Youtube user Gimrak created this interesting comparison of My Little Pony characters to those found in the Italian commedia dell ‘arte. The rennaisance theater known as the commedia dell’arte gave the world a cast of characters that is still considered the foundation for archetypes in comedy. It was a robust style of theater worthy of … Read more
The commedia dell’arte was an Italian theater of improvisation, developed in the mid sixteenth century. The literal translation is “the comedy of artists.” Performing in the outdoors, they would work from a basic scenario, with none of the action or lines fixed by a script. The beginning and ending were basically understood by the actors, … Read more
Here is an excellent set of youtube videos to educate you on commedia dell’arte. In this first video, she refers to the British TV show, Fawlty Towers, which helps to understand the characters. This next video describes how the commedia traditions carry on to Chaplin and the Marx Brothers. She also mentions The Lion King. … Read more
Two years ago I put these links in separate posts, but have combined them here. These are some useful articles written by Adam Gertsacov about acting in the commedia dell’arte. They are not long, and are fun reads. I think they represent an approach to acting which is more appropriate for cartoon characters. Most “Acting … Read more
If you are interested in knowing more about Commedia Dell ‘Arte, here is an excellent article, courtesy of John Towsen. Commedia and the Actor