is his master, Silvio, and Burattino says that he cannot recognize his master, Capitano; the innkeeper says that he cannot tell which one gave him the things, and Olivetta says that she does not know which one entered the inn; they are all astonished and do their lazzi. Next 46 Ortenzia, Franceschina come out of the house, do a similar thing, cannot tell which one is Silvio, do their lazzi, and eventually, next call 47 Flavia comes out of the house, cannot tell which one is her husband, Silvio, does some lazzi with one and then the other; eventually they realize that Capitano is Silvio’s brother; they rejoice; Capitano marries Ortenzia and Zanni Franceschina. End of the Comedy.

A Comedy Within a Comedy Pantalone wants to marry his daughter Lidia to an old man, Coviello, and “sends Zanni to invite the relatives and to hire a group of comedians, so that a fun entertainment can be staged for the wedding” (1.3). While the comedians are performing, Lidia inadvertently drops a glove on the f loor and her lover, Lelio, back from the University of Padua and “incognito because he fears his father and for his love for Lidia” (1.4), picks it up, kisses it, and gives it back to her. Coviello, angry at the insult, “making noise, threatens them” (1.15), while the comedians and the rest of the audience members run away in all directions. During the short time of the performance, Capitano, one of the actors, falls in love at first sight with Ardelia, Coviello’s daughter. After a scene during which the two female lovers, Ardelia and Lidia, elope but end up each in the hands of the wrong male lover because of the dark (3.37–33), the comedy comes to an end with a double recognition and wedding for the four young lovers: Capitano, who marries Ardelia, is discovered to be Orazio, Pantalone’s lost son, and Lelio, who marries Lidia, turns out to be Curzio, Coviello’s son from Padua. Metatheatrical motifs abound throughout the entire history of dramaturgy: from Aristophanes’ Tesmoforiazuse to William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, from Two Comedies within the Comedy by Giovan Battista Andreini (1623) to The Impromptu at Versailles by Molière (1663), and from The Comic Theatre

194 The collections of scenarios

by Carlo Goldoni (1750) to Tonight We Improvise by Luigi Pirandello (1928) ( Hulfeld 2014: 1, 622). However, rather than offering the opportunity for an intellectual ref lection on the role of theatre, the theatre-within-the-theatre motif gave the commedia dell’arte troupes the possibility to amplify the comic effects of an otherwise typical plot (Cotticelli, Goodrich and Heck 2001: 2, 550). Scenarios with the same title can be found in two other collections: scenario 39 of the second volume of the Casamarciano collection, which, with the exception of the theatre-within-the-theatre motif, shows hardly any resemblance to the Locatelli’s version,14 and scenario 34 of the first volume of the Corsiniana collection,15 which is, by contrast, very similar in nature and contains passages that seem to have been transferred without alterations in the Locatelli’s version. A lexical analysis of the metatheatrical elements of the Corsiniana and Locatelli’s versions of A Comedy within a Comedy, in particular how the company of actors hired for the wedding refer to their work as part of the fictional production, together with an analysis of the watercolor that accompanies the Corsiniana scenario, can both help with a hypothetical visual reconstruction of how these scenarios might have been performed (Quadri 2012: 40). Carmelo Alberti had already begun to delineate this kind of reconstruction in his “Introduction” to the Correr collection and argued that the setting and scenery of these scenarios were derivative of the sixteenth-century commedia erudita, with the typical piazza and houses all around, practicable doors for the entrances and exits of the different characters, and windows from which the characters could witness the events happening in “the street” (1996: 19).

A Comedy Within a Comedy (La commedia in commedia) [Comedy] B. L. R. 4316 Characters Pantalone Lidia, daughter Zanni, servant Coviello Ardelia, daughter Tofano, Doctor Lelio, then Curzio, Coviello’s son Graziano, an actor Capitano, an actor, then Orazio, Pantalone’s son The scene is Sermoneta

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

195

Properties A scenery, chairs, lots of arms. ACT ONE 1 Pantalone [Zanni] from the house; he says that he wants to marry off Lidia, his daughter, because she has come to that age and Coviello has asked for her hand; he wants to give her to him; he knocks. 2 Coviello from the house; he hears from Pantalone that he agrees to give him Lidia as his wife; they do lazzi, and they agree on the dowry; he calls. Next 3 Lidia from the house; she hears that she has been promised to Coviello and rejects him; they do lazzi and, in the end, after some scolding and threatening, she touches Coviello’s hand;17 Lidia, unhappy, goes back inside the house; Coviello says that he will go to the notary to prepare the papers, asks them to wait for him, and exits; Pantalone orders Zanni to invite the relatives and to call for the comedians, because he wants to stage a comedy for the occasion; Zanni agrees to do everything and exits; Pantalone goes to look for Coviello and exits. 4 Lelio from the street, he says he has left the University of Padua and come here for love of Lidia and, out of fear of his father, is in disguise. Next 5 Lidia from the house; she recognizes Lelio, who is in disguise with a fake beard and has changed his own name because of his love for her and has left the University of Padua; [Lidia] despairs because her father Pantalone has promised her to Coviello; Lelio, somberly, tells her not to abandon hope because he will try to fix everything; he exits and Lidia goes back inside the house. 6 Pantalone

196 The collections of scenarios

from the street; he says that he has prepared all the documents with Coviello and that he wants to make all the preparations for the wedding. Next 7 Zanni [Graziano] from the street; he tells Pantalone that he has invited the relatives and introduces him to Graziano, the Comedians’ leader, whom he has brought with him; Pantalone asks him what his role is and Graziano answers that he plays the innamorato; Pantalone laughs at this and says: “the innamorato, with a face like yours”; at last, they agree to be paid ten scudi and Pantalone gives him an advance; Graziano says that he wants to call his companions and exits; Pantalone orders to erect the scenery and put out the chairs and that he can’t wait for it to begin; they all enter the house. 8 Coviello from the street; he is happy about the wedding and festivities; Pantalone says that he wants his daughter Ardelia to enjoy the celebrations, and knocks. Next 9 Ardelia from the house, she hears that Coviello is about to get married and that soon he is willing to offer her in marriage as well; he wants her to go to the wedding and see the performance; he knocks. Next 10 Pantalone [Lidia, Zanni] from the house; he embraces his son-in-law Coviello and . . .18 a reluctant Lidia to see the comedy; Zanni orders the comedians to be prepared. Next 11 Tofano from the street, has come to watch the performance; he is welcomed and sits down. Next 12 Lelio [Others] from the street; he stands aside and listens to the comedy; they announce the beginning of the comedy. Next 13 Prologue after having played some music and songs, the audience is asked to be silent because an improvised comedy is about to begin. Next

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

197

14 Capitano from the street; he talks about his love for Isabella, Graziano’s daughter, and says that he wants to ask her father for her hand; he knocks 15 Graziano from the street; he hears Capitano’s intentions and he agrees; next, one of Lidia’s gloves falls onto the ground; Lelio runs immediately to pick it up, kisses it, and gives it back to Lidia; Coviello stands up and says what he is about to do and, making noise, threatens them; they all run away in different directions; the women go back inside the house. End of the First Act.

ACT TWO 16 Pantalone [Zanni] from the house, asks for the chairs, the scenery, and everything else to be removed, saying that he feels sorry for the inconvenience; he says that Lidia is in anguish for what has happened and asks Zanni to call a doctor. Next 17 Coviello from the house, bearing weapons and wearing a suit of armor, says that he wants to kill Lelio because he was not supposed to do what he did; Pantalone scolds him, saying that it is a matter of little importance and that he has not been offended; Coviello says that Lidia has fallen ill and that he will personally go to look for a doctor; they exit through the street; Zanni remains inside the house. 18 Lelio from the street, hears everything and promises Zanni a reward in exchange for his help; next he calls 19 Lidia from the house; they talk about what has happened; then they talk about love, they give each other a ring, and they agree to elope at two o’clock that night; Lidia goes back inside the house, and Lelio goes to look for a place where they can escape to; he exits through the street.

198 The collections of scenarios

20 Capitano from the street, speaks in Italian, instead of Spanish like when he was reciting in the comedy, and says that while he was reciting the comedy that Pantalone had asked for, he saw a beautiful young woman in the audience who deeply moved him and made him fall in love; he does not know who she is and is looking for her. Next 21 Ardelia from the window, sees Capitano, they greet each other, and he begs her to come down; she goes and thus hears about Capitano’s love; she reciprocates and says that, since her father does not want her to marry, she will do it herself; she says that she wants to make him happy, and to meet at two o’clock that night, but in a neighbor’s house, for the love she has for her father; Ardelia goes back inside the house and Capitano happily exits through the street. 22 Tofano from the street, says he is the doctor sent by Pantalone to visit Lidia, his daughter, because she fell ill; he knocks. Next 23 Zanni from the window, he sees the doctor who has come to visit the bride; he lets him in, and everybody goes inside the house. 24 Pantalone, Coviello from the street, say that they have sent the doctor to take a look at the bride, and that they want to know how she is doing; they knock. Next 25 Tofano from the house, says that she has healed, that it was nothing and that she is all well; they all rejoice; Coviello says that he wants to get rid of his weapons and armor and goes inside the house; they remain. Next 26 Graziano from the street, sees Pantalone and, aside, asks him to be paid for the comedy; Pantalone says that they did not finish it; Graziano replies that it does

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

199

not matter, since it was not their fault; eventually, Pantalone says that his brother will pay them because he is not carrying any money with him and points to Tofano; Graziano agrees; Pantalone tells Tofano that that man is ill and asks him if he is willing to check his pulse, and beckons to Graziano; Tofano agrees, and Pantalone says that this is the payment that he [Graziano] deserves, and then exits through the street; Tofano tells him to come closer, because he wants to touch his pulse; Graziano refuses, but eventually lets him do it; Graziano suggests that he should have an enema and tells him to give him the eight scudi still owed for the comedy; Tofano says that he is raving because of the fever, and that it must be a very bad one, and that it is necessary to check his blood; they do lazzi and, while fighting, they exit through the street. End of the Second Act ACT THREE 27 Capitano from the street, pretending that it is at night, says that he does not know which one is Ardelia’s house; he says that now he is where they agreed to meet. Next 28 Lidia comes out of the house, pretending that it is a dark night, beckons to Capitano, believing that he is Lelio; Capitano mistakes her for Ardelia; they embrace and exit through the street. 29 Lelio from the street, pretending that it is night, says that he wants to meet with Lidia and take her to a friend’s house. Next 30 Ardelia from the house; they beckon to each other and believe the one to be Capitano and the other Lidia; they embrace without saying a word and, pretending that it is at night, exit through the street. 31 Capitano, Lidia from the street, having discovered that they are not lovers, Lidia begs him to save her own honor because she loves Lelio; she asks him to take her to

200 The collections of scenarios

her friend’s house as a sign of respect that he has for his father; she asks him to go and look for Lelio; Capitano complains but then agrees; they exit through the street. 32 Lelio, Ardelia from the street, having also discovered that they are not lovers, Ardelia excuses herself and says that she thought he was Capitano; Lelio is sorry about Lidia and wonders if she is in the house. Next 33 Capitano from the street, complaining about his fate and for not having seen Ardelia; he sees her and understands all that has happened; eventually he realizes that Lelio and he have each other’s lover, but that both of them have kept intact their friend’s honor; they say that they want to go and enjoy them; they exit through the street. 34 Coviello from the house, pretending that it is early in the morning; he says that he has not been able to sleep all night because he was thinking about his wedding with Lidia; he thinks that she has something wrong and might not want her anymore; he knocks. Next 35 Zanni from the window, pretending to be sleeping, does some lazzi; he is asked to call Pantalone, but he says that he is asleep; eventually, he goes back inside and calls him. Next 36 Pantalone from the window, pretending that he just woke up, hears from Coviello that he wants his bride and that he wants to take her away without celebrating the wedding or ceremonies; Pantalone comes out of the house and says that she is ill and that he has helped her all night in the house; eventually, begged to do so, he calls her. Next 37 Zanni from the house, hears that he has to call Lidia; the bridegroom has arrived and she has to wake up; Zanni comes in and out a few times, does some lazzi saying that she is sleeping, sometimes from the window and at other

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

201

times outside in the street; eventually, he says that Lidia is not home; Pantalone and Coviello despair and go inside the house one after the other, but cannot find her; they think that she has been kidnapped, so they arm themselves, and they say that they want to look for her; Pantalone and Zanni go back inside their house and Coviello inside his own. 38 Lelio, Capitano they say they have left their lovers at a neighbor’s house and are willing to ask their fathers for their hands; if they refuse, they will take them away around the world; they step aside as soon as they see them coming. Next 39 Coviello from the house; he despairs for not having been able to find his daughter Ardelia in the house and knocks. Next 40 Pantalone, Zanni from the house, with arms, they hear that Ardelia has escaped; they decide to kill whoever is responsible; Capitano goes to Coviello and begs him to give him his daughter as his wife; Coviello says no, because he is a comedian; Capitano tells him not to worry about that, because he is a gentleman and that Graziano will explain everything; Graziano says he has raised him since he was a little kid with Franceschina, his nurse; his father’s name was Pantalone de’ Bisognosi; Pantalone, upon hearing this, recognizes Capitano to be his son Orazio, because Graziano took Franceschina with him and Franceschina took Orazio with her because she had nursed him; rejoicing, he embraces him; Coviello, having heard that Capitano is Pantalone’s son, happily gives him his daughter as his wife; Lelio falls on his knees in front of Coviello, his father, getting rid of the fake beard he had put on not to be recognized; he says he had been incognito and had come from the University of Padua because [he was] in love with Lidia; Coviello forgives them and Pantalone gives him his daughter Lidia as his wife; they rejoice and all go to look for the women. Next 41 Graziano from the street, asks Pantalone who is going to pay him for the comedy that they have performed; Pantalone tells him what he has discovered: that he took his son Orazio away, together with Franceschina; Graziano asks for forgiveness and that, in order to live, they were performing comedies, and that he had not recognized him because he did not have a beard any longer; Pantalone forgives him. Next

202 The collections of scenarios

42 Capitano, Lidia, Ardelia, Lelio from the street; the women ask for forgiveness to their fathers; Lidia marries Lelio, Ardelia marries Capitano; after they have forgiven them, they all rejoice and go back inside the house to celebrate the weddings. End of the Comedy.

Notes 1 Quoted in Marrotti and Romei (1991: 703). Locatelli, in his last sentence, in order to create a juxtaposition between the instruction of the academics and the harmfulness of the professional actors, uses the terms documento and nocumento. 2 These woodcuts, probably created in Paris in 1584–1585, belong to the Fossard Collection of Stockholm and were first published in 1928 by Agne Beijer and Pierre-Louis Ducharte (Beijer and Ducharte 1928). For these images, their interpretations, and an updated bibliography regarding the iconography of the commedia dell’arte in general, see Guardenti (2018). 3 Regarding the figure of the servant as a plot master in the comedies of Plautus, see Frye (1971: 173–174). For the revival of this figure in Renaissance comedies, see Salingar (1974: 76–242) and Beecher (1986: 53–72). 4 Basilio Locatelli, Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici di B. L. R., Manuscript 1211 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Casanatense, Vol. I, cc. 68r-77r. 5 See Chapter 1, note 13. 6 See Chapter 1, note 13. 7 For the most recent description of this event and its bibliography, see Passera (2020: 193–195). Battista Guarino was the author of the translation for this specific event; his text was then staged again in Milan and Venice in following years. Guarino’s innovative translation theory was part of the debate among humanists over the relationship between Latin and vernacular languages (Sbordoni 2014). 8 For a history of the translations of Plautus’ Menaechmi during the Renaissance, see Uberti (1985). 9 Regarding the impact of Plautus’ Menaechmi on European theatre more in general, see Hardin (2003). As Demis Elio Quadri (2012: 117–118) has pointed out, because of the comic possibilities offered by the presence of two characters of identical appearance, Plautus’ Menaechmi became, during the Renaissance, one of the favorite choices to be reworked or adapted, as it can be seen in the Simillimi by Gian Giorgio Trissino (1548), Los Menemnos by Juan de Timoneda (1559), Les Ménechmes by Jean Rotrou (1631), the Calandria by Bibbiena (1513), and The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare (1594 ca.). 10 As Stefan Hulfeld has pointed out, however, explicit references in the titles of scenarios to specific sources cannot in principle be taken as an indication of slavish imitation: the scenario entitled Amphitrioni di Plauto in the Correr collection, for example, “only refers selectively to the Plautinian Amphitruo.” On the other hand, Li dui Simili di Plauto in the Basilio Locatelli’s collection, as well as the one by the same title in the Corsiniana collection, “actually use both the framework and confusion episodes” of the original source (Hulfeld 2014: 1, 350). 11 Quoted in Quadri (2012: 105). 12 Basilio Locatelli, Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici di B. L. R., Manuscript 1211 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Casanatense, Vol. I, cc. 174r-179v. 13 Magnifico in the original text. 14 The Italian version and an English translation of this scenario can be found in Cotticelli, Goodrich and Heck (2001: 1, 401–403 and 2, 404–407).

Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici

203

15 The Italian version and a German translation of this scenario can be found in Hulfeld (2014: 1, 622–627). 16 Basilio Locatelli, Della scena de Soggetti comici et tragici di B. L. R., Manuscript 1211 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Casanatense, Vol. 1, cc. 284r-289v. 17 See Chapter 1, note 13. 18 Lacuna in the manuscript due to deterioration.

5 CIRO MONARCA, DELL’OPERE REGIE. MANUSCRIPT 4186 (ROME, BIBLIOTECA CASANATENSE) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

This manuscript contains forty-eight scenarios and was first discovered by Francesco De Simone Brouwer in 1901 and described in the Rendiconti della Reale Accademia dei Lincei that same year. On the front side of the binding it used to read Ciro Monarca dell’Opere regie, and in the back Commedie manoscritte, together with an old identification for its location, “C. 210” (Francesco De Simone Brouwer 1901: 393; the manuscript now has a new binding and of this information there is no trace left). The name Ciro Monarca finds no correspondence to any known author and could indicate a pseudonym or, rather, the name of the collector of a series of scenarios that belonged to professional companies (Testaverde 2007: 529). The note to Il medico di suo onore on c. 8r, written by a different hand, states that the scenario was “performed for the first time in Florence on Friday, 17 October 1642.” According to Anna Maria Testaverde, the manuscript could thus be dated around the mid-1600s (2007: 529). On c. 1r is written de Cencinis i[uris] c[onsultus] florent[inus], probably an ancient owner of the codex. The collection is in good condition and consists of several booklets sewn together, which were probably used for performances (De Simone Brouwer 1901: 393). Besides the presence of a few some special characters, these scenarios present us with the typical fixed types of the commedia dell’arte: we almost always find Pantalone or Magnifico, and the Dottore, called either Gratiano, Cassandro, or Beltrame. The Zannis take on a variety of names: Bertolino, Buffetto, Zaccagnino, Trivellino, Trappolino, Mellettino, Frittellino, Stuppolino, Finocchio, and more rarely Rodellino, Capellino, Cicalino, Coccalino, Bagolino, Bagattino, Citrullo, Barille, Zuccarino. Coviello appears twice and Pulcinella three times. The women, in the role of servants, peasants, gardeners, or noblewomen, are Diamantina, Olivetta, Fioretta, Fiammetta, Franceschina, and Spinetta. The mask of Capitano appears in only ten scenarios (De Simone Brouwer 1901: 397–398). DOI: 10.4324/9781003100676-8

Ciro Monarca, Dell’opere regie

205

In about ten instances, next to the names of the character, we can also find the stage name of the actor who originally played the part, to testify that, with all probability, the collection was the repertoire of a specific professional company. More importantly, as Cesare Molinari points out, this collection also shows that, around the mid-1600s, the repertory of a commedia dell’arte company could be primarily composed of a particular genre: of the forty-eight scenarios, in fact, we find only seven comedies, two pastorals, a morality, and thirty-eight opere regie: There is no precise distinction between tragedy, opere regie, and opere eroiche: on average, these are stories set in exotic places (from ancient Rome to Turkey, from England to Morocco, to fabulous kingdoms), full of adventures and of bloodshed, and whose protagonists are kings and princes. At first glance, they seem pièce à spectacle, closer to the librettos of contemporary melodramas by Cicognini and Aureli than to the rigorous image of neoclassical tragedy. In fact, the main source of inspiration is the contemporary Spanish drama: the popular drama, so to speak, but also the masterpieces of Calderón, Lope, and Tirso – Ciro Monarca’s collection opens with a scenario based on Calderón’s Médico de su honra. (1985: 49) In the opere regie, the role of the traditional masks becomes more marginal, and the Pantalones, Dottores, Coviellos, and Tartaglias of these scenarios often become the king’s advisors. Their advice can be either serious or comic: in the first case, the traditional masks lose their comic aspect and become minor characters; in the second case, their advice is reduced to a comic interlude, with no real consequence to the main story. The same can be said for the Zannis: they can be servants or officers, but without their typical ability to move the plot ahead with their plans; in addition, more often than not, their presence is also reduced to a comic interlude with no relationship to the main story. Cesare Molinari argues that even if these Zannis, Pantalones, and Dottores had limited and welldefined parts, their characteristics and performances were probably not too different from those that could be found in comedic scenarios. The serious parts in these opere regie – kings, queens, young lovers, etc. – on the other hand, became more sophisticated and thus called for a higher degree of “attention to the single plot twists,” and for a different style of improvisation, “extremely more supple and delicate” (1985: 50). This chapter offers the transcription and translation of one of its scenarios, The Thunderstruck Atheists, a text considered to be of great importance for the theatrical development of the legend of Don Juan.

Primary text Monarca, Ciro. Dell’opere regie. Manuscript 4186 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Casanatense.

206 Ciro Monarca, The collections of scenarios

Recent editions and translations Testaverde, Anna Maria. (2007) I Canovacci della Commedia dell’Arte, 527– 621. Torino: Einaudi (partial).

The Thunderstruck Atheist The King and Queen of Sardinia have not been able to produce an heir to the throne and need to choose between two pretenders: Duke Mario and Count Aurelio. However, Count Aurelio has eloped with Leonora, the Duke’s sister, and “is now living in the country constantly insulting the reign and his family” (1.2). The King places Duke Mario in charge of an army and orders him to bring Aurelio to justice. In the meantime, Aurelio kidnaps Angela, a maiden on her way to be married in Cagliari, and abandons Leonora, who, heartbroken, first repents and then “falls stunned and dies” because she is “exhausted from the numerous penances” (3.39). Eventually, the two statues of Leonora’s mother and father appear and ask the Count to repent. Aurelio is unwilling to do so and, as a result, the sky “opens up and a thunder is heard, followed by an earthquake; it gets dark and a thunder strikes in front of Aurelio’s feet; he immediately sinks” (3.48) into Hell. First discovered and published by Francesco De Simone Brouwer (1901: 400– 407),1 this scenario is of “great importance for the theatrical development of the legend” of Don Juan, in particular in relation to the characterization of the atheist. The story of such an atheist seems to date back to an early Jesuit morality play: in his Promontorium Malae Spei Impiis Periculose navigantibus Propositium (1643), the Jesuit Paul Zehentner provides the first known reference to the tragedy of Leontius, a play Zehentner saw at the Jesuit University in Ingolstadt in 1615 (Macchia 1991: 177). However, the first writer to give “cohesive literary form to a story that, in bits and pieces, had long been part of Spanish folklore” was a monk named Tirso de Molina in his El burlador de Sevilla y Convidado de piedra ( Russell 1993: 1). Tirso’s version eventually reached Naples, where “plays from Spain were often presented by Spanish actors,” and performed at the Teatro di San Bartolomeo in 1625 and 1626. Not long after, “versions in Italian began to circulate” (ibid. 6). L’ateista fulminato of the Ciro Monarca’s collection, presented here, is one of these many versions, albeit a later one, that commedia dell’arte troupes used to perform. As mentioned earlier, Giovanni Macchia has pointed out that this scenario introduces a Don Juan-like figure – here named Count Aurelio – as an atheist, an aspect that can be found later on in Molière and Mozart’s versions, but that was absent in the earlier works by Tirso de Molina, Dorimon, and Villiers (Macchia 1991: 191). This scenario is also important because it shows the close connections that existed between opera and commedia dell’arte: “a common repertoire of comic topoi was used in commedia and in opera libretti during the seventeenth century” and, in at least some instances, “the same companies of performers staged both commedia and dramma per musica” (Maddox 2006: 35). More to the point, Melania Bucciarelli (2000) has identified intriguing parallels between L’ateista fulminato of the Ciro Monarca’s collection and the libretto by

Ciro Monarca, Dell’opere regie

207

Giovanni Filippo Apolloni and Filippo Acciuoli for the opera L’empio punito by composer Alessandro Melani which premiered at the Teatro Palazzo Colonna in Rome on 17 February 1669.

The Thunderstruck Atheist (L’ateista fulminato)2 Characters of the Comedy King of Sardinia, without heirs Queen, his wife, who is not seen Count Aurelio, Prince of the royal family, bandit Duke Mario, of the royal family Bertolino, Count Aurelio’s servant Buffetto, Duke Mario’s servant Learco, Mario’s father, a statue Teandra, mother, a statue Leonora, Duke Mario’s sister Cassandro Angela, daughter Hermit, old man Bandits at the Count’s service Mario’s soldiers Street thieves Olivetta, of the court Various farmers [Magnifico, King’s adviser] King’s advisers Properties Trumpets and drums; armor for the white statue; trousers, socks, and all that is needed with gloves; two white masks, one for man and one for woman, with hair; a friar’s costume and a white sword; arms and necklets for the bandits; two costumes for hermits; a woman’s wig; a bamboo mat; beards and long hair for man; two baskets for setting up the dinner; jackets and hatchets for the guards; two gabardine-like clothes for the peasants; scenery of the palace that can transform into a temple; scenery of a temple with a monument in the middle and the woods on the other side. Food Plates, tablecloth, napkins, knives, and glasses. A white dress for Leonora in Heaven; a costume for Pluto, a pitchfork, a king’s crown, a nightgown, a big black beard with long hair; various costumes for ghosts; Greek wax; something to impale Zanni.

208 Ciro Monarca, The collections of scenarios

ACT ONE City: Cagliari, Sardinia 1 King [Advisers] [Court] about his misfortunes and the fact that the Queen is barren and thus without any hope to have children from her for the succession to the throne; Advisers console him. Next 2 Duke Mario overreacts to the insult received by Count Aurelio, who took his sister Leonora from the seraglio of the vestal women and is now living in the country constantly insulting the kingdom and his family; the King gives him unlimited authority over his soldiers and the kingdom, so that he can catch and punish him; he accepts both the authority and the burden. Next 3 Bertolino a bandit, disguised as a peasant; peasants with different complaints against Count Aurelio for the damages received concerning both their possessions and honor; the King promises to bring him to justice; they all retreat into the court. The woods 4 Aurelio, Leonora bandits, discuss about their love; they perform a love scene and then swear not to ever leave each other; then he explains to everybody why he became a bandit. Next 5 Bandits lead a tied up Cassandro, who was taking Angela, his daughter, to get married in Cagliari; Aurelio keeps Angela and frees Cassandro, who leaves crying, because if he wants his daughter back, he will have to pay a ransom of ten thousand scudi; he [Cassandro] tells her not to worry; Leonora prays for her out of jealousy, because he [Aurelio] does not really want to free her. Next 6 Bertolino dressed as a peasant, says to have made known to the King the [peasants’] complaints and says that he has found more peasants that were complaining;

Ciro Monarca, Dell’opere regie

209

he talks about the order that the King gave to the Duke Mario, his enemy; he laughs at this and sends the others to the caves so that he can relax, and orders that Angela be well kept; the others leave with Angela; he [Aurelio] remains with Bertolino and Leonora; he sees the temple. 7 Temple [Statues] opens up and the statues of Mario’s father and mother appear; Aurelio is about to take vengeance against them, but Leonora begs him not to do it; he gets angry with her; she leaves with her head down not to look at him; they remain and do their scene; Bertolino is frightened. Eventually, the statues say: “Do not disturb the peace of the dead”; Aurelio, with Bertolino, says with contempt: “And if I disturb, what can happen?” [Statues]: “He who lives by the knife will die by the knife”; he says that they won’t see each other anymore, because he is leaving, and that they can try to follow him; they say that they will; the temple closes. They exit through the woods. City

8 Mario [Buffetto] says to have given the orders and that, as soon as his people are ready, wants to personally go to the countryside and fight against Aurelio, and maybe even kill Leonora, despite the fact that she is his sister, because she agreed to dishonorably escape with his enemy; Buffetto asks pardon for his violence, but says that he wants to dismember Bertolino. Next 9 Magnifico tells Mario, by order of the King, to go to court to receive new orders from His Majesty; Magnifico and Mario go inside; Buffetto remains. Next 10 Olivetta they make a love scene with lazzi; Buffetto invites her to go with him and with his master against the bandits; she agrees and they all exit through the court to gather arms. The woods 11 Aurelio [Angela] praises her beauty; she looks like she is in love, and they agree to enjoy each other; they pretend to hate each other and hide their love, so that Leonora won’t suspect them. Next

210 Ciro Monarca, The collections of scenarios

12 Leonora who has heard the whole thing while hiding, sees them embracing each other; she does lazzi of anger and says to be willing to shoot them with an arquebus; eventually Aurelio calls 13 [Bertolino] and gives him Angela to be taken to the caverns; Bertolino exits with Angela; Aurelio remains. Next 14 Leonora tells Aurelio that she has heard the whole thing; he denies and she scolds him; eventually, she annoys him so much that he decides to kick her; she falls to the ground; he disarms her and says with contempt while he is leaving: “Leave and go wherever you want and do your worst,” and he exits; she remains and complains. Next 15 Hermit an old man, comes out of the cave to breath some fresh air; he sees the young woman; she tells him the whole thing and reveals who she is; he says that he will keep the secret and that Heaven will protect her; with a prayer, he takes her to his cell, and the act ends. ACT TWO The woods 16 Aurelio [Bertolino] orders Bertolino to disguise himself as a peasant and go to court to find out when the Duke Mario has intention to leave with his men and move against him, and with how many men, since he wants to plan an ambush; Bertolino urges him to repent and reminds him the words of the statues; he laughs at this and says he is willing to go in person and in disguise; he remembers the Hermit and says that he wants his habit; they knock at the cell. 17 Hermit all frightened, fears that they might suspect that he is hiding a woman there and that they might be willing to commit a massacre; he falls immediately on his knees and asks for forgiveness; they play a scene of misunderstandings

Ciro Monarca, Dell’opere regie

211

and can’t understand each other; eventually, they say that they want his habit, they undress him, and leave; he remains complaining, but prays to Jupiter on their behalf and goes back inside. City 18 Buffetto, Olivetta dressed in a ridiculous way and with weaponry, and ready to move against Aurelio with their master. 19 [Duke Mario], Magnifico, [People] urges Mario to be careful and not to fall in some danger; he says not to doubt about that, and that he will leave before the day is over and take his revenge on Count Aurelio; he will exterminate all monsters and make the streets and the kingdom safe for the travelers, and all the people of the court; Buffetto offers his support, and they exit through the court. The woods 20 Leonora dressed in a jute bag and a rope around her waist; she cries and regrets her mistakes; she falls to the ground. Next 21 Hermit sees her with her jute bag on; she comes back to her senses, and he takes her to his cell. 22 Bertolino dressed as a peasant and hiding arms underneath his clothes, is about to go to court; he exits. 23 Aurelio dressed as a hermit, he did not want to be recognized and thus did not want to dress in front of others to go to court. Next 24 [Noise] from inside; Aurelio steps aside and observes. Next

212 Ciro Monarca, The collections of scenarios

25 Duke Mario, Olivetta, Soldiers and Buffetto have come to the woods by royal decree with full authority to command the entire kingdom and against Aurelio and his bandits; Aurelio listens and comes out; pretending to be a hermit, says bad things about himself and then makes him believe he can devise a plan to capture Aurelio; Mario believes him and says that he will do what the hermit will order him to do; they all exit. City 26 King with [Magnifico] regrets the fact that Aurelio is a bandit, although he is a Prince the same way the Duke Mario is, and, because the kingdom is without an heir, one of them will be his successor to the throne; [he also regrets the fact] that, because of Leonora’s abduction, Mario’s sister, many problems have come up, and as a result Aurelio has decided to escape into the woods after having kidnapped her from the vestals; on one hand, he is happy that Aurelio left the court because, as a King, he would have been faulty; but on the other hand, he is sorry that he is aff licting the entire kingdom; Magnifico says that this is a serious problem and that he does not know how to advise him, since they are dealing with the two most important members of the court; the King says that he regrets having given so much power to Mario against his enemy Aurelio, because his actions won’t be just. Next 27 Bertolino dressed as a peasant, talks about Count Aurelio and exaggeratedly describes the damage he has done to the kingdom; the King tells Magnifico to listen to the peasant and to his reasons, and then goes back inside; Magnifico listens, and then he says that the Duke Mario is already into the woods with the intent of getting rid of him; then he starts doubting Bertolino, and they do some lazzi; eventually, Magnifico goes back to court and Bertolino to the woods to warn the Count. Woods 28 Aurelio disguised as a hermit, asks the soldiers where his men are, asking that they be at the appointed places into the woods and caves; he gives the order to go and alert them to be ready for his signal; then he talks about the plan he has devised to separate the men of the Duke and that he is left with a few of his men. Next

Ciro Monarca, Dell’opere regie

213

29 Bertolino after some lazzi, they recognize each other. Next 30 [Duke Mario] [Buffetto] Aurelio tries to disarm him and Bertolino does the same with Buffetto; then they reveal themselves and call 31 Soldiers of Aurelio come out with their arms; Aurelio orders them to tie Mario at the door of the temple to be shot, and, once he is tied up, he sends him away with two soldiers to be impaled; while they are about to shoot him, the temple opens up. 32 [Temple] the two statutes can be seen on their knees; they say: “Moderate your fury, Count, before the sun goes down;” they all run away; Mario unties himself and escapes as well; Aurelio wants to run after him but cannot do it and calls his men; the statues say: “Repent, that you are not alone; he who lives by evil deeds dies in hell.” The temple closes; Aurelio exits, and the act ends. ACT THREE 33 Aurelio [Bertolino] complains about the fact that his men are frightened by statues made out of stone; Bertolino reminds him that there is death, that there is Heaven and Hell; he [Aurelio] does not care and only regrets the fact that the Duke has escaped. Next 34 Soldier who is leading Olivetta tied up, narrates how most the men of the Duke Mario have f led, while some of them died and some of them remained injured, and him being one of them; Olivetta says: “I hope that they won’t mistake me for a man, and do me some harm!” She reveals she is a woman and that she is Olivetta, from the court; Aurelio does not want to act cruelly with women, but he orders that she be taken to the cave and says that the men can enjoy her and then let her go; she says that, compared to what

214 Ciro Monarca, The collections of scenarios

could have happened to her, she can only laugh and put up with those few; Bertolino does some lazzi. Next 35 Soldier says that Buffetto has been executed; Olivetta asks what happened to Buffetto, and Aurelio orders to show him to her; they open and Buffetto is seen impaled; then they close again; Olivetta and the soldiers exit; Count and Bertolino remain. Next 36 Angela dressed like a bandit and with arms, greets Aurelio; they embrace each other; Bertolino says that he is crazy because there is nothing ready to eat; Aurelio orders them to set the table, because he wants to have dinner, and exits with Angela; Bertolino remains, and orders the table to be set; the table is set. Next 37 Soldiers, People they all sit at the table and eat some of the best things and what they like the most; they drink and cheer to the people who can only watch; Angela drinks copiously and happily. Next 38 Hermit comes out of his cell and begs for money; Aurelio makes fun of him; eventually, he gives him permission to blaspheme Hell and Heaven; Aurelio scorns him and asks him if he likes nice things; then he orders a soldier to go and take a look at his cell; he goes. Next 39 [Soldier] [Leonora] dressed like a penitent; Aurelio asks him if she is good charity or merchandise; the Hermit says that she is a Heavenly soul, exhausted from the numerous penances; Leonora falls, stunned, and dies; Aurelio stands up from the table and threatens the Hermit; the others clear the table; he orders that she be taken to the temple; the Hermit is taken away together with the others; Bertolino remains; Aurelio comes back. Next 40 [Temple] opens up and there can be seen the statues with swords in their hands and Leonora at their feet; Bertolino does his lazzi; Aurelio asks the statues what

Ciro Monarca, Dell’opere regie

215

they intend to do with those swords, and if they want to argue with him; Bertolino does his lazzi and then he asks as well. 41 Statues they nod; Bertolino is frightened; Aurelio tells them: “When?” the statue answers: “Today, Count, before sunset”; Aurelio agrees, and they leave. The temple closes City

42 King, Magnifico about the bandits and Mario. Next 43 Hermit and Cassandro who walked together, tell Magnifico about Leonora’s death and that she has been placed in the temple; Cassandro tells him about Angela, his daughter, who has been kidnapped by the bandits. Next 44 Olivetta escaped from the bandits, narrates the defeat, and of how Buffetto has been impaled and that she worries about Duke Mario. Next 45 Mario without his hat, arms, and cloak, about to escape and frightened, almost beside himself; it seems to him he always has the bandits and the Count behind him; eventually, he says that he will narrate the whole thing at court; they all exit. 46 Aurelio [Bertolino] willing to go to the temple as promised to settle the matter. Next The temple opens 47 Statues standing tall, with a sword in their hands, tell the Count to come closer; the Count asks them to make a pact to fight as knights hand to hand; one

216 Ciro Monarca, The collections of scenarios

of the Statues shakes his hand, and holding him firmly, says “Repent, Count, before sunset”; he replies that he does not know what he is supposed to repent about; after saying this three times, the statue raises its voice: “Look, sunset”; he replies: “And after sunset, won’t I still be the Count?”; the statue says: “Oh Sky”; the Count wants to keep arguing, but the statues stop him. Next 48 [Sky] opens up and a thunder is heard, followed by an earthquake; it gets dark and a thunder strikes in front of Aurelio’s feet; he immediately sinks and the temple closes. Bertolino escapes with Angela. City

49 [King] [Duke Mario]. Next 50 Magnifico, Hermit, Minister of the Temple they narrate what happened to the Count. Next 51 Cassandro tells the King about his daughter, kidnapped by the Count. Next 52 Bertolino, Angela narrate what they have seen happening to Count Aurelio; Cassandro recognizes his own daughter and they all exit. Hell 53 Aurelio laments down in Hell, while the statues are in Heaven. Heaven 54 [Statues with Leonora] in a white dress

Ciro Monarca, Dell’opere regie

217

55 [Pluto] [Demons]. Next 56 Angels’ Choir in Heaven, Demons’ Choir in Hell; they sing about the glory of Heaven and the torments of Hell; about the reward for the just and the punishment for the unjust.

Notes 1 The scenario was then published again by Petraccone (1927: 374–382), Bragaglia (1943: 25–34), Macchia (1991: 191–211) and Testaverde (2007: 557–568). 2 Ciro Monarca, Dell’opere regie, Manuscript 4186 [Manuscript]. At Rome: Biblioteca Casanatense, scenario 4, cc. 19r-24r.

6 ANONYMOUS MANUSCRIPT CORRER. MANUSCRIPT 1040 (VENICE, MUSEO CORRER) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

This collection, owned by the library of the Museo Correr in Venice, seems to have originally come from the library of the Soranzo family, as can be evinced from the Catalogo still available at the Marciana Library in Venice (Alberti 1996: 11). It contains fifty-one scenarios and a Discorso entitled Consulto dato ad una donna che ricercò un rimedio d’amore [Consultation given to a woman who sought a love remedy] by Bernardo Trevisan (1652–1720), a Venetian senator and collector (Testaverde 2007: 669). The manuscript was first discovered by Vittorio Rossi in 1896, subsequently analyzed by Tina Beltrame (1931) and Vito Pandolfi (1988: vol. 5, 306–318), and finally edited in its entirety by Carmelo Alberti (1996). Scholars disagree about the precise date for this collection: Vittorio Rossi, by focusing on a comparison between the scenario number 13, L’astrologo del Porta, and the play with the same title written by Giovan Battista Della Porta (1606–07), places these scenarios more likely in the first rather than in the second half of the seventeenth century. Ludovico Zorzi (1990: 205–207 and 212–213) states that these scenarios can be considered as “simplified transcriptions” to be used by amateur companies and as “reworkings” of the ones contained in Flaminio Scala’s collection, and argues that they belong to the last two decades of the seventeenth century.1 More recently, Robert Henke has argued that the Correr scenarios are “apparently the product of seventeenth-century Venetian professional actors,” who “render actions even more schematically than Scala does, perhaps as befitting professional actors, who would have known how to fill in the gaps” (2015: 22). However, as Cesare Molinari had already pointed out almost four decades ago, Of course [this can be stated] if you want to believe that the different destination and the different origin of the scenarios is somehow ref lected in the DOI: 10.4324/9781003100676-9

Anonymous Manuscript Correr

219

scenarios themselves. That is, it has been argued that those of professional origin are more technical, that they present themselves more as a blueprint for a performance than as a dramaturgical and narrative plot. Or, on the contrary, it has been argued that those intended for professionals are less rich in suggestions, because professionals have less need for precise indications: they already know what to do. But it is not so. Certainly, there are more or less technical scenarios, more or less rich in technical details, more or less related to the actor’s intervention, but this “more or less” returns in a sensibly equal measure in all collections. (1985: 44) According to Carmelo Alberti, these scenarios offer good investigative material to capture some aspects of the “involution in the history of the commedia dell’arte, especially in the moment of transition from utopia to profession, after the exciting experiences developed over the fifty years that go from end of the sixteenth century and the beginning of the seventeenth century” (1996: 21). The setting and scenery of these scenarios are derivative of the sixteenth century commedia erudita, with the typical piazza and houses all around, with practicable doors for the entrances and exits of the different characters, and windows from which the characters can witness the events happening in “the street” (Alberti 1996: 19). The list of characters present in these scenarios is unusually very long: Aurelia, Eularia, Angelica, Felice, Flavia, Florinda, Ardelia, and Rosalba for the young female lovers; Orazio, Ortensio, Virginio, Fabio, Fabrizio, Celio, and Cinzio for the young male lovers; Zanni, Stoppino, Cappellino, Scapino, Buffetto, Tartaglia, Trivellino, Scatolino, Mescolino, Burattino, Pericchetto, Fichetto, Rodelino, Gonella, and Coviello for the male servants; Argentina, Olivetta, Fioretta, Rosetta, and Colombina for the female servants. Capitano appears in twenty-three scenarios, while Magnifico can be found in each one of the scenarios – except for one – together with the second old men Coviello and Dottore, who appear in thirteen scenarios, and a few other old men – Cassandro, Pasquariello, and Cola. Other standard characters appear in a variety of scenarios: astrologers, Jews, madmen, judges, cops, etc. (Alberti 1996: 19). However, despite the long list of different names, the presence of the various characters f luctuates between only nine and fourteen units, and each scenario is structured according to the typical commedia dell’arte dramaturgy based on fixed social types and stock characters (Testaverde 2007: xxxix). A frequently encountered situation in these scenarios is the convention of having the two lovers touching their hands, or of having the woman take the hand of the promised husband. This gesture, previously explained in Chapter 1 (note 13) signified, “in its time and place, ‘we are henceforth betrothed,’ and was thus taken very seriously” (Heck 2001: 3). This chapter offers the transcription and translation of two of its scenarios: The Honest Courtesan and Three Capitani.

220 The collections of scenarios

Primary text Manoscritto Correr 1040 [Manuscript]. At Venice: Biblioteca del Museo Correr.

Recent editions and translations Alberti, Carmelo. (1996) Gli Scenari Correr. La commedia dell’arte a Venezia. Rome: Bulzoni Editore. Testaverde, Anna Maria. (2007) I Canovacci della Commedia dell’Arte, 527– 621. Torino: Einaudi (partial).

The Honest Courtesan This scenario, number 34 of the fifty-one scenarios contained in the Correr collection, is very typical in its plot and revolves around the efforts of two competing young adults, Cinzio and Orazio, to be able to marry their beloved Flaminia, while their plans are complicated by two old men with designs of their own – Magnifico and Dottore, respectively Orazio and Flaminia’s fathers. Orazio, Magnifico’s son, is in love with Flaminia, Dottore’s daughter, who instead falls in love with Cinzio, the son of a traveling man, Coviello. While Magnifico and Dottore agree to marry their respective son and daughter, Cinzio rents a house next to Dottore’s and discovers a secret passage that leads directly into Flaminia’s bedroom. Tartaglia, Dottore’s servant, sees Flaminia f lirting with Cinzio and alerts his master of what is happening. Dottore questions Mescolino, Cinzio’s servant, who tells him that the woman in Cinzio’s arms was not his daughter but a prostitute from a nearby village hired by Cinzio and who looks much like Flaminia. Dottore, still suspicious, wants to make sure, and the new situation triggers a series of lazzi based on Flaminia entering and exiting her house through the secret passage, at times playing the role of the prostitute and at others the one of the faithful daughter (2.19). Cinzio and Flaminia then devise a plan to escape by sea: Mescolino and Cinzio invite Dottore for a dinner to their place where Flaminia, pretending to be a prostitute, is also present. At the end of the dinner, Dottore escorts the entire company to the port, where the two lovers can thus leave. Once back home, Dottore realizes that he has been duped and goes back to the port to retrieve his daughter. The play ends with Coviello arriving in town and officially asking Dottore for his daughter’s hand and the permission for her to marry his son Cinzio. The title of the scenario, although misleading, was probably used to attract audience members by using the figure of the honest courtesan, one that long captured the imagination as a female symbol of sexual license, elegance, and beauty in the Venice of the time: Among the most educated women in society, among the only women to interact in the male-dominated public sphere, and yet arguably the most subjugated women in sixteenth-century Venice, the cortigiane oneste

Anonymous Manuscript Correr

221

(“honest courtesans”) both upheld and transcended the female gender roles designated for them by the traditional, Catholic, patriarchal society in which they lived. Prostitution may be the oldest profession in human history, but the cortigiane oneste used their advanced education and higher social standing to elevate their status above that of the cortigiane di lume (“courtesan of light,”) a lower class of courtesan who catered to the middle classes, and the meretrice (“harlots”) who sold their wares under the bridges of the lagoon city. The economic and cultural climate of 16th century Venice facilitated the cortigiane oneste’s emergence as relative power players among societal elites, and allowed these women to transcend the barrier between the female private sphere and the male public sphere, but did so at the sacrifice of their reputations in respectable society. (Sison 2015: 59) 2

The Honest Courtesan (La cortigiana onesta) [Comedy]3 Characters Magnifico Orazio, son Argentina, servant Dottore Flaminia Tartaglia, servant Coviello, traveling Servant Cinzio, Coviello’s son Mescolino, servant Cook and Court Naples ACT ONE 1 Magnifico is asked by 2 Orazio to give him a wife; Magnifico says no, because he is too young; then he says that he wants to please him; he tells him about his love for Dottore’s

222 The collections of scenarios

daughter; Magnifico says that he will talk to him, and they both walk down the street. 3 Cinzio tells 4 Mescolino that he has fallen in love with Flaminia for her fame and that, as soon as he arrived in Naples, he rented a house next to Dottore’s, where he discovered a secret passage that leads into Flaminia’s bedroom; he talked to her and they have decided to escape from her father’s hands; she is already gathering her best things; he sends Mescolino to the port to see if there are vessels ready to leave. Mescolino exits; he goes back inside. 5 Dottore tells 6 Tartaglia about his jealousy for his daughter and about his strictness; he says that he hopes to marry her to a good match. He tells him that, if she needs anything, he is supposed to give it to her and serve her; he replies that he wants to have breakfast and goes back inside doing his lazzi; Dottore remains. Next 7 Magnifico after having seen Dottore, they give each other a friendly greeting; then he asks him for his daughter’s hand on behalf of his son Orazio; he happily agrees; Magnifico leaves and goes to prepare for the wedding; Dottore goes to give the news and knocks 8 Tartaglia does his lazzi about eating, then comes out; he tells him the whole thing. Next 9 Cinzio from his house, sees Dottore, who leaves. Tartaglia goes inside; he says that he will go and take pleasure with his lover, since Dottore is not in the house; Flaminia goes inside, and Mescolino tells him that the vessel is ready. Next

Anonymous Manuscript Correr

223

10 Tartaglia says he has seen Flaminia in Cinzio’s arms but that he has not told them anything, so that his master can see them with his eyes. Mescolino tries to dissuade him, but he disagrees and exits; Zanni remains. Next 11 Cinzio says that he has tried to see if Flaminia can go through the passage and that it works fine. Mescolino tells him about Tartaglia. Cinzio begs him to find a solution, but after discussing it, they cannot find one. Cinzio goes inside to inform Flaminia. Mescolino remains. Next 12 Cook sent by Magnifico with things for the banquet; Mescolino, with lazzi, steals his things. Cook exits, and Mescolino remains with the things to eat; he does lazzi that he wants to eat. Next 13 Con men they play the burla of cucagnesi,4 and this brings the act to an end. ACT TWO 14 Cinzio is sad because his love affair has been discovered. 15 Mescolino about the burla; sees Cinzio and tells him that Dottore won’t believe Tartaglia, because he is too foolish. Next 16 Dottore in the street, with 17 Tartaglia listens to what he has to say. Dottore tells him that if he has said the truth, he will give him a reward; they see Cinzio and insult him; he denies the whole thing, saying that it is not true. Dottore goes inside the house to check if Flaminia is locked up in her room; they remain. Dottore comes back and scolds

224 The collections of scenarios

Tartaglia because it was not true, but he says he has seen Cinzio embracing a woman. Mescolino steps forward and says that that woman is a prostitute whom his master had called from the village, and that some people who saw her in the street were saying: “that woman looks like Dottore’s daughter,” and thus he is not surprised by Tartaglia’s mistake. Dottore asks him if he can see her, he refuses, and Dottore insists; eventually, he goes to call her. 18 Flaminia gone through the passage, comes out with 19 Mescolino with a different dress. She does lazzi with Dottore, pretending not to know him, and he goes to see if his daughter is inside the house. She goes immediately through the passage; after having done for three times the same lazzi, she goes back inside through the passage for the last time. Dottore goes back inside with Tartaglia, while the others remain and talk about this; then they go back inside. 20 Magnifico who has given orders for Orazio’s wedding, knocks at the door. 21 Argentina he asks if Orazio is in; she nods and calls him. 22 Orazio Magnifico tells him that he has prepared for the wedding; Orazio says: “we must anticipate,” and asks about the cook; he knocks at 23 Dottore Magnifico asks him if he has seen the cook; he says no and knocks so that he can touch her hand. 24 Flaminia Orazio greets her; Dottore wants her to touch the groom’s hand, but she goes back in without listening to him; they complain about the youth, but he says that she will agree. They all enter the house; Dottore remains and thinks about the courtesan. Next

Anonymous Manuscript Correr

225

25 Cinzio comes out with 26 Mescolino who says he has received a letter from his father, asking him to go back home; he says that he wants to leave. Dottore praises his departure and obedience to his father; Cinzio invites him for dinner; Dottore refuses, but then agrees. Next 27 Tartaglia Cinzio invites him as well; Cinzio calls 28 Flaminia who has already come to Cinzio’s house; caresses Dottore who, suspecting something, says that he wants to go back home; they walk back and forth, and eventually he leaves; she goes back in, and he does the same; then he comes back and says: “I am crazy”; he hands her to Cinzio, and they all go back inside, bringing the act to an end. ACT THREE 29 Cinzio, Dottore, Flaminia, Mescolino from Cinzio’s house, they say that they want to leave. Mescolino does his lazzi with the drum, and Dottore says he is willing to go with him. Next 30 Tartaglia does his lazzi, in order to distract the others, and they all laugh. Next 31 Magnifico sees Flaminia having so much confidence with Cinzio, becomes suspicious and rejects her as his daughter-in-law; they all exit. Magnifico remains. Next 32 Orazio Magnifico tells him about Flaminia, and they both complain about Dottore. Next

226 The collections of scenarios

33 Dottore from the street, with 34 Tartaglia they have accompanied the foreigners to the vessel and now are happy that they have left. Magnifico and Orazio scold him for having given his daughter to another man. Dottore, laughing, says that the woman is one of Cinzio’s prostitutes, who only resembles Flaminia. He goes back inside, does some lazzi by calling her, then comes out and says that she is not there. Dottore goes back inside, does the same and, realizing the trick, runs to the port with Tartaglia with the intent to kill them. Magnifico and Orazio are stupefied and say that it is difficult to guard a woman; they exit. 35 Coviello traveling, says he has heard that his son is in Naples; he says that he wants to look for him and for an accommodation; he exits. 36 Mescolino says that they had to come back from the port because of the bad weather; he sees Dottore very upset and fears that something bad will happen. 37 Dottore from the street, with 38 Tartaglia Dottore orders him to beat Coviello up. Tartaglia beats him up and they go back inside. Coviello remains and does some lazzi. Next 39 Court taking to jail 40 Cinzio for having kidnapped Flaminia; Coviello recognizes him and wants to know what is happening; he hears the whole thing and knocks at

Anonymous Manuscript Correr

227

41 Dottore who says: “Have you come back for some more?” He begs him to forgive Cinzio. Dottore says that he agrees and calls 42 Tartaglia with a stick asks: “Who am I supposed to beat?” He says: “no,” and asks him to call 43 Flaminia he scolds her and then tells her that he wants to punish her; then he asks her for her hand and marries her to Cinzio. Next 44 Magnifico and Orazio hear about the whole thing and of the affair; they agree to the wedding. Next 45 Mescolino hears about the events and is happy. Next 46 Argentina having heard the whole thing, marries Mescolino, and the comedy ends.

The Three Captains This scenario is also very typical in its plot and revolves around the efforts of competing young adults to be able to marry their beloveds. However, this scenario complicates the matters by having three rather than two young lovers competing for the same woman, while three old men further complicate the plot with designs of their own – Magnifico and Coviello, respectively Flaminia and Orazio’s fathers, and Cassandro, Capitano’s father. Magnifico leaves town and asks his servant Zanni to guard his daughter Flaminia. However, Orazio and Flaminia love each other and are able to convince Zanni of the veracity of their feelings, so much so that Zanni lets Orazio “touch her hand” (1.4). Virginio is also in love with Flaminia and goes to her house with his servant Tartaglia, in love with Argentina, Flaminia’s servant. Flaminia rejects Virginio’s offer only to discover from her father, Magnifico, just back from his trip, that she has been promised to Capitano, Cassandro’s son, who

228 The collections of scenarios

will soon arrive in Naples (1.13). Zanni decides to help the two lovers and devises a plan: Orazio will pretend to be Capitano, while Zanni will disguise himself as his servant Perichito. In the meantime, Coviello gets on board with Orazio’s plan and agrees to disguise his daughter Filice as Flaminia (2.23). When Capitano arrives in town and asks where Magnifico’s house is, he is told by Zanni to go to Coviello’s, where he eventually touches Filice’s hand, believing her to be Flaminia (2.27). Orazio’s rival, Virginio, who has come to know about the entire plan from his servant Tartaglia, also decides to dress up as Capitano and to go and knock at Magnifico’s door (2.30). Magnifico is thus deceived and lets Virginio touch Flaminia’s hand. When Orazio finally arrives at the house disguised as Capitano, he is believed by Magnifico to be a con artist. The arrival of Cassandro, father of the real Capitano, will bring the comedy to an end by being able to unmask the two fake Capitanos. However, Capitano in the meantime has fallen in love with Filice, and the scenario hints – not directly – to an end where Orazio will marry Flaminia and Capitano Filice.

The Three Captains (Tre capitani) [Comedy]5 Characters Magnifico Flaminia, daughter Zanni, servant Argentina, servant Coviello Orazio, son Filice, daughter Virginio Tartaglia, servant Capitano, traveling Perichitto, servant Cassandro, traveling, Capitano’s father Naples Properties A letter that can be read Lots of beards for the Capitani Two gabardines Two long cloaks A stick for clubbing

Anonymous Manuscript Correr

229

ACT ONE 1 Orazio about his love for Flaminia, her reciprocation, and Zanni as obstacle, left by Magnifico to guard her; he beckons to her. Next 2 Flaminia at the window, does a love scene; they complain about Zanni and agree to club him. Next 3 Zanni overhears the whole thing, then steps forward, scolds Flaminia, who goes back inside the house. After having recognized Orazio, he scolds him; he does lazzi of having made Flaminia pregnant; after having done all of his triumphs,6 Zanni calls 4 Flaminia Orazio does his lazzi; eventually Zanni hears the whole story, believes it, and lets him touch her hand. Flaminia goes back inside the house; Orazio exits. 5 Argentina from the window, has heard the whole thing, and says that she wants to tell it to Magnifico, unless Zanni gives her a husband as well; he promises, and they go back inside the house. 6 Virginio from the street, with 7 Tartaglia about his love for Flaminia. Tartaglia, about his love for the servant; they knock at 8 Argentina does a love scene with Tartaglia; eventually, he tells her about Virginio. She says that he must forget Flaminia, because she is in love with Orazio, and tells him the whole thing. Next

230 The collections of scenarios

9 Flaminia who has seen the whole thing standing apart, clubs Argentina, who escapes inside the house; and then she scolds Orazio. Tartaglia does his lazzi; she goes back inside the house, and they exit through the street. 10 Magnifico traveling, says he has arrived from Messina, and knocks at his door. 11 Zanni having seen his master, pretends to be happy; he does some lazzi and then knocks 12 Flaminia from the house, with 13 Argentina Flaminia, after having seen her father, rejoices. Argentina does her lazzi of happiness, caresses him, and eventually Magnifico says he has married Flaminia with Cassandro’s son; but because he was not in Messina, he has not seen him; he says that as soon as the father will come back, he will send the son to Naples; Flaminia says: “I don’t want him,” but he says that she will have to do it his way. The servant says that he is right, and they all go back inside the house. 14 Coviello comes out of the house, arguing with 15 Filice who tells him that she wants a husband; he says to wait until after Orazio’s wedding, and that with that dowry he will marry her as well. Eventually, Filice calms down, and they go back inside the house. 16 Zanni comes out of the house, with a letter to be given to Orazio. Next

Anonymous Manuscript Correr

231

17 Magnifico comes out, and quickly takes the letter from him; he says that it is his mother’s letter and does lazzi of reading it; he is angered and calls 18 Flaminia Magnifico scolds her, but she denies it; he shows her the letter, and she falls stunned to the ground; they do lazzi of having Zanni taking her inside the house; then they all go back inside, and this brings the first act to an end.

ACT TWO 19 Zanni sent by Flaminia to look for Orazio to tell him the whole thing. Next 20 Orazio Zanni tells him the whole thing; Orazio is sorry, then begs Zanni to help him. Zanni promises him to do it, then he tells him how to trick Magnifico: he has to pretend to be Capitano and he [Zanni], Perichitto. Orazio agrees; Zanni and Orazio remain. Next 21 Tartaglia who, while hiding, has heard the whole thing, says: “this is enough” and exits; Zanni devises a plan to marry the sister, and Orazio is pleased; Zanni knocks 22 Coviello hears the whole thing and after doing lazzi, agrees. Orazio knocks at 23 Filice hears the whole thing and ask her relatives what is best to do; they suggest her to pretend to be Flaminia. She agrees and goes back inside with Coviello; Orazio exits; Zanni remains. Next

232 The collections of scenarios

24 Capitano traveling with 25 Perichitto does his lazzi and is seen by Zanni; he asks him where Magnifico’s house is. Zanni, after having asked who they are, tells them to be Magnifico’s servant and calls 26 Coviello from inside the house, does his lazzi. Then he comes out, caresses Capitano, and then calls 27 Filice says she is Flaminia; Capitano touches her hand, then he gives Coviello the letter and they enter the house; Zanni goes to dress up. 28 Virginio from the street, disguised as the Capitano with a fake beard, and with 29 Tartaglia disguised as Perichitto. Tartaglia tells him the whole thing, and they knock 30 Magnifico with lazzi accepts his son-in-law; Tartaglia does his lazzi; eventually, Magnifico knocks 31 Flaminia comes out with 32 Argentina they do their lazzi; eventually Magnifico makes her touch his hand by force, and they all enter Magnifico’s house. 33 Orazio from the street, disguised as Capitano, with

Anonymous Manuscript Correr

233

34 Zanni disguised as Perichitto; they do their triumphs and knock 35 Magnifico they do their lazzi; Magnifico asks them who they are; he says he is Capitano; Magnifico laughs at this and says that they are con artists; then he says he has his son inside the house and knocks 36 Virginio comes out disguised as Capitano, with 37 Tartaglia they do their triumphs; eventually they exit. Virginio [is] with Tartaglia inside the house, the others by the street, and this ends the second act. ACT THREE 38 Orazio with 39 Zanni who says that those are two con artists; the real Capitano is in his house; they say to ask Coviello for the letter; they knock 40 Coviello does his lazzi; eventually, Orazio asks him about the letter that Capitano carried; he gives it to him and goes back inside; they knock 41 Magnifico receives the letter, understands that these are con artists, and knocks 42 Virginio from the house, with

234 The collections of scenarios

43 Tartaglia Magnifico asks him about the letter; they crumple it up; eventually, Magnifico chases them away; they leave upset; Magnifico knocks at 44 Flaminia hears the whole thing from Magnifico; Zanni identifies himself and she happily lets them inside the house. Zanni does his Perichitto’s lazzi and enters; Magnifico remains. Next 45 Capitano coming from Coviello’s house, with 46 Perichitto after having seen Magnifico, they begin to talk to each other; eventually, Magnifico hears that one of them is called Capitano; they do a scene their own way; eventually, Capitano exits and Magnifico remains. Next 47 Cassandro just arrived, sees Magnifico; they greet each other, and he tells him about his son and calls him 48 Orazio and Zanni Magnifico shows him to Cassandro and says “this is your son”; he denies it and takes his beard off. Orazio, humiliated, leaves with Zanni. Next 49 Virginio and Tartaglia Magnifico says: “it must be this one.” Cassandro does his lazzi, then takes his beard off; they leave humiliated; Magnifico, amazed, remains. Next 50 Capitano from the street, with 51 Perichitto after having seen his father, goes to embrace him. Magnifico is surprised; Capitano tells what has happened to him and points to Coviello’s house. Magnifico knocks

Anonymous Manuscript Correr

235

52 Coviello realizing that he has been discovered, confesses everything and knocks 53 Filice corroborates the whole thing; Capitano says that he does not want anybody but Filice as his wife; she lets him touch her hand and they knock at 54 Flaminia and Argentina confess the whole thing. Next 55 Orazio and Zanni Magnifico discovers their tricks and wants to let him touch her hand. Next 56 Virginio and Tartaglia they go for their swords; they all intervene; eventually, all the tricks are discovered, and this brings the comedy to an end.

Notes 1 Anna Maria Testaverde has also placed the drafting of the Correr scenarios in the second half of the seventeenth century, agreeing with Zorzi that these texts actually belonged to a company operating during that period in Venice at the Theatre of San Cassiano (2007: xxxix). 2 Arguably the most famous member of this class of courtesans was Veronica Franco (1546– 1591), who used her connections in the private sphere of the bedrooms of the Venetian elite to gain access to the public sphere of art, culture, and politics and to find success as a published poet. See Rosenthal (1992). 3 Manoscritto Correr 1040 [Manuscript]. At Venice: Biblioteca del Museo Correr, scenario 34, cc. 96r-98r. 4 Not clear what it refers to. 5 Manoscritto Correr 1040 [Manuscript]. At Venice: Biblioteca del Museo Correr, scenario 44, cc. 121v-123r. 6 A kind of pantomime that most probably originated with street processions and during which some characters would carry the winner on their shoulders (Mariti 1980: 118).

7 GIBALDONE [. . .] MANUSCRIPTS XI.AA.40 AND 41. (NAPLES, BIBLIOTECA NAZIONALE) Sergio Costola in collaboration with Olly Crick

These manuscripts, two volumes with different titles,1 contain one hundred and eighty-one plots – one hundred and seventy-six of which can be deciphered – and constitute the largest known collection of commedia dell’arte scenarios in the world. The Gibaldone was compiled by Antonio Passanti and other copyists in 1700 for Annibale Sersale, Count of Casamarciano, and it can be said to represent “the summa of all seventeenth-century dramaturgical models” (Testaverde 2007: 717). First discovered and analyzed by Benedetto Croce in 1897, who later donated it to the Biblioteca Nazionale in Naples, these scenarios well “illustrate the hybrid character of the theatre of the second half of the seventeenth century”: comedies drawn from the novella tradition, farcical and pastoral plots, moral fables, fairy tales, historical tragedies, and Spanish dramas (Ferrone 2014: 179). Yet despite its breadth, most of the scenarios “revolve around the efforts of young adults – lovers, known as innamorati, and servants – to make suitable marriages. Their plans are usually complicated by old men with designs of their own” (Heck 2001: vol. 1, 3). This dramaturgy translated onto the stage into a standard layout of typically three houses giving on a “street,” or open space center stage, where nearly all the action occurred: “each house is usually owned by an older man (a vecchio, like Dottore, Pascariello, or Tartaglia), and is also normally where his daughter(s) or son(s), and their servant(s) live” (ibid.). Despite the disparity of genres and the presence of plots drawn from Spanish sources, “the pervasive presence of typically Neapolitan characters and dialectical Neapolitan turn of phrase leave no doubt as to the provenance of the collection” (Cotticelli 2001a: vol. 1, 14). This collection is also fundamental for a full understanding of both the commedia dell’arte and the theatrical activity in Naples during the second half of the seventeenth century: In the panorama of theatrical life in Naples between the latter 1600s and the early 1700s, the Casamarciano collection is perhaps the most important – and disturbing – witness to the much-discussed vitality that seems to have DOI: 10.4324/9781003100676-10

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

237

characterized the world of the commedia dell’arte. While the rapid establishment of this genre in the first half of the seventeenth century is amply documented, very little evidence about it exists in the latter half, with the exception of this zibaldone. The monumental size of the collection, and the variety of sources on which it draws, lead one to infer that there was a vast assortment of theatrical activity, in continuous transformation, in and around Naples. (Cotticelli 2001b: vol. 1, 19) One of these typical Neapolitan characters present in the collection is Pulcinella, who appears in every scenario – with the exception of scenario number 75 of the second volume – and in a variety of roles. Scholars are still debating if this overwhelming presence contributed to what has been considered the beginning of a process of disintegration of the commedia dell’arte, “by increasing the output of ill-constructed farces” as well as the number “of lazzi and subplots” (Lea 1934: I, 100–102), or if Pulcinella’s exuberant appearance gave a certain “degree of tonal unity” to the entire collection and “renewed and revitalized otherwise dated stories” (Cotticelli 2001a: vol. 1, 15). Each volume of this collection has its own way of presenting the various elements of the scenarios – list of characters, properties, and setting – as well as the division into acts and scenes. In the three scenarios here presented, I have tried to adhere to the different original layouts, as Francesco Cotticelli has also done in his superb edition of the entire collection. This chapter offers the transcription and translation of two of its comedic scenarios, Pulcinella in Love and The Lady as Pulcinella, both perfect examples of the multifaceted character of Pulcinella, and Arcadia Enchanted, probably the most famous scenario in this collection because of its often-cited connection to Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Primary text Gibaldone de Soggetti Da recitarsi all’Impronto, Alcuni proprij e gli altri da diversi Raccolti, Di Don Annibale Sersale, Conte di Casamarciano. Manuscript XI.AA.41 [Manuscript]. At Naples: Biblioteca Nazionale. Gibaldone Comico di Varij Suggetti di Comedie ed Opere Bellissime, Copiate da mé Antonio Passanti detto Oratio il Calabrese, Per Comando dell’Eccellentissimo Signor Conte di Casamarciano. Manuscript XI.AA.40 [Manuscript]. At Naples: Biblioteca Nazionale.

Recent editions and translations Cotticelli, Francesco, Goodrich, Anne and Heck, Thomas F. (eds.) (2001) The Commedia dell’Arte in Naples: A Bilingual Edition of the 176 Casamarciano Scenarios (2 vols). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. Testaverde, Anna Maria. (2007) I Canovacci della Commedia dell’Arte, 527– 621. Torino: Einaudi (partial).

238 The collections of scenarios

Pulcinella in Love This scenario is entirely based on Pulcinella’s plans to enjoy his beloved Pimpinella. He tries first by hiding in a sack, so that the neighbors won’t see him, and waiting for her to come out of the house so that Tartaglia, enlisted as help, can hand her the sack. In the meantime, Orazio first and then Fabrizio, both in love with Delia, Tartaglia’s daughter, plan to ask Pimpinella to act as a go-between and go to her house, where they find, to their surprise, Tartaglia standing in front of Pimpinella’s door with the sack. Then is the turn of Pascariello, Fabrizio’s servant, who, upon hearing from Tartaglia that there is a pig in the sack, decides to buy it and goes to gather his tools to slaughter the pig. Once he finds out that it is Pulcinella inside the sack, a series of lazzi brings the first attempt to an end. Following Pimpinella’s suggestion, Pulcinella then agrees to go back to her house at two o’clock in the morning dressed as a woman and with a ladder, so that Pimpinella can come out of the window and elope with him. However, the same exact plan is also devised by Delia and Fabrizio, thus leading to a case of mistaken identity: Pulcinella, dressed as a woman and believed to be Delia, ends up with Orazio – who, upon hearing about his rival’s plan, preceded him – while Fabrizio is caught by Tartaglia while climbing the ladder at Delia’s window. The comedy ends with Tartaglia’s forgiveness and the double wedding between Fabrizio with Delia and Pulcinella with Pimpinella. According to the famous commedia dell’arte actor Pier Maria Cecchini (1563–1645), the mask of Pulcinella was invented by Silvio Fiorillo, who in 1632 published his La Lucilla costante, con le ridicolose disfide e prodezze di Pulcinella, thus giving “this new character its first literary representation” (Molinari 1985: 201). The mask, however, could have already existed “in a very similar form, under the name of Pascariello, created by Neapolitan companies in order to replace the Bergamask Zanni” (Fava 2015: 112). The Pulcinella mask, then, became one of the most famous among the ones of the commedia dell’arte, with its costume often appearing during the carnival celebrations, as well as in the Balli di Sfessania, the famous etchings by Jacques Callot, “in the frescoes by Giovan Battista Tiepolo, the paintings by Alessandro Magnasco, and the watercolors and prints by Pietro Leone Ghezzi” (ibid., 204). The popularity of this mask in the theatre itself, however, remained confined to the city of Naples and its surroundings, very seldomly appearing as a character in the most important commedia dell’arte companies touring Italy and Europe during the seventeenth century.

Pulcinella in Love (Policinella inamorato)2 Characters Tartaglia, father of Delia Fabrizio

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

239

Pascariello, servant Pulcinella, on his own Pimpinella, on her own Orazio, on his own Properties Two ladders A lantern An oil lamp or candlestick A sack A woman’s dress for Pulcinella A bag Tools for slaughtering a pig Naples ACT ONE Scene One: Tartaglia and Pulcinella dragging a sack with Pulcinella inside; he is asked what this prank is all about. Pulcinella says that, since he’s in love with Pimpinella, he has agreed with her to enter her house in that sack so that the neighbors won’t see him; for this reason, he shouldn’t leave until Pimpinella comes out, so that he will hand the sack over to her; next Scene Two: Orazio and the above about his love for Delia, who does not return his feelings; he wants Pimpinella to act as a go-between; then he becomes aware of Tartaglia and asks him what he has in the sack; he says that there is a pig for sale; Orazio wants to buy it, but they cannot agree on the price, and [he] exits; the others remain; next Scene Three: Fabrizio, Tartaglia, and Pulcinella in the sack wants to speak with his beloved Delia, but he becomes aware of Tartaglia and asks him what he has in the sack; they do the same scene as before and then Fabrizio exits; the others remain; next Scene Four: Pascariello, Tartaglia, and Pulcinella in the sack talking about his master Fabrizio’s love affairs; he becomes aware of Tartaglia and asks him the same question; he receives the same answer; they negotiate and come to an agreement; Pascariello gives him the money and goes to look for the tools to slaughter the pig; they remain; next

240 The collections of scenarios

Scene Five: Pimpinella, Tartaglia, and Pulcinella in the sack upon seeing Pimpinella, Tartaglia tells her about Pulcinella; they are about to get him out of the sack and into the house, when arrives Scene Six: Pascariello and the above seeing what is happening, asks Tartaglia about the pig; he says it is that one; Pascariello gets angry and would like to take Pulcinella in place of the pig, since he paid good money; Pulcinella is half in and half out of the sack and starts fighting with Pascariello; Tartaglia and Pimpinella exit, while the others bring the first act to an end with some lazzi. ACT TWO Scene One: Pulcinella, alone complaining about what has happened, he decides not to give up on his love and knocks at the door to be able to speak to his lover. Scene Two: Pimpinella [and Pulcinella] they do some lazzi and a love scene; Pulcinella tells her he will come back at two in the morning, dressed like a woman and with a ladder, so that she can elope with him; Pulcinella, after some lazzi, agrees; she goes back inside and he exits. Scene Three: Fabrizio, alone about his love for Delia; he knocks at her door Scene Four: Delia, Fabrizio, and Orazio to one side love scene; then Delia tells him to come back at two in the morning with a ladder, so that she will let him in from the window; Orazio overhears the whole thing and exits; the others exit, having agreed on their plan. Scene Five: Tartaglia and then Delia he wants to talk to his daughter and thus calls her; she comes out; the father tells her that he wants her to marry Orazio; she refuses, and they get into a fight; her father threatens her, and she obstinately goes back inside; Tartaglia remains and complains about his daughter; next Scene 6: Pascariello and Tartaglia upon hearing Tartaglia complaining, asks him what’s wrong; he tells him the reason, and Pascariello tells him that he is wrong; he gets angry; at the end of the scene, they beat each other, and the second act ends.

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

241

ACT THREE Scene One: Pulcinella, alone At night dressed as a woman and with a ladder; after his lazzi, he leans it up to Delia’s window by mistake, and begins to climb; next Scene Two: Orazio [and above] with a ladder, having heard about Fabrizio and Delia’s plan, he has come with the intent of fooling Delia and taking advantage of the situation; he leans the ladder up to the window and begins to climb; upon seeing Pulcinella on the other ladder dressed up like a woman, he mistakes him for Delia and does a love scene; he begs her to come inside the house; Pulcinella, frightened, pretends to be Delia and agrees; they both come down the ladders and depart together, leaving the ladders behind. Scene Three: Fabrizio and Pascariello with a lantern, he says that he has sent another servant ahead with the ladder; next, upon seeing two ladders, they are left astonished; eventually, Fabrizio climbs the ladder and knocks at the window. Scene Four: Delia and the above Delia appears at the window, and while she is about to let him in, comes out Scene Five: Tartaglia and the above Tartaglia, holding a candlestick or an oil lamp, comes out saying that he has heard a noise around his house and wants to see what is going on; he realizes what is happening and begins to scream; Fabrizio falls from the ladder and Delia comes out of the house; on their knees, they both ask him for forgiveness; eventually Tartaglia, after his lazzi, marries them; next Last Scene. Everyone Orazio beats Pulcinella, who says he is sorry; next Pimpinella comes out and helps him out; Orazio, seeing that Delia is now married with Fabrizio, and that he can’t do anything about it, gives up; the marriage between Pulcinella and Pimpinella is also celebrated. So ends the comedy.

Arcadia Enchanted L’isola incantata is arguably the most famous of the one hundred and eighty-one scenarios in the Casamarciano collection and has often been cited in relation to Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Cotticelli, Goodrich and Heck 2001: vol. 2, 546).3

242 The collections of scenarios

The play, in fact, begins with a Magician (il Mago) announcing to the shepherds and nymphs the arrival of some strangers on the island due to a shipwreck caused by one of his spells. These strangers are the traditional commedia dell’arte masks of Pulcinella, Dottore, Tartaglia, and Coviello invading the space of Arcadia. After the shipwreck, Pulcinella enters from one side of the stage and describes the shipwreck and “the loss of his masters, his companions, and the servants” (1.2). Then Coviello enters from the other side and says and does the same. Pulcinella and Coviello then see each other and make the lazzi of fear (1.3). The events then are controlled by the Magician, who controls the island through spirits, offering and then removing food from the starving companions. Together with the vicissitudes of the commedia dell’arte masks, there are the love stories of the shepherds and nymphs: Silvio is in love with Clori, who is instead in love with Fileno, who is in turn in love with Filli, who loves Silvio instead. It is the classical circular structure of pastoral plays, one which will eventually find a solution according to the desire of the nymphs. In addition, by the end of the scenario, the Magician will be able to right old wrongs, lead the survivors away from the island, and abandon his art. The scenario is comprised of two different levels: one, ‘low’ and farcical, is characterized by the commedia dell’arte masks, with their comic interludes and lazzi; the other, sentimental and ‘noble,’ is characterized by the shepherds and nymphs. However, even if the two levels intermingle – in this scenario, due to a spell, all nymphs and shepherds fall in love with Pulcinella – the two levels and their worlds remain “parallel and in opposition: the encounters are casual, and the possibility of involvement and understanding is violently denied” (Molinari 1985: 48). This scenario is also testimony to the fact that the commedia dell’arte troupes used to perform a vast array of theatrical genres; it is also worth noting that the first play ever published by a commedia dell’arte actor was a pastoral and not a comedy: Fiammella by Orazio Rossi (Paris 1584). The story is not dissimilar from the one here presented: a circular structure involving shepherds and nymphs – Fiammella is in love with Montano, who instead loves Ardelia, who in turn loves Titiro, who is in love with Fiammella – and the commedia dell’arte masks of Pantalone, Bergamino, and Dottor Graziano arriving in Arcadia because of a tempest that has caused the shipwreck (ibid., 47).

Arcadia Enchanted (Arcadia incantata)4 Characters Magician Silvio and Fileno, friends Clori and Filli, nymphs

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

243

Silvana, a peasant Dottore, the master and Tartaglia Pulcinella and Coviello, servants Four spirits, priests, shepherds Settings A stormy sea, With a ship foundering A temple The woods ACT ONE The woods 1 Magician about the foreigners’ arrival, saying that they won’t leave without his permission; he talks about how he mocks the shepherds and nymphs in the woods; he exits after a spell. A stormy sea with a ship foundering 2 Pulcinella from the sea, about the storm that just happened, the shipwreck and the loss of his masters, his companions, and the servants; next 3 Coviello from the other side, does the same as Pulcinella; they become aware of each other, and they do lazzi of fear; eventually, after -; next 4 Tartaglia from one side and 5 Dottore from the other, they complain about the loss of their companions and, after some lazzi, they become aware of each other and the four perform the scene of fear; after some lazzi, they realize that they are alive, and they

244 The collections of scenarios

narrate how it happened; they exit to get some food and to find out where they are. 6 Silvio about his love for Clori and her cruelty; next In the woods

7 Clori about Fileno’s cruelty; Silvio begs her [to love him], but she exits rejecting him; he follows her full of sorrow. 8 Fileno about Filli’s love and her cruelty; next 9 Filli about Silvio’s cruelty; Fileno begs her [to love him], but she exits rejecting him; he exits in despair. 10 Pulcinella didn’t find anything and lost all of his companions; he performs the scene of the echo; next 11 Priests see that he is a foreigner and caress him; he wants to eat, and they promise to satisfy him, and they lead him to the temple. 12 Clori, Filli, and Silvana they have overheard that a foreigner is about to be sacrificed at the temple, and they want to see for themselves and thus go At the temple 13 Priests, Shepherds carrying on a chair

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

245

14 Pulcinella to be sacrificed. After the scene 15 Nymphs come to the sacrifice; Pulcinella asks for food, and they urge him to die worthily; next 16 Magician says that this sacrifice should not take place; he scolds the priests, who stubbornly persist; he calls 17 Two spirits who beat them; they all leave; the spirits carry off a frightened Pulcinella, and thus the first act ends. ACT TWO The woods with a fruit tree 18 Dottore, Tartaglia, Coviello they could not find anything to eat and do not know where they are; they talk about the numerous wild beasts that can be found in that place, and they fear to have lost Pulcinella; next 19 Pulcinella running on and off the stage, full of terror; they stop him, and he tells them what has happened at the temple; they laugh at this and think he is crazy; they realize that they have nothing to eat; eventually they see the fruit tree, look right and left for fear of the owners, and decide to pick some fruits; next come out the 20 Flames they scare them off and all the fruits f ly in the air; they [Flames] try to get them with a stick; the water pot breaks, and they [Flames] get scared; next from indoors

246 The collections of scenarios

21 Silvana scolding the shepherd Dameta for having enjoyed and then abandoned her; they see her and ask her where they are, and where these people are from; she answers that they are in Arcadia; Silvana realizes that they are foreigners, caresses them; they fall in love with her and compete among themselves; because of the noise 22 The magician scolds them for being lascivious; they get offended and want to beat him; he casts a spell and immobilizes them all; eventually they beg him, and he returns them to their previous condition; he exhorts them to be virtuous and exits; they remain and ask for some food; Silvana brings them to the hut to give them refreshment. 23 Fileno about Filli’s love and her cruelty; next 24 Clori begs him, but he rejects her and exits; she follows him full of sorrow. 25 Silvio about his fate; next 26 Filli begs him, he rejects her and exits; she exits full of sorrow. 27 The magician with a garland, casts a spell on it so that whoever will wear it will look like the beloved person; he hangs it on a branch and exits. 28 Pulcinella says that he has eaten very well and that he left his companions asleep; he sees the garland and puts it on; next

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

247

29 Silvio believing [Pulcinella] to be Clori, begs him; he makes fun of him and laughs; Silvio, offended, exits full of sorrow; he remains. 30 Filli believing [Pulcinella] to be Silvio, begs him; he rejects her; she exits and Pulcinella remains. 31 Fileno believing [Pulcinella] to be Filli, begs her; he mocks him, and he exits; Pulcinella remains; next 32 Clori begs him, he mocks her; she exits and Pulcinella wonders at these people’s madness; next 33 Dottore, Coviello, Tartaglia [say] they have eaten and slept well and have lost their companion Pulcinella; they see him with the garland, believe him to be Silvana, and ask her about Pulcinella; he laughs at this; they surround him and caress him; next 34 The magician invisible, places and removes the garland on and off each one of them; the four of them perform their scene; eventually, the magician leaves, taking the garland with him; the four of them remain and ask Pulcinella where he has been; next 35 Silvana greets them; they fall in love with her again; she says that she cannot belong to all of them; she says that, if they agree, she will belong to the one who sleeps the best; they agree and lie down to sleep; she leaves them and exits; they remain; next

248 The collections of scenarios

36 Four spirits lie down among them; they awake and try to get up; with noises and shouts of fear, the second act ends. ACT THREE 37 Silvio and Fileno about their unhappy love affairs; they decide to go to the temple with offerings and to pray to the gods, in the hope that they might appease their lovers’ disdain; they exit. 38 Clori, Filli, and Silvana they say the same and go to pray to the gods. 39 Coviello having overheard everything, says that he wants to find his companions and tell them everything; next 40 Dottore, Tartaglia, and Pulcinella Coviello tells them all about the shepherds and nymphs; they leave to get dressed and go to the nearby temple; they exit 41 Silvio and Fileno with offerings; next 42 Clori, Filli, and Silvana with offerings on their way to the temple; next opens up The temple Dottore Tartaglia Pulcinella

as Jupiter as Venus as Cupid and

43 Coviello as a priest; shepherds and nymphs say their prayers and offer their gifts; the comic characters make their replies; nymphs and shepherds exit; the others

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

249

begin to eat; Pulcinella starts a fight, and they chase him away and exit, leaving him alone; he remains; next The temple closes 44 The magician makes Pulcinella king of Arcadia and gives him a book, a crown, and a scepter; he exits and Pulcinella remains; Pulcinella opens the book and the 45 Spirit says: “Command what you wish”; Pulcinella at first is scared, and then he orders a chair; he sends the spirit away and sits down; next 46 Silvio sees Pulcinella, thinks he is mad, and mocks him; he opens the book; next 47 Spirit Pulcinella orders him to beat him; he asks for forgiveness, and Pulcinella makes him his secretary; next 48 Fileno does the same; they remain; next 49 Clori the same; next 50 Filli the same; next 51 Silvana the same; next 52 Dottore, Tartaglia, and Coviello see Pulcinella and mock him; he tells them to show respect to the King of Arcadia, but they mock him even more; next he gets angry and opens [the book].

250 The collections of scenarios

53 Spirit orders him to beat them and so he does; then he orders him to bring a rope to hang them; they begin to weep; the spirit leaves and comes back with a rope; [Pulcinella] puts the rope around their necks and orders [the spirit] to hang them; they beg and weep, asking for forgiveness; next 54 The magician restrains the spirit, takes the rope away [from their necks], and tells Pulcinella that he has given him the book not to harm people but only to avenge himself; he takes the book away and marries Silvio to Clori, Fileno to Filli, Silvana to Dameta, and so the comedy ends. Properties Five garlands of f lowers Four darts Two fur coats Three robes for the priests Three miters A dressing gown A bowl and a jug A big pot, covered with leaves, with water, and to be broken A walking cane A large desk, and a chair Five small baskets of food A tree with fruits that can rise into the air Costumes for the spirits and the shepherds A Jupiter costume for Dottore A Venus costume for Tartaglia A Cupid costume for Pulcinella A priest costume for Coviello Scepter, crown, and book A chair A stick for beating A magician’s costume Eight fireworks Powder for the f lames A pitch torch A ship

The Lady as Pulcinella This would be a very traditional scenario with three love stories – two involving the innamorati and another involving two servants – if it were not for the

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

251

intervention of a Magician allowing, by means of two magic rings, a role reversal for two of the characters, Pulcinella and Celia. Orazio is in love with Celia, Dottore’s wife, and each night hires musicians to play a serenade at his beloved’s window. However, Dottore becomes aware of their reciprocal love and starts keeping his wife, Celia, under stricter guard. In the meantime, we learn that the young Luzio is in love with Isabella, who is instead in love with Orazio. The triangular love competition is mirrored by their servants as well: Coviello, Orazio’s servant, is in love with Rosetta, Isabella’s servant, who is instead in love with Pulcinella, Dottore’s servant. Orazio asks Coviello to devise a plan to be able to be with her beloved and circumvent her husband’s patrol. Coviello then asks a Magician for help, and a Spirit appears with two magic rings: one of the rings “has to be given to Celia; when she puts it on her finger, she will look like Pulcinella”; the other ring, instead, is given to Pulcinella who, when he “puts it on his finger, he will look like Celia” (1.15). Coviello then introduces the device of the New World in order to distract Dottore and be able to give the rings to Celia and Pulcinella (1.17–22). This New World device – Mondo nuovo – was a term used for “a magic lantern, a cosmorama, a raree-show, a pantoscope, or, more simply out, a peep show”: a large box with eyeholes through which the “viewers would behold handcolored, printed panorama views” (Spieth 2010: 188).5 Once Coviello is able to give Celia the ring and the Dottore ends up with the New World device smashed onto his head, the rest of the play is based on a series of comic lazzi triggered by the series of mistaken identities caused by the two rings. Toward the end of the third act, the apex of confusion is reached when Celia tells Pulcinella that she will be the only one wearing the ring, “so that there will be two Pulcinellas and this will drive the people who see them crazy” (3.44). Eventually, after Dottore is revealed to be impotent, the order is reestablished with the three weddings: Celia with Orazio, Luzio with Isabella, and Rosetta with Pulcinella. The trick of the two magic rings allows a woman, the young innamorata, to “subvert the rules of the game, facilitating her movements,” and allowing her to escape her husband’s guard. At the same time, the rings grant the two actors “unconventional expressive possibilities for their roles” (Cotticelli 2001: vol. 1, 550), allowing them to cross both gender and class boundaries: the actress playing Celia by playing the role of a male servant, and Pulcinella, in drag, by playing the role of a noble innamorata.

The Lady as Pulcinella (Donna Zanni)6 Characters Dottore, husband Celia, his wife Pulcinella, his servant Isabella, on her own

252 The collections of scenarios

Rosetta, her servant Orazio Coviello, his servant Luzio, on his own Musicians Magician A spirit Properties Two rings A spirit costume A magician costume A Pulcinella costume for Celia A Celia costume for Pulcinella A New World7 A stick for beating A shopping basket Sound effects A disguise with a beard for Coviello A pair of slippers Palermo, at night ACT ONE 1 Orazio and musicians says that he has come before daylight to be able to speak with Celia, Dottore’s wife, and that he has brought some musicians; he has them play; next 2 Dottore shouting from inside the house, complains with his wife for all the serenades that are played for her love every night; he goes to the window and pretends to be his wife; Orazio, believing him to be Celia, speaks lovingly to her; Dottore, enraged, insults him; Orazio exits without saying a word; Dottore goes back inside. 3 Luzio and musicians about his love for Isabella, and that he has come by night to be able to speak to her; he has the musicians play; next

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

253

4 Dottore thinking that it is Orazio again, appears at the window, threatens him and thus goes back inside; astonished, Luzio beckons to 5 Isabella who, believing him to be Orazio, appears at the window, speaking lovingly to him; they promise to become husband and wife; the woman goes back inside and he, saying that it is dawn, exits. At dawn 6 Pulcinella comes out, with a shopping basket, and talks about Dottore’s avarice; then he speaks about his love for Rosetta and calls 7 Rosetta they do a love scene; next 8 Coviello does his lazzi behind them; after his lazzi, he insults Rosetta and scolds Pulcinella; he says that he wants her as his wife; Rosetta pretends to speak lovingly to him, and then, with lazzi, embraces Pulcinella and takes him away; Coviello, in despair, remains; after his scene of desperation, he exits. 9 Luzio happy about the exchange he had with Isabella, he wants to talk to her and knocks at her door. 10 Rosetta after having heard from him, she says that he is wasting his time, since her mistress loves Orazio and not him; in order to convince him, she calls 11 Isabella she listens to him, gently rejects him, and goes back inside; astonished by her change of heart, he despairs and exits.

254 The collections of scenarios

12 Orazio preoccupied because that night his lover’s husband has realized that he is his wife’s lover; next 13 Coviello in despair for having been rejected by Rosetta and for having Pulcinella as his rival; Orazio begs him for help, and tells him that the previous night his lover’s husband has discovered him; Coviello says that his love is an impossible one, since Dottore is so jealous; he says that he has a friend who is a magician and calls the 14 Magician listens to Orazio and decides to help him; he calls a 15 Spirit who asks for two rings; the magician gives them to Orazio, saying that one of them has to be given to Celia; when she puts it on her finger, she will look like Pulcinella; when Pulcinella puts it on his finger, he will look like Celia; this way Dottore won’t be able to restrict her and she will be able to do whatever she wants, since she is believed to be Pulcinella; Coviello asks about Rosetta, and the magician says that one day she’ll be his, and exits; Orazio asks Coviello to deliver the ring to Celia; he agrees, and Orazio gives him the ring; Coviello exits and Orazio remains; next 16 Pulcinella Orazio tells him all about the ring; he is perplexed; Orazio gives him money and Pulcinella takes the ring and goes inside the house; Orazio remains; next 17 Coviello in disguise and holding a New World device; after some lazzi, he reveals his identity and says that thanks to this trick he’ll be able to give Celia the ring; Orazio exits; Coviello shouts underneath Celia’s window: “Who wants to see the New World?” next 18 Dottore comes to the window; he says that he wants to see the new invention and comes out; they do the lazzo of putting the head into the New World; next

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

255

19 Celia at her door; Coviello hands her the ring; next 20 Orazio embraces Celia, and tells her to meet him in the garden; Dottore withdraws his head, saying that he cannot see anything; he asks his wife to look inside, and she says that she is able to see beautiful things; Dottore wants to try again and puts his head back inside; next 21 Orazio embraces Celia; next 22 Pulcinella at the window, scolds the husband and comes out; Celia puts the ring on, Orazio exits, and they do more lazzi; eventually Dottore wants to withdraw his head because he is annoyed, but Coviello keeps him inside by force; Dottore screams and Coviello breaks the box of the New World on his head; and so ends the first act. ACT TWO 23 Luzio talks about what has happened; next 24 Pulcinella dressed as Celia and transformed thanks to the ring’s powers; Luzio thinks that he is Celia and reprehends her for being all alone in the streets; Pulcinella gets upset and wants to beat him; Luzio is about to draw his sword; next 25 Dottore comes in between, restrains Luzio and calms his wife down; Pulcinella gets angry with her husband; Luzio, astonished for the little respect that she has for her husband, exits; Dottore remains and scolds his wife; next

256 The collections of scenarios

26 Celia dressed as Pulcinella, comes in between and pretends to calm her master down; Dottore, believing her to be Pulcinella, scolds him for going out walking instead of helping him out at home; next 27 Orazio goes back and forth on the stage and does love lazzi with Pulcinella; when Dottore sees him, he gets upset and picks up Pulcinella on his shoulders – believing he is Celia – while Celia dressed as Pulcinella stays behind; next 28 Rosetta believing her to be Pulcinella, does a love scene; next 29 Isabella scolds Rosetta for behaving lasciviously with him; she chases Pulcinella away; she says that she wants to see whether Orazio really loves her or spurns her; she calls 30 Orazio who is begged by Isabella; he spurns her; she goes back inside and he remains; next 31 Celia disguised as Pulcinella, has observed the whole thing; she does her scene of jealousy and says that she does not love him anymore; she takes off the ring, and Orazio embraces her; next she pretends to be offended but eventually calms down; she puts the ring on and goes back inside Orazio’s house. 32 Luzio says that he wants to ask Dottore if he can help him marry Isabella; he knocks at the door. 33 Dottore hears of his intention and agrees to help him; he tells him to come back for the answer; Luzio exits and Dottore knocks at the door.

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

257

34 Rosetta calls 35 Isabella hears the proposal and gently declines; next 36 Pulcinella comes out, and pretends to be jealous because her husband, Dottore, is talking to another woman; he insults Isabella and they start fighting; Dottore comes in between; Pulcinella wants to slap her, but Dottore separates them; he takes off his slippers and tries to throw them at Isabella; next 37 Coviello is hit on his chest by his slippers and gets upset; he joins in a four-way fight; Dottore, unable to calm them down, falls into despair; Pulcinella picks up Dottore in his arms and takes him away, thus ending the second act. ACT THREE 38 Orazio comes out of his house, thanking 39 Celia who is not wearing the ring, for the pleasure they have shared; next 40 Dottore at the window, sees Celia and begins to shout; he comes out and, immediately, she puts the ring on; Dottore is bewildered and goes back inside; they remain and laugh at this; Celia takes the ring off again, and they start to converse; next 41 Dottore comes back at the window, shouts and goes back outside; she puts the ring back on; he realizes that he has been tricked and scolds Celia, believing she is Pulcinella; Orazio draws his sword; immediately next

258 The collections of scenarios

42 Pulcinella dressed as Celia comes out of the house; doing the lazzo of “My dear husband,” he picks him up in his arms and takes him home; Orazio and Celia remain and embrace; next 43 Coviello upon seeing his master embracing Pulcinella, scolds him; they laugh at this; Celia takes the ring off and reveals herself; Orazio and Coviello exit, while she remains; next 44 Pulcinella wearing his own clothes; Celia tells him that he wants to wear the ring so that there will be two Pulcinellas, and this will drive the people who see them crazy; she puts the ring on; next 45 Dottore sees two Pulcinellas and shouts: “ghosts, ghosts!” They beat him up and Dottore runs away; they remain; next 46 Luzio they do the same scene and he exits; they remain; next 47 Rosetta does the same and exits; they remain; next 48 Orazio the same, and they reveal themselves; next 49 Dottore looking for his wife, he sees her and runs to embrace her; she does the lazzo of putting the ring on and off; eventually, Orazio reveals that Dottore is impotent; next Everyone comes out; they celebrate the weddings and end the comedy; Celia marries Orazio, Luzio Isabella, and Rosetta Pulcinella.

Gibaldone [. . .] Manuscripts XI.AA.40 and 41

259

Notes 1 The two volumes are in the Biblioteca Nazionale in Naples and with the following shelf numbers: XI.AA.41 (Gibaldone de soggetti Da recitarsi all’Impronto, Alcuni proprij e gli altri da diversi Raccolti, Di Don Annibale Sersale, Conte di Casamarciano, which scholars consider the earlier volume) and XI.AA.40 (Gibaldone Comico di Varij Suggetti di Comedie ed Opere Bellissime, Copiate da mé Antonio Passanti detto Oratio il Calabrese, Per Comando dell’Eccellentissimo Signor Conte di Casamarciano). 2 Gibaldone Comico di Varij Suggetti di Comedie ed Opere Bellissime, Copiate da mé Antonio Passanti detto Oratio il Calabrese, Per Comando dell’Eccellentissimo Signor Conte di Casamarciano. Manuscript XI.AA.41 [Manuscript]. At Naples: Biblioteca Nazionale, scenario 33, cc. 85v-86v. 3 Regarding the relationship between Shakespeare’s The Tempest and commedia dell’arte scenarios, see, among others, Gray (1920), Lea (1934: 443–453, 610–674), Andrews (2004), Henke (2007), and Calvi (2012). 4 Gibaldone de soggetti Da recitarsi all’Impronto, Alcuni proprij e gli altri da diversi Raccolti, Di Don Annibale Sersale, Conte di Casamarciano. Manuscript XI.AA.40 [Manuscript]. At Naples: Biblioteca Nazionale, scenario 1, cc. 1r-3v. 5 For an in-depth study of Italian peep shows of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, see Zotti Minici (1988). 6 Gibaldone de soggetti Da recitarsi all’Impronto, Alcuni proprij e gli altri da diversi Raccolti, Di Don Annibale Sersale, Conte di Casamarciano. Manuscript XI.AA.40 [Manuscript]. At Naples: Biblioteca Nazionale, scenario 40, cc. 130v-132v. 7 According to Francesco Cotticelli, “this device was a kind of diorama that purported to show exotic lands to those who placed their heads inside it” (Cotticelli, Heck, and Heck 2001: vol 1, 405).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aasted, Elsabeth. (1991) “The Corsini Scenarios: The Oldest Surviving Commedia dell’Arte Collection,” Nordic Theatre Studies, 4, 94–110. ———. (1992) “What the Corsini Scenari Can Tell Us About the commedia dell’arte,” Analecta Romana Instituti Danici, 20, 159–181. Alberti, Carmelo. (1996) Gli Scenari Correr. La commedia dell’arte a Venezia. Rome: Bulzoni Editore. Andreini, Francesco. (1624) Le Bravure del Capitano Spavento. Venice: Somasco. Andreini, Giovan Battista. (1625) La ferza. Ragionamento secondo contra l’accuse date alla Commedia. Paris: per Nicolao Callemont. Andrews, Richard. (2004) “Shakespeare and Italian Comedy,” 123–149, in Hadfield, Andrew and Hammond, Paul (eds.) Shakespeare and Renaissance Europe. London: Arden. ———. (2008) The Commedia dell’Arte: A Translation and Analysis of 30 Scenarios of Flaminio Scala. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ———. (2014) “Resources in Common: Shakespeare and Flaminio Scala,” 37–52, in Henke, Robert and Nicholson, Eric (eds.) Transnational Exchange in Early Modern Theater. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Company. Angelini, Franca. (2000) “Barocco Italiano,” vol. 1, 193–275, in Roberto, Alonge and Davico Bonino, Guido (eds.) Storia del teatro moderno e contemporaneo (5 vols.). Torino: Einaudi. Apollonio, Mario. (1971) “Il duetto di Magnifico e Zanni alle origini dell’Arte,” 193– 220, in Muraro, Maria Teresa (ed.) Studi sul teatro veneto fra Rinascimento ed età barocca. Florence: Olschki. Barbieri, Niccolò. (1634) La Supplica. Discorso familiare a quelli che trattano de’ comici. Venice: Ginammi. Bartoli, Adolfo. (1880) Scenari inediti della Commedia dell’arte. Contributo alla storia del teatro popolare italiano. Florence: Sansoni. Bartoli, Francesco. (1781) Notizie istoriche de’ Comici Italiani che fiorirono introno all’anno MDL fino a’ giorni presenti. Padua: Conzatti. Beecher, Donald A. (1986) “Intriguers and Trickster: The Manifestation of an Archetype in the Comedy of the Renaissance,” 53–72 in Beecher, Donald A. and Ciavolella,

Bibliography 261

Massimo (eds.) Comparative Critical Approaches to Renaissance Comedy. Ottawa, ON: Dovehouse Editions Canada. Beijer, Agne and Ducharte, Pierre-Luois. (1928) Le Recueil Fossard: La Commedia dell’Arte aux XVIe Siècle. Paris: Librairie Théâtrale. Beltrame, Tina. (1931) “Gli scenari del Museo Correr,” Giornale Storico della Letteratura Italiana, 97, fasc. 289–290, 1–48. Berman, Antoine. (2000) “Translation and the Trials of the Foreign,” 282–295, in Venuti, Lawrence (ed.) The Translation Studies Reader. London and New York: Routledge. Bragaglia, Anton Giulio. (1943) Commedia dell’Arte, canovacci inediti raccolti e presentati da A. G. Bragaglia. Torino: SET. Bruni, Domenico. I Dialoghi scenici di Domenico Bruni detto Fulvio comico Confidente: fatti da lui in diverse occasioni ad istanza delle sue compagne Flaminia, Delia, Valeria, Lavinia e Celia. MS 37 [Manuscript]. At Rome, Biblioteca del Burcardo. Bucciarelli, Melania. (2000) Italian Opera and European Theatre, 1680–1720: Plots, Performers, Dramaturgies. Speculum Musicae; Vol. 7. Turnhout: Brepols. Burattelli, Claudia, Landolfi, Domenica and Zinanni, Anna. (eds.) (1993) Comici dell’Arte: Corrispondenze (2 vols.). Florence: Le Lettere. Calvi, Lisanna. (2012) “From Stagecraft to Stagecraft: The Tempest in the Italian Arcadia,” Shakespeare, 8.2, 154–170. Capozza, Nicoletta. (2006) Tutti i lazzi della Commedia dell’Arte. Un catalogo ragionato del patrimonio dei Comici. Roma: Dino Audino Editore. Carlin, Claire L. and Wine, Kathleen. (eds.) (2003) Theatrum mundi: Studies in Honour of Ronald W. Tobin. Charlottesville: Rookwood Press. Carlson, Marvin. (1989) “The Iconic Stage,” Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, 3, 3–18. ———. (1994) “Indexical Space in the Theatre,” Assaph, 10, 1–10. ———. (2010) “Space and Theatre History,” 195–214, in Postlewait, Thomas (ed.) Representing the Past. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. Cecchini, Pier Maria. (1601) Trattato sopra l’arte comica, cavato dall’opere di S. Tomaso, e da altri santi. Aggiuntovi il modo di ben recitare. Lyon: Roussin. Clubb, Louise Gorge. (1989) Italian Drama in Shakespeare’s Time. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ———. (1995) “Italian Renaissance Theatre,” 107–141, in Brown, John Russell (ed.) The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Consolini, Marco. (2018) “Copeau and the Work of the Actor,” 243–253, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cotticelli, Francesco. (2001a) “Suggestions for Reading and Interpreting the Casamarciano Scenarios,” vol. 1, 13–18, in Cotticelli, Francesco, Goodrich, Anne and Heck, Thomas F. (eds.) The Commedia dell’Arte in Naples: A Bilingual Edition of the 176 Casamarciano Scenarios (2 vols.). Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ———. (2001b) “Antonio Sersale and the Theatrical Culture in Naples of His Day,” vol. 1, 19–20, in Cotticelli, Francesco, Goodrich, Anne and Heck, Thomas F. (eds.) The Commedia dell’Arte in Naples: A Bilingual Edition of the 176 Casamarciano Scenarios (2 vols.). Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. Cotticelli, Francesco, Heck, Anne Goodrich and Heck, Thomas F. (eds.) (2001) The Commedia dell’Arte in Naples: A Bilingual Edition of the 176 Casamarciano Scenarios (2 vols.). Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. Cottis, Anna. (2015) “Carlo Boso: Fear and Laughter in Popular Theatre,” 419–426, in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge.

262

Bibliography

Crick, Oliver. (2019) “Defining the Aesthetics of Neo-Commedia: A Dramaturgical Investigation, Mindful of the of the Potential for Local, Social and Political Relevance,” Ph.D. Thesis, Hedge Hill University (Available at https://ethos.bl.uk). Crick, Oliver and Rudlin, John. (2002) Commedia Dell’Arte: A Handbook for Troupes. London and New York: Routledge. Croce, Benedetto. (1897) “Una nuova raccolta di scenarii,” Giornale Storico della Letteratura Italiana, 39.1, 211–215. ———. (1933) Poesia popolare e poesia d’arte. Bari: Laterza. Cuppone, Roberto. (2001) “In questo. Il teatro e gli scenari della commedia dell’arte,” Trans/Form/Ação, 24.1, 121–141. D’Ancona, Alessandro. (1877) Origini del teatro italiano (2 vols.). Florence: Loescher. Deleuze, Gilles. (2006) The Fold. Leibniz and the Baroque. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. De Marinis, Marco. (1992) Capire il teatro. Lineamenti di una nuova teatrologia. Florence: La Casa Usher. De Simone Brouwer, Francesco. (1901) “Ancora una raccolta di scenari,” Rendiconti della Reale Accademia dei Lincei, classe di scienze morali, storiche e filologiche, 10, 391–407 and 430–435. Douglas Clayton, J. (2015) “From Meyerhold to Eisenstein: Commedia dell’Arte in Russia,” 364–369, in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge. Falavolti, Laura. (1982) Commedie dei comici dell’arte. Torino: UTET. ———. (1988) Attore. Alle origini di un mestiere. Rome: Edizioni Lavoro. Fava, Antonio. (2015) “Official Recognition of Pulcinella,” 108–113, in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge. Ferrone, Siro. (1993) Attori mercanti corsari. La Commedia dell’Arte in Europa tra Cinque e Seicento. Torino: Einaudi. ———. (2006) Arlecchino. Vita e avventure di Tristano Martinelli attore. Rome: Laterza. ———. (2014) La Commedia dell’arte: attrici e attori italiani in Europa (XVI-XVII secolo). Torino: Einaudi. ———. (2018) “Journeys,” 67–75, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ferroni, Giulio. (1989) “L’ossessione del raddoppiamento nella commedia dell’arte,” 135– 147, in Pietropaolo, Domenico (ed.) The Science of Buffoonery: Theory and History of the Commedia dell’Arte. Ottawa: Doverhouse. Filacanapa, Giulia. (2015a) “Giovanni Poli: The Missing Link,” 378–385, in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge. ———. (2015b) “La neo-commedia dell’arte ou ‘l’invention d’une tradition:’ Carlo Boso et Leo de Berardinis, deux capocomici modernes,” Les Langues Néo-Latines, 372, 55–68. Fiorillo, Silvio. (1624) La cortesia di Leone, e di Ruggiero con la morte di Rodomonte. Suggetto cavato dall’Ariosto, e ridotto in stile rappresentativo. Milan: Malatesta. ———. (1627) L’Ariodante tradito, e morte di Polinesso da Rinaldo Paladino. Pavia: Rossi. Fischer-Lichte, Erika. (2018) “Staging Goldoni: Reinhardt, Strehler,” 266–276, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Fitzpatrick, Tim. (1995) The Relationship of Oral and Literate Performance Processes in the Commedia dell’Arte. Beyond the Improvisation/Memorisation Divide. Lewiston, Queenston and Lampeter, UK: Edwin Mellen Press.

Bibliography 263

Fo, Dario. (1987) Manuale minimo dell’attore. Torino: Einaudi. Frost, Anthony and Yarrow, Ralph. (eds.) (1990) Improvisation in Drama. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Frye, Northrop. (1971) Anatomy of Criticism: Four Essays. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Gazzoni, Andrea. (2016) “L’operazione e il repertorio: due categorie barocche tra retorica e commedia dell’arte,” NeMLA Italian Studies, 38, 100–127. Gentilcore, David. (2006) Medical Charlatanism in Early Modern Italy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ghirardo, Diane Y. F. (2020) “Lucrezia Borgia’s Honor,” 55–69, in Desilva, Jennifer Mara (ed.) The Borgia Family: Rumor and Representation. London and New York: Routledge. Goldoni, Carlo. (1753) Il servitore di due padroni, vol. 3, in Commedie (10 vols). Florence: Paperini. Gordon. Mel. (1983) Lazzi: The Comic Routines of the Commedia dell’Arte. New York: Performing Arts Journal Publications. Gray, Henry David. (1920) “The Sources of The Tempest,” Modern Language Notes, 35.6, 321–330. Guardenti, Renzo. (2018) “Iconography of the Commedia dell’Arte,” 208–216, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Guarino, Raimondo. (2018) “Commedia dell’Arte and Dominant Culture,” 149–163, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Hardin, Richard F. (2003–04) “Menaechmi and the Renaissance Comedy,” Comparative Drama, 37.3/4, 255–274. Heck, Thomas F. (2001) “Introduction to the English Edition and Some Translation Points,” vol. I, 1–4, in Cotticelli, Francesco, Goodrich, Anne and Heck, Thomas F. (eds.) The Commedia dell’Arte in Naples: A Bilingual Edition of the 176 Casamarciano Scenarios (2 vols.). Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ———. (2015) “Incidental Music in Commedia Dell’Arte Performances,” 255–267, in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge. Henke, Robert. (2002) Performance and Literature in the Commedia dell’Arte. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. ———. (2007) “Transporting Tragicomedy: Shakespeare and the Magical Pastoral of the Commedia dell’Arte,” 19–34, in Henke, Robert and Nicholson, Eric (eds.) Transnational Exchange in Early Modern Theatre. Aldershot: Ashgate. ———. (2008) “Introduction,” 1–18, in Henke, Robert and Nicholson, Eric (eds.) Transnational Exchange in Early Modern Theater. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Company. ———. (2015) “Form and Freedom: Between Scenario and Stage,” 21–29, in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge. ———. (2018) “England,” 115–122, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Holm, Bent. (2018) “Northern Europe,” 123–130, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Hopkins, Didi. (2015) “Roots and Routes: One Man, Two Guvnors,” 480–489, in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge.

264

Bibliography

Hulfeld, Stefan. (2012) “Autorschaft und Imporvisationsspiel. Plautus’ Menaechmi in der Italienischen Commedia all’improvviso,” 376–409, in Kirschstein, Corinna and Hauck, Sebastian (eds.) Akteure und ihre Praktiken im Diskurs. Aufsätze (Leipzinger Beiträge zur Theatergeschichtforschung, 5). Leipzig: Leipziger Universitätsverlag. ———. (ed.) (2014) Scenari più scelti d’istrioni. Italienisch-Deutsche Edition der einhundert Commedia all’improvviso-Szenarien aus der Sammlung Corsiniana (2 vols.). Göttingen: V&R unipress. ———. (2018) “Notebooks, Prologues and Scenarios,” 46–55, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Jaffe-Berg, Erith. (1998) “Towards a Paradigm of the Polylingual Performance: Linguistic and Metalinguistic Functioning in the Commedia dell’Arte,” Ph.D. Thesis, Toronto: University of Toronto. ———. (2015) Commedia dell’Arte and the Mediterranean. Charting Journeys and Mapping “Others.” London and New York: Routledge. Jansen, Steen. (1990) “Cos’è, nella fattispecie, il Canovaccio? Appunti su Il teatro delle favole rappresentative di Flaminio Scala,” Revue Romane, 25.2, 341–354. Johnson, James H. (2017) Venice Incognito. Masks in the Serene Republic. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Katritzky, M. A. (2018) “German-Speaking Countries,” 98–105, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Katz, Leon. (2012) Cleaning Augean Stables: Examining Drama’s Strategies. Encino, CA: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Kerr, Rosalind. (2004) “Tra(ns)vesting Gender and Genre in Flaminio Scala’s Il ( finto) marito,” 105–166, in Cestaro, Gary P. (ed.) Queer Italia: Same-Sex Desire in Italian Literature and Film. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ———. (2015) The Rise of the Diva on the Sixteenth-Century Commedia dell’Arte Stage. Toronto: Toronto University Press. ———. (ed.) (2020) Faminio Scala: The Fake Husband, A Comedy. Tempe, AZ: ACMRS. Lambert, Gregg. (2008) On the (New) Baroque. Aurora, Colorado: The Davies Group Publishers. Lea, Kathleen Marguerite. (1934) Italian Popular Comedy: A Study in the Commedia dell’Arte, 1560–1620, with Special Reference to the English Stage. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Macchia, Giovanni. (1991) Vita avventure e morte di Don Giovanni. Milan: Adelphi. MacNeil, Anne. (1995) “The Divine Madness of Isabella Andreini,” Journal of the Royal Musical Association, 120.2, 195–215. ———. (2003) Music and Women of the Commedia dell’Arte in the Late Sixteenth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ———. (2015) “Celestial Sirens of the Commedia dell’Arte Stage,” 246–254 in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge. Maddox, Alan. (2006) “On the Knowledge Necessary for One who Wishes to Recite Well in the Theatre.” The Rhetorical Tradition of Delivery and the Performance Practice of Recitativo Semplice in Eighteenth-Century Dramma Per Musica. Ph.D. Thesis. Sydney: University of Sydney. Magnin, Charles. (1847) “Teatro celeste, les commencements de la Comédie italienne en France,” Revue des deux mondes, 20 (December 15), 1096–1097 and 1101–1103. Malia, Scott. (2013) Giorgio Strehler Directs Carlo Goldoni. Lexington: Lexington Books.

Bibliography 265

Mamczarz, Irene. (1983) “Quelques aspects d’interaction dans les théâtres italien, français et polonaise des XVIe et XVIIe siècles,” 171–217, in Bec, Christian and Mamczarz, Irene (eds.) Le Théâtre italien et l’Europe: XVIe-XVIIe siècles. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. Mariti, Luciano. (ed.) (1980) La commedia dell’arte. Alle origini del teatro moderno. Rome: Bulzoni. ———. (2004) “Teatri di follia amorosa,” 49–89, in Chiabò, Mariachiara and Doglio, Federico (eds.) Eroi della poesia epica nel Cinque-Seicento. Rome: Torre d’Orfeo. Marotti, Ferruccio. (ed.) (1976) Flaminio Scala. Il teatro delle favole rappresentative. Milan: Il Polifilo. Marotti, Ferruccio and Romei, Giovanna. (eds.) (1991) La commedia dell’arte e la società barocca. La professione del teatro. Rome: Bulzoni. Martini, Tommaso. (2006) “Conference Notes.” Available online: http://sindromedistendhal. com/Teatro/comedia_arte.htm (accessed 12 March 2010). Megale, Teresa. (2005) “Locatelli, Basilio,” vol. 65, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Rome: Treccani. Available online: www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/basilio-locatelli_ (Dizionario-Biografico)/ (accessed 14 July 2020). ———. (2018) “De Filipo and the Mask of Pulcinella,” 277–285, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Mengarelli, Stefano. (2008) “The Commedia all’improvviso. Illustrations of the Corsini Manuscript: A New Reading,” Early Theatre, 11.2, 212–226. Mic, Constant. (1980 [1927]) La Commedia Dell’Arte. Paris: Librairie Theatrale. Molinari, Cesare. (1985) La Commedia dell’Arte. Milan: Mondadori. ———. (1999) La Commedia dell’Arte. Rome: Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato. Monaldini, Sergio. (2009) “Vincenzo Gonzaga, Alfonso II d'Este e i comici dell'Arte tra Ferrara e Mantova (1579-1587),” Commedia dell'Arte, II, 53–150. Mosacriello, Angelo. (2009) Gag. Guida alla comicità slapstick. Da Stanlio e Ollio ad Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo. Rome: Dino Audino. Nicholson, Eric. (1999) “Romance as Role Model: Early Female Performance of Orlando Furioso and Gerusalemme Liberata,” 246–269, in Finucci, Valeria (ed.) Renaissance Transactions: Ariosto and Tasso. Durham: Duke University Press. ———. (2014) “Helen, the Italianate Theatrical Wayfarer of All’s Well That Ends Well,” 163– 179, in Marrapodi, Michele (ed.) Shakespeare and the Italian Renaissance: Appropriation, Transformation, Opposition. Farnham: Ashgate. Nicoll, Allardyce. (1963) The World of Harlequin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ojeda Calvo, María del Valle. (1995) “Nuevas aportaciones al estudio de la Commedia dell’arte en España: el zibaldone de Stefanello Bottarga,” Criticón, 63, 119–138. ———. (2007) Stefanelo Botarga e Zan Ganassa. Scenari e zibaldoni dei comici italiani nella spagna del Cinquecento. Roma: Bulzoni Editore. ———. (2018) “The Iberian Peninsula,” 89–97 in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pandolfi, Vito. (1969) Il teatro del Rinascimento e la commedia dell’arte. Rome: Lerici. ———. (1988) La commedia dell’arte. Storia e testi (6 vols.). Florence: Le Lettere. Passera, Claudio. (2020) “In questo piccolo libretto.” Descrizioni di feste e di spettacoli per le nozze dei signori italiani del Rinascimento. Florence: Florence University Press. Pavoni, Giuseppe. (1589) Diario descritto da Giuseppe Pavoni delle feste celebrate nelle solennissime nozze delli Serenissimi Sposi, il Sig. Don Ferdinando Medici e la Sig. Donna Christina di Lorenzo Gran Duchi di Toscana. Bologna: Rossi.

266

Bibliography

Perrucci, Andrea. (1699) Dell’Arte rappresentativa, premeditata ed all’improvviso (1699): A Treatise on Acting, from Memory and by Improvisation. Bilingual Edition in English and Italian. Cotticeli, Francesco, Heck, Anne Goodrich and Heck, Thomas F. (eds.). Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2008. Petraccone, Enzo. (1927) La Commedia dell’Arte. Storia, tecnica, scenari. Naples: Ricciardi. Piccolomini, Alessandro. (1545) Commedia intitolata Alessandro. Mantua: Ruffinelli. Postlewait, Thomas. (2009) The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Historiography. CambridgeNew York: Cambridge University Press. Quadri, Demis Elio. (2012) “Gli scenari più scelti d’histrioni: un’analisi di lingua e contenuti,” Inauguraldissertation der Philosophisch-historischen Fakultäten, University of Bern und Freiburg. Minusio: Selbstverlag. Rao, Cesare. (1562) L’argute, et facete lettere. Brescia: Lisandro Bozzola. Re, Emilio. (1910) “Scenari modenesi,” Giornale Storico della Letteratura Italiana, 55, 325–338. Riccoboni, Luigi. (1728 [1730]) Histoire du Théâtre Italien depuis la decandence de la Comédie Latine. Paris: Delormel; 2nd ed., Paris: Cailleu. ———. (1743 [1973]) Discorso della commedia all’improvviso. Mamczarz, Irene (ed.). Milan: Il Polifilo. Rosenthal, Margaret F. (1992) The Honest Courtesan: Veronica Franco, Citizen and Writer in Sixteenth-Century Venice. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Rossi, Vittorio. (1896) “Una commedia di Giambattista Della Porta ed un nuovo scenario,” Rendiconti del Reale Istituto Lombardo di Scienze e Lettere, 29, 881–895. Rousset, Jean. (1953) La Littérature de l’âge baroque en France: Circé et le Paon. Paris: Librairie José Corti. Rua, Giuseppe. (ed.) (1927) Giovan Francesco Straparola. Le Piacevoli Notti. Libro Primo. Bari: Laterza. Rudlin, John. (1994) Commedia dell’Arte. An Actor’s Handbook. London and New York: Routledge. ———. (2015) “Antonio Fava,” 427–434, in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge. Ruffini, Franco. (2018) “Stanislavsky and Meyerhold,” 229–242, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Russell, Charles C. (1993) The Don Juan Legend Before Mozart. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Salerno, Henry F. (1967) Scenarios of the Commedia dell’Arte: Flaminio Scala’s Il teatro delle favole rappresentative. New York: New York University Press. Salingar, Leo. (1974) Shakespeare and the Traditions of Comedy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sand, Maurice. (1862) Masques et Bouffons (2 vols.). Paris: Lévy. Sanesi, Ireneo. (1954) La Commedia (2 vols.). Milan: Vallardi. Sartori, Donato. (2015) “New Roles for the Mask in Twentieth Century Theatre,” 139– 152, in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge. Savoia, Francesca (ed.) (1997) “La cortesia di Leone e Ruggiero con la morte di Rodomonte” di Silvio Fiorillo. Lucca: Maria Pacini-Fazzi Editore. Savran, David. (2004) “Toward a Historiography of the Popular,” Theatre Survey, 45.2, 211–217. Sbordoni, Chiara. (2014) “Theories on Linguistic Variety in Renaissance Italy: Between Regional Identities and Oral Performance,” 113–128, in Degl’Innocenti, Luca,

Bibliography 267

Richardson, Brian and Sbordoni, Chiara (eds.) Interactions between Orality and Writing in Early Modern Italian Culture. London and New York: Routledge. Schino, Mirella. (2018) “Commedia dell’Arte and Experimental Theatre,” 298–310, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Schirle, John. (2015) “Arlecchino Appleseed: Or How Carlo Mazzone-Clementi Brought Commedia to the New World,” 386–397, in Chaffee, Judith and Crick, Olly (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte. London and New York: Routledge. Schmitt, Natalie Crohn. (2014) Befriending the Commedia del’Arte of Flaminio Scala: The Comic Scenarios. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Schulte, Philippe. (2009) “The World as Stage and Representation: Notes on the Theatrum Mundi Metaphor,” 179–193, in Grabes, Herbert (ed.) Metaphors Shaping Culture and Theory. Tübingen: Narr (REAL, Vol. 25). Scott, Virginia. (2018) “France,” 76–88, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Senelick, Laurence. (2018) “Eighteenth-Century Russia,” 106–114, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sison, Arielle. (2015) “Veronica Franco and the ‘Cortigiane Oneste’: Attaining Power through Prostitution in Sixteenth-Century Venice,” Herodotus, 25, 59–75. Smith, Winifred. (1912) The Commedia dell’Arte: A Study in Italian Popular Comedy. New York: Columbia University Press. Spieth, Darius A. (2010) “Giandomenico Tiepolo’s Il Mondo Nuovo: Peep Shows and the ‘Politics of Nostalgia’,” Art Bulletin, 92.3, 188–210. Spinelli, Leonardo. (2018) “Scala, Flaminio,” vol. 91, in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Rome: Treccani. Available online: www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/f laminio-scala_ %28Dizionario-Biografico%29/ (accessed June 18, 2020). Taviani, Ferdinando. (ed.) (1971) La Supplica. Discorso familiare a quelli che trattano de’ comici by Niccolò Barbieri. Milan: Il Polifilo. ———. (1982) “La composizione del dramma nella Commedia dell’Arte,” Quaderni di teatro, 4.15, 151–171. ———. (1986) “Un vivo contrasto. Seminario su attrici e attori della Commedia dell'Arte,” Teatro e Storia, n. 1, 25–75. ———. (2018) “Knots and Doubleness. The Engine of the Commedia dell’Arte,” 17–33, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Taviani, Ferdinando and Schino, Mirella. (1982) Il segreto della Commedia dell’arte. La memoria delle compagnie italiane del XVI, XVII e XVIII secolo. Florence: La Casa Usher. Tessari, Roberto. (1969) La Commedia dell’Arte nel Seicento. “Industria” e “Arte giocosa” della civiltà barocca. Firenze: Olschki. ———. (ed.) (1987) Francesco Andreini, Le Bravure del Capitano Spavento. Pisa: Giardini. ———. (2000) “Il mercato delle Maschere,” vol. 1, 119–191, in Alonge, Roberto and Davico Bonino, Guido (eds.) Storia del teatro moderno e contemporaneo. Torino: Einaudi. Testaverde, Anna Maria. (2007) I Canovacci della Commedia dell’Arte. Torino: Einaudi. Thacker, Jonathan. (2002) Role-Play and the World as Stage in the Comedia. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. Troiano, Massimo. (1568) Discorsi delli trionfi, giostre, apparati, e delle cose più notabili fatte nelle sontuose nozze dell’Illustrissimo et Eccellentissimo Signor Duca Guglielmo. München: Montano.

268

Bibliography

Tuck, Richard (ed.). (1991) Thomas Hobbes. Leviathan. Cambridge-New York: Cambridge University Press. Uberti, Maria Luisa. (1985) I Menechini di Plauto: volgarizzamenti rinascimentali. Ravenna: Longo. Valeri, Antonio. (1894) Gli scenari inediti di Basilio Locatelli. Rome: Tip. Folchetto. Vazzoler, Franco. (2018) “Staging Gozzi: Meyerhold, Vakhtangov, Brecht, Besson,” 254–265, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Vescovo, Piermario. (2018) “Between Improvisation and Book,” 56–63, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Vianello, Daniele. (2018) “Introduction. Commedia dell’Arte: History, Myth, Reception,” 1–13, in Balme, Christopher B., Vescovo, Piermario and Vianello, Daniele (eds.) Commedia dell’Arte in Context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Womack, Peter. (2008) “The Comical Scene: Perspective and Civility on the Renaissance Stage,” Representations, 101.1, 32–56. Zehenter, Paul. (1643) Promontorium Malae Spei Impiis Periculose navigantibus Propositium. Graecii: Haupt. Zenatti, Albino. (1885) “Una raccolta di scenari della Commedia dell’Arte,” Rivista della critica letteraria, 2, 156–159. Zorzi, Ludovico. (1980) “Intorno alla Commedia dell’Arte,” Forum Italicum, 14.3, 426–453. ———. (1990) L’attore, la commedia, il drammaturgo. Torino: Einaudi. Zotti Minici, Carlo Alberto. (ed.) (1988) Il mondo nuovo: Le meraviglie della visione dal ’700 alla nascita del cinema. Milan: Mazzotta.

INDEX

Page locators in italics represent a figure Aasted, Elsebeth 153 actor: requirements of 14, 15 Alberghini, Angelica 9, 10 Alberti, Carmelo 194, 218, 219, 220 amateur theatre 33, 172 Andreini, Francesco 8 –10, 32, 97 Andreini, Giovan Battista 10, 193 Andreini, Isabella 9, 97, 138–139 Andrews, Richard 98, 118–119, 128, 138 Anonymous Manuscript Correr: characters presented 219; scenarios: Honest Courtesan, The 220–227; Three Captains, The 227–235; scenarios, early seventeenth century 218 Apollonio, Mario 28 Arcadia incantata (Arcadia Enchanted): backstory, farcical and noble 242; character list 242–243; properties 250 Argument: describes character relationships, prologues 19; Husband, The 108–109; Jealous Old Man, The 99; Madness of Isabella, The 139; Mirror, The 129; Tooth–Puller, The 119 Ariosto, Ludovico 14, 31–32, 34, 118, 156, 172 Aristophanes 193   Barbieri, Niccolò 22–23 Beltrame, Tina 204, 218 Berman, Antoine 261 Biblioteca: Estense, Modena 85; see also Library

Boccaccio, Giovanni: Decameron 19, 99, 101, 160, 172 Botarga, Stefanelo 16, 79– 81, 96; see also Frescobaldi Bragaglia, Anton Giulio 173 Bruni, Domenico 23, 74n23 Bucciarelli, Melania 206   canovaccio (story line) 16, 82, 86, 89, 90 capocomico: director of theatre 6, 10, 80, 97 Capozza, Nicoletta 24 Carlson, Marvin 37 Casanate, Girolamo 171 Cecchini, Orsola 10 Cecchini, Pier Maria 10, 73n5, 238 characters: entrances and exits of 194, 219; fixed 3, 7, 72n1; gender roles 13, 15, 108–109, 221; lists of 17–18, 19, 71, 97, 219, 237; stock, characteristics of 13, 29, 219 Characters: Capitano (Captain) 7, 13, 16, 29; Dottore (Doctor) 7, 9, 12, 27; Innamorati (lovers) 12–13, 27–29, 89, 138, 236, 250; Pantalone (Old Man/Wealthy) 15; Servetta (Franceschina/servant or maid) 13, 81; Vecchi (old men) 7, 13, 29, 98; Zanni (servants) 7, 13, 17–18, 204 Clubb, Louise George 21 Codex II–1586: actor’s notebook 79; scenarios: Perseus 80, 88–94; Three Cuckolds, The 80, 81– 85; Two Crazy People 80, 85– 88

270

Index

collections: Bottarga 27, 74n35; Casamarciano 33, 194, 241; Ciro Monarca 20; Codex Barberiniano Latino 17; Codex Vaticano Latino 10244 17, 19; Commedie XII all’improvviso 17; Correr 218; Corsiniana 33–35, 81, 155–156, 172, 194; Della scena de soggetti comici 16, 33; Dell’opere regie 17; Gibaldone 17, 237; dictionaries and catalogs 80; Fossard 173, 202n2; Il teatro delle favole rappresentative 16; Locatelli 35, 154, 164; Manuscript Correr 17; Raccolta di scenari più scelti 16; Scala 19, 33, 96, 98, 108, 218; Selva overo Zibaldone di concetti comici raccolti da 17; Zibaldone 16, 23, 79, 96, 237 Comedy within a Comedy, A: backstory, visual understanding 17, 19–20; character list 17–18; properties 18; scene setup 20 comici dell’arte: comedians, professional 5, 10, 16, 22, 172, 193 commedia dell’arte: actors, plots without parts 5, 11, 15–16; actress, arrival of as significant 7, 9; anomalous and hazardous 6; arte as craft, old Italian 4, 25; canovaccio, as improvisation 6 –7, 11, 29, 174, 209; characters, as fixed or moving 7, 8, 38; collections 19; see also collections companies: Accesi, The 10, 96; Confidenti, The 9, 23, 80, 97; Desiosi, The 10, 33–34, 96, 171; Fedeli, The 10–11; Gelosi, The 8, 138; Uniti, The 9 –10, 96; first real theatre professionals 5 – 6, 33–34, 86, 154, 172, 218; masks and fixed characters 3, 89, 242; origination of 6, 16, 29; performances/ routines 3, 5 – 6, 12, 79; poems, as inspiration 16, 19, 23, 25, 32–34, 80; scenarios 34, 38, 96, 119, 163, 236; scenarios and free parts 15–16; stock characters (see Innamorati); troupes 8 –9, 31, 79, 160, 194, 206, 242 commedia erudita: learned comedy 6, 38, 80, 85, 156, 194, 219 Correr: collection 194, 220; Museo (museum) 218 Corsiniana collections: Orlando’s Madness 59 costumes: masks, as characters 12–13 Cotticelli, Francesco 5, 237 Croce, Benedetto 4, 236   d’Este, Ercole I 14 de Marinis, Marco 29

de Medici, Francesco and Lorraine 138 de Molina, Tirso 206 de Montalto, Alessandro Peretti 10 De Simone Brouwer, Francesco 204, 206 de’ Medici, Giovanni 9, 97 de’ Medici, Maria 10, 96 dei Re, Maffeo 6 Deleuze, Gilles 26, 29 Dell’Arte rappresentativa, premeditata ed all’improvviso 11, 22 Dell’Opere Regie: character/stage name entries, as unusual 205; scenario: Thunderstruck Atheist, The 205–217; Works of the Director (translation) 204 Della Porta, Giovan Battista 172, 218 Della Scena de Soggetti Comici et Tragici: scenarios: A Comedy Within a Comedy 193–202; Two Look–Alikes by Plautus, The 184–193; Zanni Puts on Airs 173–184; scenes (scenarios) of subject/ tragic comedians (translation) 171 di Savoia, Maurizio 34, 153 dialectic 16 dialogue, action of 14, 23, 33, 97 Donna Zanni (Lady as Pulcinella, The): backstory, magical role reversal 251; character list 251; properties 252 dramaturgical design 14, 29–30, 96–97, 219, 236 dramaturgy: concise 160, 219; polycentric 34–35, 38–39, 236; secret of 3, 16, 193; theatrical enactment, on stage 3 – 4, 10 Ducharte, Pierre–Louis 202n2   Elisa Alii Bassà: backstory, love lost/found 155; character list 160; opera, Turkish 156; properties 159   Falavolti, Laura 5, 151n7 Ferrone, Siro 9, 12, 28, 32, 97 Ferroni, Giulio 27 Fiorillo, Silvio 32, 74n39, 238 Fitzpatrick, Tim 96, 99 Flavio: stage name 96; see also Scala Fo, Dario 28, 73n2 Frescobaldi, Abagaro 23, 79, 80; see also Botarga   Galilei, Galileo: Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems 5 generici, monolgues/dialogues 21–23, 25, 32 genres: comedy 3, 27, 31; Arcadia Enchanted 242; A Comedy Within a Comedy 194; Honest Courtesan, The 221;

Index

Husband, The 19; Jealous Old Man, The 99; Madness of Isabella, The 139; Mirror, The 129; Pulcinella in Love 238; Three Captains, The 228; Three Cuckolds, The 82; Thunderstruck Atheist, The 207; Tooth–Puller, The 119; Two Cray People 85; Two Look–Alikes, The 185; dramatic 5 – 6, 13, 19–20, 25, 27, 79, 96, 153; fixed 12, 23; mixed 80, 88, 206; Perseus 89–90; opera eroica (heroic work) 34, 172; opere regia (royal works) 17, 31, 97, 153, 204–205; pastoral 19, 27, 33, 79, 88–90, 97, 153, 171, 236, 242; Enchanted Fount, The 164; tragedy 18, 27, 31, 97, 153, 205; tragicomedy 79, 153, 171, 174; Nobility of Bertolino, The 161; Zanni Puts on Airs 174; Turkish opera 153, 154–155, 159; Elisa Alii Bassà 156 Gentilcore, David 119 Gibaldone: characters, typical Neapolitan 237; largest known collection 236; scenarios: Arcadia Enchanted 241–250; Lady as Pulcinella, The 250–258; Pulcinella in Love 238–241 Goldoni, Carlo 194 Gonzaga, Eleonora (Duchess of Urbino) 9 Gonzaga, Francesco (Marquis of Mantua) 14, 184 Gonzaga, Vincenzo (Duke of Mantua) 9, 10, 97 Graziano (Dottore) see characters Guarino, Raimondo 11   Henke, Robert 31, 218 Hulfeld, Stefan 22, 81, 155, 202n10   Il Cavadente (Tooth-Puller, The): backstory, double register story 118–119; character list 119–120; properties 120 Il finto marito (Fake Husband): dramatic composition, idea of 5, 109 Il Fonte incantato (Enchanted Fount, The): backstory, young love 163–164; character list 169; pastoral/tragicomedy 164; properties 169 Il marito (Husband, The): backstory, young love 108–109; character list 109–110; properties 110 Il teatro delle Favole Rappresentative: history and backstory of 96–98; scenarios: Husband, The 109–110; Jealous Old Man, The 98–107; Madness of Isabella, The 139–150; Mirror, The 128–139;

271

Tooth–Puller, The 118–128; translations, recent 98 Il Vecchio Geloso ( Jealous Old Man, The): backstory, jealous love 99; character list 100; properties 100; scenario, as indecent 98–99 Innamorata: prima donna 9, 10; young female lover 7, 108, 251 Innamorato: prima/primo 34; young male lover 7, 8, 10, 96, 196 Italian: actors 3, 8 –9, 12, 15, 80; companies 12, 15   Jansen, Steen 19 Jesuit University, Ingolstadt 206 jokes 79, 100 Jonson, Ben 96   Katz, Leon 13 Kerr, Rosalind 108   L’ateista fulminato (Thunderstruck Atheist, The): character list 207; legend of Don Juan, development of 206; properties 207 La commedia in commedia (A Comedy Within a Comedy): backstory, love at first sight 193; character list 194; properties 195 La cortigiana onesta (Honest Courtesan, The): backstory young lovers 220–221; characters, list of 219, 221 La Gran Pazzia d’Orlando (Orlando’s Madness): history of 33, 35; manuscript, images of 60–63, 66, 69, 71 La Nobilità di Bertolino (Nobility of Bertolino): backstory, arraigned marriage 160; character list 163; properties 163; tragicomedy 161 La Pazzia d’Isabella (Madness of Isabella, The): backstory, love and betrayal 139–140; character list 140; properties 141; royal work138 lazzi: comic routines 5 – 6, 18, 24; dual functions of 24–25 lazzo: in action 68, 175, 185, 254, 258; function of 25, 39; jest, witticism or metaphor 23–24; within the scheme 21 Le Bravure del Capitano Spavento 8, 73n9 Le grandezze di Zanni (Zanni Puts on Airs): backstory, servant/master disputes 173; character list 174; properties 174 Lea, Kathleen Marguerite 153–154

272

Index

Li duo simili di Plauto (Two Look-Alikes, by Plautus): backstory, twins and mistaken identity 184; character list 185; properties 185 library (Biblioteca): Casanatense, Rome 16, 33, 173, 204; Correr Museum 220; Corsiniana 16, 19–20, 36, 60– 63, 66, 71, 155; Marciana, Venice 218; National, Florence 81; National, Naples 33, 236–237; Real, Madrid 16, 23, 27, 79– 80 Lo Specchio (Mirror, The): backstory, love and deception 128–129; character list 129; properties 130 Locatelli, Basilio: amateur actor 33–34; canovaccio, collector of 7, 33, 35, 154, 164; A Comedy Within a Comedy 17, 21, 24; Della Scena de Soggetti Comici et Tragici 171–172; Orlando Furioso (poem by Ariosto) 33, 39 Lombardi, Dottore Bernardino 9   Macchia, Giovanni 206 Magnifico (magnificent, older gentleman) see characters Magnifico–Zanni (comedy duo) 29–30, 80, 85 Mamczarz, Irene 32 manuscript: collections 31, 97, 153, 171–172, 204, 218, 236; format 19; traditions of 4, 19, 27, 34 manuscripts, most have no arguments 19 Mariti, Luciano 25, 31, 32 Marotti, Ferruccio 97, 99, 118, 151n1 Martinelli, Drusiano 9, 10 Martinelli, Tristano: first Harlequin 9, 10, 80, 97 maschere (mask) 13 masks: commedia dell’arte 89, 242; traditional 89, 205 Megale, Teresa 171–172 Menaechmi (Plautus) 184, 202n8 Mengarelli, Stefano 35, 154 metatheatrical motifs 193–194 mise en scene: staging, effect of 5, 73 Molière (Poquelin, Jean-Baptist) 12, 30, 193, 206 Molinari, Cesare 6, 12, 16, 23, 34, 172, 205, 218 monologues, enrichment of 7, 23, 25, 33 Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus 206   Naselli, Alberto (aka Zan Ganassa) 31, 79– 80, 95n16 Nicoll, Allardyce 96

Ojeda Calvo, María del Valle 22–23, 27, 79, 86, 95n6 Opera: Beijing 3; eroica 33–34, 39, 172; reale 59, 61–63, 75n41, 155; regia 31; Turkish 154, 156, 159 Orlando Furioso (Madness of Orlando, The): characters, list of 39– 40; genre, Opera eroica (heroic work) 39; properties 58–59 Orlando’s Madness: characters, list of 72; genre, Opera reale 59; properties 72   Pandolfi, Vito 171, 218 Pavoni, Giuseppe 138 Perrucci, Andrea 11, 22–24, 79 Piccolomini, Alessandro 118 Piissimi, Vittoria 9 Pirandello, Luigi 194 play: script (text), absence of 4, 6 –7, 13–14; Turkish 153 plays: L’amico tradito 10; La Flaminia schiava 10; pastoral 35, 79, 88– 89, 242; properties list 19, 34, 237 Pulcinella innamorato (Pulcinella in Love): backstory, young adult love 238; character list 238–239; properties 239 Ponti, Diana 10   Quadri, Demis 153, 160, 164   Raccolta di Scenari Più Scelti D’Histrioni Divisi in Due Volumi: collection of most chosen scenarios, two volumes 153; origin and context of the scenarios 153–154; scenarios: Elisa Alii Bassà 155–160; Enchanted Fount, The 163–169; Nobility of Bertolino, The 160–163 Rao, Cesare 80 Real Biblioteca (special library) Madrid 16, 23, 27, 79, 80– 81 repertories: collections, homes to 16; see also library Riccoboni, Luigi 23–24 Rossi, Orazio 242 Rossi, Vittorio 218   Salerno, Henry 98 Sanesi, Ireneo 25 Sbordoni, Chiara 139 Scala, Flaminio 4; collections of 4, 19, 25, 27, 98, 108, 119; Confidenti, the 9; early life and career 96–97; experience over tradition, as valuable 5, 22

Index

scenery: staging of 19–20, 35, 194, 207, 219 Schmitt, Natalie Crohn 98–99 Schino, Mirella 25 Sersale, Annibale (Count of Casamaricano) 17, 236–237 Servetta (mute) 13, 83– 84 settings and scenery 194, 219 Shakespeare, William: Comedy of Errors, The 184; comedy, as theatre basics 30, 96; Hamlet 30–31, 193; Tempest, The 237, 241 Sienese, Lucrezia 7, 119 Spanish: drama 80, 205, 206, 236; folklore 79– 80, 206 stage props: hippogriff, f light of 33–35, 37, 40, 53, 59, 68; properties, for scenarios 19, 71, 97   Taviani, Ferdinando 3 – 4, 10, 12–13, 25, 29, 34, 154 Tessari, Roberto 16, 21

273

Testaverde, Anna Maria 16–17, 20, 30, 33, 155, 171, 173, 204, 206 theatre: Elizabethan 14, 38; parts based 13–14; professional 15, 22, 34; stage model 38; tradition of 17, 74n27, 119 tragicomedy 19, 154, 160–161, 163–164, 165, 174 Tre capitani (Three Captains, The): backstory, young lovers 227; characters, list of 219, 228; properties 228 Trevisan, Bernardo 218   Valeri, Antonio 24, 154, 171 Verucci, Virgilio 171   Womack, Peter 38   Zehentner, Paul 206 Zenatti, Albino 154 zibaldone, ‘a heap of things’ notebook 23, 79, 96, 237 Zorzi, Ludovico 3, 7, 8, 17, 24, 28, 218