What relevance does the commedia dell’Arte have for the modern actor? Illustrate your essay with specific examples.

The decline of the commedia dell’Arte was due to a variety of factors.’ States the online Encyclopedia Britannica; ‘Eventually the physical comedy came to dominate the performance and, as the comic business became routine, it lost its vitality’ ( Encyclopedia Britannica. Date unknown. Date accessed 30/05/07). At first glance it may seem that a theatrical form finding its origins in 15th Century Italy may, indeed, find itself redundant in modern drama. However, I would argue that Commedia dell’Arte has not declined and is very much alive within, and wholly relevant to the modern acting profession today.
Literally, commedia dell’Arte translates as ‘Comedy of the professional guilds’ (Judith Chaffee.Date unknown. Date accessed: 30/05/07) and as Giacomo Oreglia claims, it may also be defined as revolutionary theatre, in a broad sense: Because of its gift of imposing itself universally. It was the creation of the professional actor and actress. (Oreglia. 1968.Pg4)
Commedia dell’Arte improvviso, as it was also known used a detailed plot outline with exits and entrances noted, however, improvisation was a key factor in their performances. ‘Each actor rarely took more than one kind of part.’ Winifred Smith notes, ‘If he were young, handsome and sentimental he was cast for first or second lover and memorised Petrarchan laments and rhapsodies.’ (Smith. 1964. Pg4) So despite delivering off-the-cuff one line jokes and reacting to their surroundings, the actors were always prepared for the role they were undertaking thus their remarks would always be relevant to the plot and their character. The task of the Commedia dell’Arte was to produce theatre with well-known stock characters and plot in a manner which was refreshing and new, therefore all improvisation was momentary and to vary the business; but this can be, as Evert Sprinchorn warns, ‘a very serious undertaking, unless actors have worked together a long time and know each others strengths and weaknesses.’ (Sprinchorn.1968. Pg Xi) The spontaneity of the Italian troupes led the English dramatist Thomas Kyd to recall at the end of the sixteenth century:
The Italian tragedians were so sharp of wit/That in one hour of meditation/They would perform everything in action. (Spinchorn. 1968. Pg. Xxi)
The actors and their routines were interchangeable, they were so familiar with their parts that spontaneous eruptions came as naturally as the next line in a script, but would have the added bonus of keeping the actors completely in the moment. To read the lines of a script over and over can result in the dialogue losing its meaning as the actor loses their passion, and a stale dull performance is delivered. To avoid this Stanislavski, and later Lee Strasberg and the Meisner group explored theories of acting within the moment- a technique quite clearly used by the Commedia dell’Arte. The Meisner technique draws heavily from Stanislavski’s theory of moment-to-moment acting. Meisner students work on a series of increasingly complex exercises designed to develop an ability first to improvise, then to access an emotional life, and finally to bring the spontaneity of improvisation and the richness of personal response to the scripted text. (Wikipedia. Date unknown. 31/05/07)
What begins as improvisation blooms into a multi dimensional character, just as the festive pantomime alters its written script as improvisation becomes a daily occurrence; the text begins to mould around and grow from the improvisation. However, when acting a ‘straight’ play the Meisner technique aids in avoiding an auto-pilot condition. If an actor were, for example, to act a play by Samuel Beckett, who had very specific conventions for how his work should be used, the actor would have to remain rigidly to the script. In this environment it may be challenging to an actor to create a character so tightly clipped by the author, and the actor may well risk becoming nothing more than a mouth piece for the playwright. Yet if an actor were to prepare by using spontaneous improvisation in workshops and in conjunction with Stanislavski’s ‘Super Objective’ theory, the character may well be reciting the same lines as it had when acted by another individual but the result is an electrified performance, leading to an ending always reached, but never through the same vein.
The Super Objective theory requires the actors to discover what they perceive to be their character’s ultimate aim, or super objective. They must then begin to break down their characters scenes into units, and explore the objectives within these smaller units, still with the goal of achieving their super objective. Thus every scene, every unit, must propel the character closer to achieving their final aim. (Hayman.1969.Pg36) The commedia dell’Arte actors were actually doing a very similar task, arguably, they have pre-empted this theory. As each ‘type’ within the commedia would realise their super objective; the Zanni, for example, who played the comic servant or maid would know their part and character so well that the troupe could divert and improvise each scenario whilst keeping the plot moving forwards, and each actor completing their units objective- quite an admirable skill. Giacomo Oreglia realises that: What was most needful to a comedian of the ‘improvvisa’ was the peculiar theatrical intuition which enabled him to know how support or feed, whether by words or actions, the other actors in the drama. (Oreglia. 1968. Pg12)
The Super Objective theory is widely used today, and in fact Stanislavski’s methods and teachings are so soaked into our consciousness, they are not especially studied at some of Britain’s most prestigious drama schools. Michael Billington discovered when discussing the acting ‘crisis’ with Hugh Clutterwell, principle for The Royal Academy of Drama that:
We have no Bible here…Neither Stanislavski nor Brecht. We assume that Stanislavski has been absorbed into the mainstream of theatre and doesn’t need to be specially taught.’
( Billington. 1973. Pg3)
Giacomo Oreglia’s earlier comment is particularly relevant to modern actors and theatre groups, as one of the fundamental tasks of a party of performers is learning to be flexible and to trust the other actors. This can be achieved through workshops, and one modern theatre group I would like to pay particular attention to is The Corn Exchange, who have recently won the Argus Angel Award at The Brighton Festival, 2007.
The Corn Exchange is a theatre production company based in Dublin dedicated to developing theatre that is adventurous, visceral and alive. They specialise in a renegade version of Commedia dell’Arte, which they believe: Goes deep into the core of a story, explodes it from the inside and presents it in a show of grotesque fun and heartfelt intensity. The style is at once extreme and truthful, tragic and deeply funny.
(http://www.cornexchange.ie/about/about.htm. Date unknown. Date accessed 31/05/07)
For The Corn Exchange Theatre Company, ‘Everything in Commedia is about clarity of the moment and full play within it. The whole thing is designed to make sure the audience knows and feels exactly what is happening as the story unravels.’
What this work has in common with Commedia dell’Arte, as The Corn Exchange understand it, is that it is based on masked improvisational theatre which brutally exposes the human condition using stock characters and cheap gags. Using stereotypes, as they were outlined In the Commedia dell’Atre in the 15th Century, this theatre company brutally reveal that little changes when it comes to the personalities which make up our society, and theatre ability to hold a mirror up to it., noting that they ‘use the commedia characters because they provide a good structure to describe the various stock characters in our society.’ (Ibid. Date unknown. Date accessed 31/05/07)The Corn Exchange offers regular workshops in Commedia dell’Arte, and claim that they throw players into the deep end, using full character images with masks, and performing with lights and percussion and at the highest energy level they can muster. And so for this award winning theatre company Commedia dell’Atre is not simply a foundation which has been morphed to work from, but is in fact the core of their ensemble.
The use of stock characters is relevant to a modern day actor. The early modern Italian troupes were using these characters because they were recognisable and entertaining. This also meant that, as previously mentioned, the actors were familiar with their characters, and Oreglia notes that:
The essential fact about Commedia is that each troupe consisted of a constellation of characters who remained the same, regardless of the plot they found themselves embroiled in.’ (Spinchorn.1968. PgX)
Indeed, when regarding some of the most popular characters on television and theatre today, we can see that this remains. Successful comic actor Rik Mayall, for example, played the role of Alan B’Stard for television in the 1980’s, acting the part of a slimy Conservative MP. He has recently resurrected this character as a Labour MP, and translated the role for the stage. The plot has been altered and yet the character remains just as he always was, Rik Mayall continues to act the familiar Alan B’Stard an audience recognises- although this may also be a comment on politicians as well as the relevance of Commedia dell’Atre. The New Statesman is also a good example of the staying power of political satire and Judith Chaffee observes that, ‘Commedia pokes fun at elements of society’s respectable values by means of exaggerated styles and insightful character traits.’ (www.commedia-dell-arte. Date unknown. 30/05/07) Rik Mayall’s nasal intonation, constant hair slicking and image checking would seem to be a theatrical style taken directly from the Commedia dell’Atre.
Unpicking the stitches of ‘respectability’ gave, and continues to give power to the theatre and finally manages to do what theatre consciously or not is able to do-comment upon and alter society.
The vigorous defence of their dignity and the aggressive and unusual popular appeal exploded Into a bitter and corrosive satire which contributed greatly, if not completely consciously, to the breaking down of barriers between the classes. (Oreglia.1968. Pg4)
As our modern day society continues to battle with power struggles between countries, political parties and individuals, it is notable that the theatre and therefore the actors are required for the same purposes and super objectives in society itself. Ultimately, the Italian commedia dell’Arte actors were masters of their trade and are able to show the power of theatre. They reveal the skill required to act in the moment whilst also reacting to immediate surroundings and public consciousness. Commedia dell’Arte illuminates the profession of acting as a powerful form of human expression which, as I have hoped to prove, is as relevant now as it was then.