Italian Renaissance comedy, theater, and music to be performed
Two events on campus this Thursday, Feb. 25, will bring the Renaissance theatrical art of Commedia dell’arte to the Skidmore community:
• 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, Commedia dell’arte Workshop, Filene Recital Hall. This theatrical workshop, presented in English, will allow participants to experiment with masks and improvise with period music. Open to student participants only; additional students, as well as faculty and staff, may attend the workshop as audience.
Over the past few years, Pazzi Lazzi, a Boston-based Commedia dell’arte troupe, has performed on stage and presented workshops for numerous universities, schools and cultural organizations. The show is produced in English with some Italian, Spanish and other languages. Admission to both events is free and open to the public.
About Pazzi Lazzi
About Commedia dell’arte
Barbara Garbin, a Skidmore teaching professor of Italian who coordinated the workshop and performance, calls Commedia dell’arte quintessentially interdisciplinary.A form of improvisational theater, features masks and stylized gestures and presents characters that can be recognized in cultures around the world. Commedia began in Italy in the 16th century and is considered by historians to be the first professional theater. It was also responsible for the introduction of female actresses and improvised performances based on sketches and scenarios.
The closest translation of the name is “comedy of the craft” (in the early period the term was Commedia dell’arte all'improvviso) to distinguish it from commedia erudita, or "learned comedy," that was written by academics and performed by amateurs often in royal courts. Commedia dell’arte was performed by professional actors (comici) who perfected a few specific roles or masks. As an oral, mostly improvisational craft, it left few documents, and much of its history has been lost.
Skidmore’s World Languages and Literatures Department, in collaboration with the departments of History, Classics, English, Theater , Dance, and Music, and with the support of the Dean of Special Programs and the President’s Discretionary Fund, are sponsors of this special production.
