The Italian madrigal comedy experienced a relatively short, but exceedingly popular life during the late Renaissance. The works that may be called madrigal comedies, numbering less than two dozen in total, represent a type of musical entertainment that delighted audiences at courts and within the cultural academies of Renaissance Italy. The small subset of works within the genre, designated in this research project as "theatrical" madrigal comedies, showed an increasing focus on dramatic representation of text with music. These works, the plots of which derive from the commedia dell'arte tradition, may be seen as early forms of musical comedy and musical theater. Arguments concerning the manner in which the works were performed have centered on a debate for and against the staging of them.Because madrigal comedies have been largely neglected as concert and theatrical literature, there is little published to assist a director in finding the repertoire or to offer a guide to performance. The research project on which this document is based, along with the associated lecture-recital, resulted in the compilation of means to a successful madrigal comedy production. This was done by advocating historically informed performance decisions that are given a practical spin. In this manner, a director may put together a madrigal comedy production that is accessible to professionals and non-professionals, as well as secondary- and higher-education communities.

Diss. Univ. Bern, 2002.

Thesis advisor: Scott T. Cummings / My Senior Honors Thesis may be understood as a two-part investigation that addresses both theoretical and practical concerns of physical comedy and the language of gesture. I will first present some of my more general findings about comedy in order to more accurately zero in on the figure of 'the Fool.' I will thereafter investigate the function of the Fool in society and report on two of his most definitive iterations: Arlecchino, of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte and Bill Irwin of the contemporary stage. These theoretical components will eventually serve as a foundation for the practical side of my project- the creation of my own physical performance piece. In the final part of this document I will outline the process of conceiving and developing a physical comedy performance all my own, referring to my research whenever possible. My hope is that this paper will serve as both an informational document about some of the most important historical influences on physical comedy and the language of gesture, as well as relate how those influences affected me in the process of imagination and creation that is the joy of theatre. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2005. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theater. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

This work analyzes the impact of cognizance of the evolution of dramatis personae of Commedia dell’arte in XVII – XX c Western European fine arts upon the sphere of interests of future theatre art specialists. The impact of such cognizance upon professional competence of would-be actors and theatre, cinema and music managers is being discussed as well. The first part deals with the importance of universal artistic training in order to broaden interest of artistic cognizance of would-be art specialists on the background of analysis of literature. The preconditions of formation of interest to acquire artistic cognizance are discussed in the first part. It is noted that positive esthetical attitude of mind would inspire the interest to cognize the depths of an art object which is essential to education of would-be art specialists. The second part analyzes educative and professional opportunities of artistic integration. The third part deals with particularities of education of would-be art specialists at a higher school. It is stressed that the academy must prepare not only specialists of narrow specialization but also of broad humanitarian background, who is able to orient in himself/herself diverse modern cultural life and who is distinguished for erudition supporting vivid imagination of an artist. The second part is based upon the assumption that the cognizance of fine arts as a sister branch of art is one of the conditions of professional perfection. Analysis of the... [to full text]

The research field addressed by this thesis is the commedia dell'arte and its iconography in the period preceding Callot's Balli di Sfessania engravings of c. 1621. Its main aim is to provide a broad overview of the surviving early pictures in order to contribute towards a more detailed understanding of the history of the commedia deH'arte in the opening decades of its existence, 1560-1620, by using late renaissance pictures as a documentary source. My research method has three main steps. These are firstly, the identification of relevant pictures, on the basis of a detailed understanding of the early history of the commedia dell'arte, and taking a deliberately inclusive approach; secondly, the classification of such pictures according to art-historical methods, in order to associate them with specific named artists so that they can be placed in the context of an oeuvre and place of production; thirdly, interpretation of their theatrical content. Integral to the thesis are the 340 plates. Many feature pictures which were anonymous or implausibly attributed, and unknown to theatre historians, before they appeared here or in my publications. My inclusive approach has contributed towards the marked rehabilitation of carnival pictures which is evident in the most recent scholarship in this area. My new discoveries, and attributions and re-attributions of some of the 340 plates, summarized in the plate list, have enabled me to identify significant bodies of commedia-related pictures by a number of named late renaissance artists not previously associated with theatre iconography, and provide a broad overview of the early stock types, their costumes and settings; contributions which are stimulating further research in this area. Section I summarises the rise and spread of professional acting in sixteenth century Italy, some forerunners of the commedia dell'arte, and its early stock types. It also presents new documentary material, discovered in the course of my archival researches, which is relevant to the earliest commedia performance for which a comprehensive description survives, staged in Munich in 1568. Section II presents art-historical analyses of three groups of prints in Stockholm, and six paintings which are the subject of an article published in 1943. It also presents an overview of a large group of Flemish pictures whose relation to two Italian prints demonstrates the progressive stereotyping of commedia-related motifs which was already occurring around 1600. Section III offers theatrical interpretations of the pictures, concentrating on scenery, set and stages; actresses; a selection of stock characters, including Harlequin, Zanni and Pantalone, and also some less wellknown figures such as tedescos and matachins; and multiple and serial images. The renaissance Italian comedians' multiple roots in amateur humanist comedy, professional entertainment and popular carnival ritual gave them their early creativity and wide appeal, and left their mark on the iconography which, by the seventeenth century, like the commedia dell'arte itself, was, for the most part, settling into a predictable routine based on precedents and conventions.

Published also as Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1912. / Appendix A: Scenarios; Appendix B: Relations between English and Italian drama in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Bibliography: p. 255-279.

Published also as Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1912. / Appendix A: Scenarios; Appendix B: Relations between English and Italian drama in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Bibliography: p. 255-279.

The subject of this degree paper is the comedies of Angelo Beolco. The introductory part is focused mainly at the life and work of Angelo Beolco. Following this there is an introduction to the comedy genre in 16th century in Italy and the characteristics of erudite comedy, its authors and the change from the erudite comedy to the comedy dell'arte. A further part is given over to an analysis of his comedies La Pastoral (Pastoral), Il Reduce (Returnee) - Primo dialogo: Parlamento de Ruzante che iera vegnú de campo (First dialogue: What said Ruzante when he came back from the battlefield) and Secondo dialogo: Bilora (Second dialogue: Bilora).

This thesis will explore the application of comemdia dell'arte technique to a contemporary performance. UCF's spring 2005 production of Molière's The Trickeries of Scapin will serve as a resource in both commedia dell'arte's ability to resonate with a modern audience as well as an analysis of the actor's process in fusing elements of commedia dell'arte and contemporary acting techniques. This document will include a thorough description of the history and origins of commedia dell'arte in order to decipher existing elements today. Also included, will be major influences on commedia dell'arte including Greek and Roman Comedy. It is important to discuss Roman comedic playwrights Plautus and Terence as two major influences on both the style of commedia dell'arte as well as major influences on Molière and his writing. A description of both playwrights previously mentioned will be given as means to explore the similarities between the two playwrights and Molière, specifically the similarities of Terence's Phormio and Molière's The Trickeries of Scapin. In addition to exploring the history behind commedia dell'arte and Molière, this thesis will include the rehearsal process of creating a contemporary version of Molière's Zerbinette. The application of the previous two years of graduate work including studies of Laban, Linklater, and Cicely Berry will be used in creating Zerbinette's vocal and physical life in a contemporary fashion, while maintaining certain elements of the commedia dell'arte style. In concluding this thesis, the evolution of commedia dell'arte will be discussed, and how it is in existence today. Just as commedia dell'arte evolved in the seventeenth century from previous art forms, it has never stopped evolving, constantly being influenced by every generation. From Greek Comedy playwrights' such as MeNander, to Roman comedic playwrights such as Plautus and Terence, to farcical and satirist Molière, commedia dell'arte does exist today, and will be examined throughout this thesis project.

Columbina/Saturnalia and Other Poems is a book of poems.