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the-fae-folk · 3 years ago

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whats one thing you always wanted to do but didn't have the time/money/ability to do?

I've always wanted to hold a Masquerade Ball. Can you imagine it? A grand multi-level park with stone staircases and fountains. Gigantic oaks sprawl out, reaching over the top of broad stretches of grass. There is a river with a stone bridge leading over it so you can look down into the cold splashing water, it runs into a large pond. At the edge of the water sits a gazebo covered in ivy, nestled close among the willow trees it could be brought straight from some faerie garden somewhere. Paper lanterns hang overhead from the trees, offering a warm, flickering glow to the park, deepening the shadows at the edge of the light. And the music, such music. Sweeping symphonies that stir the very soul, folk tunes as old as the hills which make you itch to burst into dance, and haunting melodies that sound like they've come from some world other than this one. I imagine the scene at twilight, just as the sun has set and the last of the lanterns lit, when the hints of red and gold still linger at the horizon but above the stars have begun to arrive like guests to a party. Elaborate costumes, inspired by story and nature alike. From troll and elf to tree and stone. Raven feathers and fox masks, pointed ears and subtle fangs, sweeping gowns and fancifully colored tailcoats. And each person would wear a mask. Perhaps a square shaped Bauta, or the classic Columbina, or... if you've a penchant for the macabre... The Medico della Peste. If you wish total anonymity then you might choose the Volto which covers the whole face. Or those familiar with Italian theater might borrow from a classic character to bring forth the long nosed Pantalone mask. A similar mask is the Zanni, but take care not to let the nose grow too long, for the longer the nose in the old plays, the stupider the character is said to be. It is difficult to dance in heavier masks without practice, but they say the Arlecchino is a mask for the daring joker. With bells and elaborate coloring it will transform you into the laugh-out-loud bon vivant with the big smile that you've always hoped to be. With all this finery and fanciful faces, you can image what I might see as I gaze out over the crowd. A host of Fae creatures, dancing like demonic specters in the fluttering light of the lanterns. In and out and up and around. Take hand in hand in hand in hand and circle round in a wheel, a fairy ring. And lo, who is this? With a cloak of fluttering autumn leaves and a mask of a tragic crying face held in front of their face by a rod clutched in their gloved hand? And if they move the mask? It is revealed that another mask hides beneath! This one a laughing face. They reach to remove this as well. Ah, beneath is only a half mask, shaped somewhat like a skull but painted gold and covering the eyes and nose of the figure. The Lord of Autumn, master of masks, bears a crown of leaves and laughs boisterously as he signals the music to play on. The night is young, there will be sumptuous feasts, songs sung, and speeches made. But for now, it is time to dance. Dance, dance, and dance again. If the dancing ceases, so will the very world, so dance with wild abandon for these are the last moments here and now. Dance so that you are whisked away to Faerie itself with the music's momentum. At some point it would be hard to say where Humanity ends and Faerie begins. A Masquerade Ball like no others in this day and age, one which shall be spoken of in hushed whispers and reverent, awed tones for decades to come.

That is what I have always wished to do, throw such a celebration, though it is beyond my means. Can you blame me? After all, it is such a beautiful, glittering, golden dream.

#fae #faerie #otherfolk #masquerade ball #masked ball #masks

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princelestatdelioncourt · 4 years ago

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Character Name

The Innamorati (Lovers Class)

(The characters of Isabella, Lelio, Flavio and Vittoria are all part of the Innamorati. However since there are so many more Commedia dell'arte characters that are part of this same class that are not fully developed by Commedia dell'Carte, we gave them their own "catch all" page to include research on this vital class of commedia characters that may not be specific to the four characters listed above. If you are seeking general information on the Innamorati, but sure to consult the web pages of the afore mentioned characters as well.)

In Italian, the Lovers (of whom four-two would-be pairs - are usually needed for a full scenario) are called innamorati. The males have names such as Silvio, Fabrizio, Aurelio, Orazio, Ottavio, Ortensio, Lelio, Leandro, Cinzio, Florindo, Lindoro, etc.; the females: Isabella, Angelica, Eularia, Flaminia, Vittoria, Silvia, Lavinia, Ortensia, Aurelia, etc. - Rudlin

Whether their names are Flavio, Ottavio, Orazio, Silvio, Leandro or Cinthio del Sole; Federigo, Lelio, Mario, or Fulvio - all reveal a fatal trace of fatuity. - Duchartre

Status

High, but brought low by the hopelessness of their infatuation. -Rudlin

Costume

The latest fashion. Males sometimes dressed as young soldiers or cadets. Wigs. Actresses would show off their wardrobe in the better companies by changing costume several times during the course of the action. -Rudlin

They had no particular costume, but dressed in the latest fashion of the period to which they belonged. - Duchartre

Wore stunning silk dresses, often in antique Renaissance style with necklaces of gold and pearls. - Gordon

Gentry-class dress, nice looking, modest, cute. Usually with a heart motif -Little

Origin (History)

The aristocracy of the Italian Renaissance courts amused themselves with a form they called commedia erudita based on the plays of Terence and Plautus, for example Calandria by Cardinal Bibbiena which, like Shakespeare's later Comedy of Errors, is based on Plautus' Menaechmi. As the professional improvised comedy looked to extend its range it seemed to have borrowed the Lovers from the amateur form. - Rudlin

The most prominent Isabella, Isabella Andreini, belonged to the troupe of Gelosi. - Laver

Physical Appearance

Had to be young, well set up, courteous, gallant even to the point of affectation - in short, a blade and a dandy. - Duchartre

Young and attractive – Rudlin

The lovers and wooers of the Commedia dell'arte were always dapper and engaging and just a trifle ridiculous. - Duchartre

Mask

No actual mask, but heavy make-up. Mascara and beauty spots for both sexes. The make-up in fact becomes a mask enabling performers to play the role well into middle age, or even beyond - Giovan Battista Andreini, son of Francesco, played Lelio until he was 73. Vizard or loup could be worn for disguise, usually made of black velvet. This was a normal accoutrement for society ladies when walking to a rendezvous and could be half- or full-face. But since it has not expression it does not count as a mask in the Commedia sense, although it does provide plenty of plot potential, enabling, for example, Columbina to attend rendezvous in her mistress's place. - Rudlin

Occasionally wore a mask that just covered eyes or a loop mask. - Laver

Signature Props

Handkerchief. Posy. Fan for women. -Rudlin

Stance

They lack firm contact with the earth. Feet invariably in ballet positions, creating an inverted cone. Chest and heart heavy. They are full of breath, but then take little pants on top. Sometimes when situations become too much for them, they deflate totally. – Rudlin

Always very proud.

Walk

They do not walk as much as tweeter, due to the instability of their base. First the head leans the other way to the body sway. Then the arms have to be used, one above the other, as a counterweight. -Rudlin

Poses

Various depending on individual character.

Movements

Actors would use the same dancing masters as the well-to-do whom they were parodying in order to point up the ridiculousness of exaggerated deportment. Movement comes at the point of overbalance leading to a sideways rush towards a new focus, with the arms left trailing behind. Stop at the new point (usually the beloved or some token thereof) before (almost) touching it. The Lovers have little or no physical contact. When there is any, the minimum has maximum effect. - Rudlin

Exaggerated movements of the hands, like feathers flapping in the wind. -Fletcher

Gestures

Often while holding a handkerchief or flower, etc. in the leading hand. The arms never make identical shapes. Because of their vanity, they frequently look in a hand mirror, only to become upset by any minor imperfection which is discovered. Even in extremis they are always looking to see if a ribbon or a sequin is out of place. A button found on the floor or a blemish in the coiffure equals disaster. - Rudlin

Speech Language

Tuscan, making great display of courtly words and baroque metaphors. Well read, knowing large extracts of poems by heart (especially Petrarch). They speak softly in musical sentences - in contrast with the zanni. Their sentences are often flamboyant, hyperbolical, full of amorous rhetoric. By the end of the 17th Century in Paris, the Lovers spoke French. - Rudlin

Animal

Various depending on individual character.

Relationships

They relate exclusively to themselves - they are in love with themselves being in love. The last person they actually relate to in the course of the action is often the beloved. When they do meet they have great difficulty in communicating with each other (usually because of the nerves). And they relate to their servants only in terms of pleading for help. The Lovers love each other, yet are more preoccupied with being seen as lovers, undergoing all the hardships of being in such a plight, than with actual fulfilment. Consequently they frequently scorn each other and feign mild hatred; they rebut, despair, reconcile, but eventually end up marrying in the way of true love when the game is up and they know they cannot play any more. After a quarrel the male may try a serenade to win back favour. This will be (dis)organized by Zanni: he employs musicians who are drunk or spends the money on something else and has tu use tramps off the street. The result is total chaos, but in the end the serenade is beautifully played and sung because everyone miraculously turns out to be good at their job after all. - Rudlin

Relationship to Audience

Extremely aware of being watched. Play with the audience for sympathy in their plight. Occasionally flirts with spectators. -Rudlin

Frequent Plot Function

Indispensable. Without them and their inability to resolve their own problems, there would be no function for the zanni, no struggle between the ineffectuality of youth and the implacability of age. The lovers are never alone on stage - they always have someone with them or spying on them. - Ruldin

Their function was to depict a state of mind rather than to paint a personality. - Duchartre

Characteristics

Thought their protestations would melt a heart of stone, there always seems to be a comic side to everything they say. One wonders if the explanation does not lie in the fact that love often robs the lover of all sense of his or her own absurdity, even though he or she may be the most rational of living men or women under ordinary circumstances.

Whatever the names of the lovers in the commedia dell'arte, they had no other trait as 'characters' than that of being in love. - Duchartre

Three, like primary colors: fidelity, jealously and fickleness. They are vain, petuluant, spoilt, full of doubt and have very little patience. They have a masochistic enjoyment of enforced seperation because it enables them to dramatize their situation, lament, moan, send messages, etc. When the Lovers do meet they are almost always tongue-tied and need interpreters (i.e. a zanni and/or a servetta) who proceed to misinterpret their statements, either through stupidity (Zanni), malicious desire for revenge (Brighella) or calculated self-interest (Columbina). Their attention span is short like young children’s. The fear that they might be nobodies keeps them hyper-animated. Their element is water: they are very wet creatures indeed. The females are more passion-wrought and energetic than their male counterparts.

The lovers exist very much in their own world- and in their own world within that world. Self-obsessed and very selfish, they are more interested in what they are saying themselves and how it sounds than in what the beloved is saying. They are primarily in love with themselves, secondarily in love with love, and only consequentially in love with the beloved. What they learn, if anything, from the tribulations of the scenario is the need to reverse these priorities.

They do, however, come off better than most other Commedia characters: there is no viciousness in them, and less to be reproached for – except vanity and vapidness, which, given their parents, they can hardly be blamed for. They represent the human portential for happiness. – Rudlin

The lover had to play with dash and be able to simulate the most exaggerated passion. - Duchartre

“If then true lovers have ever been crossed It stands as an edict in destiny. Then let us teach our trial patience, Because it is a customary cross, As due to love as thoughts, and dreams, and sighs, Wishes, and tears – poor fancy’s followers.”

Shakespeare

#commedia dell'arte #the innamorati #lelio #Isabella #flaminia #lestat de lioncourt

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anneesfolleshq · 7 years ago

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Bonjour et bienvenue! Paris welcomes you, our Harlequin, Zanni Lionce! May we say, you’re the spitting image of Rami Malek! Please make your presence known within 24 hours, and do have a look at our checklist before setting out into the city on your own. À bientôt!

MUN

Name/Alias: JJ

Preferred Pronouns: They/Them, if that’s possible :)

Age: 23

Timezone: GMT+1 and usually I’m on after coming home from uni, so from 7 to midnight. On weekends earlier and later, of course :’D

MUSE

Chosen Skeleton: The Harlequin

Muse Name: Zanni Lionce

Muse Age: 29

Chosen FC: Rami Malek

Muse Occupation: Zanni has a multitude of jobs, none of which pay him much more than a tiny room on the floors above the Gnome Qui Rit, where he works as a claqueur, and heckler for acts that bore the audience. The riddles in his words are maybe not understood by everyone, but they sure are entertaining when you had one or two drops of wine too many. Sometimes he graces the stage himself, in silence then though, because he firmly believes that words should be reserved only for what truly needs to be said. During the day, assuming he’s awake then, he reads people’s fortunes, charging the tourists as little as those who he knows he’ll meet again. As much as only truth should be spoken, truth should also always be spoken, no matter the price.

Muse Affiliation & Frequent Haunts: The skeleton says that Zanni belongs to both Monts, observing and treating them the same, and I think that this is definitely how it appears to most people. But his heart might still rather belong to Montparnasse. The glamorous, brilliant world of Montmartre is fascinating and rich in information, but the people who belong there seem strange to him. So much is spoken and shown without ever even coming close to actually … saying something. It is as though everything there is veiled and the people there live all behind masks, and while Zanni can see through them, he sometimes wonders if the people themselves can do it too.

Direct from Le Petit Journal: “Life is as much of a Tragedy as it is a Comedy, it all depends from which side you look at the scene, but if you happen to avert your gaze and look over at the ever ceaseless smile of Zanni Lionce, the well famous fortune teller of Montparnasse, it is easy to believe that life must be nothing but a Comedy after all. At least to him. In his presence, no truth is left untold, no thought is left untainted, no game is left unplayed. By the street corners all around Montparnasse, you can find him reading you palms, cards and even bones for just a few sous. However, be careful to never look past the dark mask covering is face, for while Comedy is on his lips, Tragedy’s in his eyes.”

BIOGRAPHY

Questions were never answered in the Lionce household.

This came for two reasons. One, Maurice Lionce worked from sunrise to sunset, he worked hard and with devotion, because he knew that every day spent at the factory was another day for his family to survive. When he came home he didn’t want to be asked questions, not about his day, not about the world, not even whether he wanted to play some games with his only son before his bedtime. Maurice loved him, he did, but he knew that for families like them, there was no time for amusement and distractions.

Two, Yvonne Lionce was blind. She had never learnt how to read, never received proper education, never discovered the world other than by sound and touch. She didn’t miss it, never complained, continuously sewing gloves to sell for at least a little income, but when her son grew older, there were not many questions she could answer. Having tried to get rid of Yvonne as soon as possible, her parents had never taken the time to explain her the world, so how was she supposed to explain it to her son? She could tell him about the energies carried within each living creature that passed her fingers, about the stories the fabric of the gloves told her, having travelled so far, about the lies hidden behind the voices coming in from outside. She could tell him about the shift of vibrations in the air when a new star came to rule over earth, and the music people’s hearts make when they’re in love. But about the facts that ruled society? The what’s and where’s and how’s of a world she wasn’t a part of? “How can I answer you without lying?” she would therefore whisper, when it was late and the young boy posed one of his many, many inquiries about this world beyond those bedroom walls. “Go and find the answer yourself.”

And so her son would. He’d go out and observe. He’d observe and absorb and learn and grow heavy with truths that he’d then bring out to share with his mother. Yvonne would listen with great fascination and adoration, and eventually she became the one asking questions.

When she died, it was after almost two years of illness. Her son believed that the songs she sang all day and all night asking the cosmos for help were the reason she stayed alive for so long. Maurice believed that the lack of proper medicine was the reason why she couldn’t stay alive longer. The night of her death, he asked her son to stop singing and come closer. There was a lot he wished he could’ve gifted him, but all that he owned was a card game wrapped in a simple cotton cloth. It held nothing but emotional value, as it had once belonged to his own mother, the only parting gift he had made her all those years ago. Yvonne herself had never seen the images on those cards, but she knew that whatever her son would see on them, in them, it would guide him to all the things he deserved to be gifted that night. After her funeral, a fast and cheap little ceremony, her son unwrapped the cloth and found himself looking at 78 answers to questions he didn’t even know yet.

He took a breath and asked one: “Who am I?” and drew a card. A man wearing the same clothes as he did, made of scraps and pieces, colourfully yet helplessly patched together, smiled up at him from it. A tear rested on his cheek underneath the dark mask, but he was smiling. Over his shoulder he held a baton with a bag tied to it, and his posture spoke of confidence, of trust. Zanni nodded, and agreed.

For that was who he was now. Zanni. He had never been called like this by his parents, but the world was big and dangerous, and revealing one truth about oneself meant to open the door for all other truths to reveal themselves too. His face was therefore always covered in a mask – whether a real one, fabric or paint, he always made sure that he could not be found twice, unless he wanted it too. Not that anyone would have cared to see him twice. He liked people, liked talking to them, learning from them, admiring their own private answers to this nonsensical world. They thought he spoke in riddles, when really he only spoke in a language meant for those who had never seen the world. They were therefore always a bit distant to him, but he liked them anyway. Nevertheless, he never stayed long. Surviving on telling people the truths behind the lies which society was so good at making up, he travelled from village to village, from town to town, and eventually from city to city, until he reached Paris. This was already four years after his mother’s death, and not once in all this time, he had realised that he had been travelling on a purpose. That he had been looking for something. What this was? He still didn’t know. But he did know that he was closer to finding it than ever. And so he stayed.

POTENTIAL PLOTS/CONNECTIONS

Argh, this section always makes me nervous! I don’t want anyone to think I’m forcing anything on them or even cut down their own inspiration! So I’d rather keep this vague, if that’s okay with you!

Plots driven from external conflict:

- Zanni’s mother was originally from Paris, and his grandmother who gave him the tarot cards is still alive. This is what Zanni is sensing. It would be interesting to see his arc closing with him finding his grandmother.

- Since he has so much knowledge about the two Monts, he could probably get into a lot of trouble. Or even without the two sides. If one wanted to find out more about someone to harm them, they could come for Zanni for that information. And since he doesn’t spill truths he doesn’t trust the other person with, they’d have to force it out of him.

Plots driven from character-linked conflict:

- I think all characters who are secretly affiliated with someone or hide parts of their life (for example the Bandit) could have plot potential for Zanni. While he doesn’t speak much, he does seek human contact, so while I haven’t really planned any dramatic external conflicts for him, I think he could be useful piece for other character’s to develop their own plot.

- Also I think that the characters on the locations page, who share a location with the Harlequin could be of great interest to him. The Mobster, due to the fact that his darkness probably seizes the laughing gnome, where Zanni lives - and often works. The Corrupt for how he might want to use Zanni for his goals, the Chameleon, the Spurned and the Expat for their secrets he might want to find out. Or knows about already? As for the Linguist and the Mortician, I feel that out of all the people out there, they could bond with Zanni the best. The Linguist because he searches for new languages, and the way Zanni speaks - describing the facts of reality by their meaning in the world, not the way they look like or appear to be - could spike his interest. Maybe he could even understand him. The Mortician because Zanni wouldn’t be afraid of them. He wouldn’t find them weird and their fascination for life and death worrying. On the contrary, I think he could learn a lot from them.

EXTRAS

Just a few headcanons and this little collage:

External image

HC1: By modern standards, Zanni is genderqueer. By 1920s standards, he/him are very much fine, but he definitely doesn’t follow the rules of behaviour and fashion for men. I also think that if he was asked if he was a woman or a man, he wouldn’t entirely know how to answer.

HC2: Somewhere in the south of France, he acquired a little flute made of bamboo with which he likes to imitate the melodies he hears as he passes the grand theatres of Montmartre, or even just the intonation of people’s voice.

HC3: His dresses are full of pockets in which he collects trinkets found in the world. From pebbles, over lost earrings, to pretty spoons found on the floor of cafés, he stores them all. However not to collect or own, but because he knows that sometimes you have to thank the universe or leave mother earth a present, and he wants to be ready.

HC4: He’s very much a virgin. He knows what sex is, and during the War, when he spent finding peace in the high mountains of the Alps, there was a man with a soft voice and kind eyes that had grown close to his heart, but he was a gentleman, and he knew he couldn’t stay forever, so nothing happened. His curious side wants to find out about it, of course, but there is no greater need for it than learning about other things.

HC5: He speaks a few languages but can’t read. Having a good ear allows her to imitate accents and the melody of other languages well, so even if his vocabulary isn’t very big, he can pass as a native speaker during small talk. He’s taught himself how to say the names written on her tarot deck, and he can recognize words by sight, but he has never learnt the alphabet, and hence he can’t decipher words he has never seen before.

#accepted

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femersonfmp · 4 years ago

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Research

Instead of being categorised by genre, contemporary theatre is defined by the time at which it was written and first performed, that being from the mid-20th century to the present (anything before that but not before the late 19th century is considered a 'modernist' play). This is because contemporary theatre covers all genres, but with a different approach to them to modernist and older playwrights. An approach that causes contemporary theatre to be incredibly distinct.

One way in which this contemporary approach manifests itself is in the form of Postmodernist theatre. While classic realism, a more modernist technique popularised in Russia and centred around making a play as Stanislavskian as possible, was popular among early contemporary playwrights, a lot of contemporary plays use Postmodernism or American Realism, a technique centred around the 'American Dream' of a stable, well-paying 9-to-5 job, a nuclear family and a large house in the suburbs, or a mixture of the two, depending on where the play was written. Postmodernism, although overlapping the modern and contemporary periods of drama, is far more prevalent in the contemporary period now that Russian influence isn't as frequent anymore. 'Postmodernism' refers to the revolutionary philosophical movement that draws upon the thoughts that are often present in our intellectual lives (examples including philosophy, literature, art and creativity), but is rooted in human history, therefore is difficult to give an exact definition. This movement manifests itself in theatre through practitioners such as Brecht and Artaud, who both take a far more abstract and Avant-Garde approach to their style of theatre as compared to practitioners popular during the modernist era like Strasberg or Grotowski.

Another politically affected way in which contemporary theatre can be recognised is a significant increase in diversity from the modernist theatre. This comes with the increase in migration from former European colonies - a lot of which have become almost destitute after having their resources stolen as a result of colonisation - in the mid-20th century, more commonly known as the 'Windrush' in the UK. This influx of mass migration left a great impact on the cultural landscape across Europe and the theatrical element of that was no exception. Despite systematic reprisals, immigrant theatre-makers were soon making a huge impact on the theatrical scene, creating and performing plays that would be relatable to an audience of newly migrated people. A play that's an excellent example of this is Barber Shop Chronicles written by Iuna Ellams which toured many UK cities in 2019. It follows a selection of different barbershops in several different cities including Peckham, Johannesburg, Lagos, Accra and more. All of these barber's shops are connected in the play's overall plotline. Beyond the obvious, Barber Shop Chronicles is a very distinctly contemporary play from its use of theatre in the round to the choreography, typical of the cultures of the countries in which each barbershop is set, to the minimal staging.

However, the play we're performing isn't as contemporary as The Barber Shop Chronicles and other similar plays. One Man Two Governors is a loose translation and adaptation of Corlo Goldoni's play 'The Servant of Two Masters', originally published in 1746. The Servant of Two Masters is a play sticks strictly to the style of Commedia Dell'arte and its distinct conventions, although the setting and time has changed in this adaptation, One Man Two Governors kept true to this. Commedia Dell'arte is a satirical and slapstick Italian theatrical form that was at its most popular between the 16th and 18th centuries. This was then naturalised when the style was introduced in the UK and became what we now know as the pantomime and the 'Punch-and-Judy Show', two staple theatrical styles in the UK. Before that, however, Commedia Dell'arte was defined by its improvisation around a set framework of archetypal characters and stock situations and plots, which were often borrowed from the literary tradition 'Commedia erudita'.

Although the true origins of Commedia Dell'arte aren't known for sure, theories suggest that its inspiration came from classical and preclassical mime and farce pieces. However, what is considered to be true is that Commedia Dell'arte arose from regional dialect farces in Italy dating back to the Middle Ages. Professional companies, consisting of unorganised street performers, acrobats, strolling players and educated travellers, took the style of these plays and made them more comprehensible and entertaining to the general Italian public by translating the plays from their original dialect, which was hard for a majority of the Italian population to understand, and experimenting with popular forms. These performances included a plethora of comedic action and slapstick, exaggeration both in almost every element of the play and archetypal characters. All of which was done with little scenery, props or costume, to leave as much room for improvisation as possible, which is what ended up defining this style. Some of the most famous Italian Commedia Dell'arte groups of the time are the Gelosi, who performed between 1568 and 1604 and were the most famous early group; the Comici Confidènti, active from 1574 to 1621; the Accesi and a second Confidènti group active in the 17th century. There were even reports of Commedia Dell'arte groups in other European countries, particularly France after the king summoned the Gelosi to Blois in 1577 and later Paris. The French adored Italian theatre and soon enough, French Commedia Dell'arte groups were performing their adaptations with added original French characters. This continued until Louis XIV outlawed Italian theatrical tropes in 1697.

In classic Commedia Dell'arte performances, each actor would play a specific archetype (0therwise known as 'masks' since each character was performed with a mask, sans the lovers in the second act) that they specialised in. This character would be the only character they would be cast as, so that they can perform to the highest comedic potential, knowing exactly how to play that archetype to perfection. These archetypes are:

The Arlecchino, more commonly known as the Harlequin: the most famous of the Commedia Dell'arte archetypes, Arlecchino is a servant (or Zanni) who is equal parts dexterous and idiotic. This character will end up accidentally getting involved in many elaborate plots, not out of mal intent rather than pure stupidity and scatterbrainedness. In original Commedia Dell'arte, this character could be identified by his costume that consisted of a skin-tight bodysuit covered in brightly multi-coloured patches. In One Man Two Governors, the character Francis Henshall is the Arlecchino.

The Innamorati are the lovers of the production, hence why they wouldn't wear masks, letting their faces be free. They would wear exaggerated makeup and the latest fashions. Their exaggerated affections for one another is what makes their characters so comedic. In most Commedia Dell'arte, the Innamorati have to overcome a significant obstacle to be able to be with one another, usually their parents' disapproval. In our play, Alan and Pauline, who are the Innamorati, have to deal with Roscoe's 'rising from the dead' to marry each other.

The Capitano: this character is a coward who puts on a confident and brash facade to hide that fact. Often recognisable by his puffed chest and booming voice, the Capitano will promise great things, yet find excuses not to act upon them. The humour of his character comes from other characters showing him up. Stanley Stubbers and Alan are the characters in our play that fit this description best, in my opinion.

The Pulcinella: a parody of the poor and oppressed workers of the day and he's deceitful because he has nothing to lose. Pulcinella is a hunchback with a hooked nose and a potbelly. The character who best fits this description is Charlie, although his physical appearance doesn't match that of Pulcinella, he does lead Rachel (or 'Roscoe') into believing he can deliver her the money she needs when he doesn't even have it.

The Coviello: Coviello is Pulcinella’s lower-class double. He is a grimacing and playful servant with flushed cheeks and a nose the length of his face. The only character from One Man Two Governors that I think could fit this archetype is Lloyd.

The Pantalone: an incredibly affluent retired merchant whose disoriented brain is controlled by lust. He can be recognised by his bathrobe-like coat paired with a tight red vest and comfortable slippers, he also sports a scraggly and unkempt beard. He usually ends up as a puppet to everyone, despite being the superior of his household. There aren't any characters in One Man that particularly fit this archetype though.

The Dottore: Pantalone's friend and confidant, he's pretentious and pompous about his intelligence wearing an academic's robe around. However, in his learning, he's about as fruitless as you can get. He's known to blurt out inappropriate and poorly pronounced Latin phrases that he doesn't have a complete grasp on the meaning of, something that the One Man character, Harry Dangle tends to do, although he isn't as unsuccessful as Dottore.

#Task 4

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princelestatdelioncourt · 4 years ago

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Character Name

Lelio (DiCraprio)

Status

Lover, usually the son of either Pantalone or Dottre.

High in stature, but usually brought low by the hopelessness of their infatuation. - Rudlin

Member of Innamorati – Rudlin

Costume

The latest fashion. Males sometimes dressed as young soldiers or cadets. -Rudlin

Flowing and somewhat over fashionable in a color scheme that is very feminine with a great deal of panache. – Tim Shane

Gentry-class dress, nice looking, modest, cute. Usually with a heart motif -Little

Origin (History)

Physical Appearance

Had to be young, well set up, courteous, gallant even to the point of affectation - in short, a blade and a dandy. - Duchartre

Young and attractive – Rudlin

The lovers and wooers of the Commedia dell'arte were always dapper and engaging and just a trifle ridiculous. - Duchartre

Mask

Occasionally wore a mask that just covered eyes or a loop mask. - Laver

Signature Props

Handkerchief. -Rudlin

Stance

Legs tightly together, usually with only one foot firmly planted on the ground, and the other crawling upward like he has to urinate badly. The groin is usually inward and protected with the upper torso bent over it. – Tim Shane

Walk

Light, fluttering on tip toes, arms extended with wrists loose allowing the hands to flap like wings.- Tim Shane

Poses

1.) On toes in various ballet positions with wrists bent down.

2.) Anything that might look Vogue.

3.) Whenever sitting, legs crossed in a feminine manner. Head always sits very delicately on the frame of the body.

4.) Never stand up right, always with a hip cocked out to expresses “attitude”.

5.) Mimic poses of female lovers

6.) Back of hand against forehead, other arm outstretched.

Movements

Light and fluttery. – Tim Shane

Gestures

Foppish- Tim Shane

Speech

Language: Tuscan, making great display of courtly words and baroque metaphors. Well read, knowing large extracts of poems by heart (especially Petrarch). They speak softly in musical sentences - in contrast with the zanni. Their sentences are often flamboyant, hyperbolical, full of amorous rhetoric. By the end of the 17th Century in Paris, the Lovers spoke French. - Rudlin

Light and every sentence is like a sigh, adding occassional sighs in between words and speaking in crescendos and decrescendos. – Shane

Animal

Butterfly.

Relationships

When it comes to women, his words are the only thing that shows that he might have any interest. His body language, actions, tone, all contradict any infatuation he may have with a female. The only reason why he would express an interest in a female is because he loves the idea of love. However he seems genuinely more in love with himself and other male characters before he is in love with a woman. – Shane

They [the lovers] relate exclusively to themselves - they are in love with themselves being in love. The last person they actually relate to in the course of the action is often the beloved. When they do meet they have great difficulty in communicating with each other (usually because of the nerves). And they relate to their servants only in terms of pleading for help. The Lovers love each other, yet are more preoccupied with being seen as lovers, undergoing all the hardships of being in such a plight, than with actual fulfilment. Consequently they frequently scorn each other and feign mild hatred; they rebut, despair, reconcile, but eventually end up marrying in the way of true love when the game is up and they know they cannot play any more. After a quarrel the male may try a serenade to win back favour. This will be (dis)organized by Zanni: he employs musicians who are drunk or spends the money on something else and has tu use tramps off the street. The result is total chaos, but in the end the serenade is beautifully played and sung because everyone miraculously turns out to be good at their job after all. - Rudlin

Relationship to Audience

Extremely aware of being watched. Play with the audience for sympathy in their plight. Occasionally flirts with spectators. -Rudlin

Frequent Plot Function

Their function was to depict a state of mind rather than to paint a personality. - Duchartre

Characteristics

Whatever the names of the lovers in the commedia dell'arte, they had no other trait as 'characters' than that of being in love. - Duchartre

The lover had to play with dash and be able to simulate the most exaggerated passion. - Duchartre

Shakespeare

Lazzi

1.) Very afraid of women, and fears them as if they are monsters that want to rip him apart.

2.) Hypochondriac, feigning illness whenever possible.

3.) Very sensitive and is reduced to tears with the slightest stimulus or agitation.

4.) Likes to get lost in his thoughts and drop off into long soliloquies of rhyming poetry until silenced or knocked unconscious.

5.) Anything gay (as in happy).

6.) Talks with his handkerchief, occasionally making a scene out of picking it back up again.

7.) Being deafly afraid of women’s cleavage.

8.) Accepting a compliment and then adding to it and polishing it himself.

#commedia dell'arte #lelio #lestat de lioncourt #//does not some of these specifications reminds you of Lestats characteristics and attitude?#//wondering if Lestat is still Lelio after all this time

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