Mime and Commedia dell'Arte Tradtiton

Mime and Commedia dell'arte

The origins of miming can be traced to the oldest European traditions. 200 years before the first written tragedy there were Greek mimes. It is believed that miming was used during the tragedies as a comic relief from the intensity, many of the tragedies were evolved from fertility rituals honoring the god Dionysus. They traveled the ancient Mediterranean spreading this performance traditions, these performances included stock characters, short improvised sketches, physical and acrobatic humor, juggling, music, and lewd jokes. From the Greek mimes, Roman pantomime developed, resembling a silent story telling dance. As Christianity grew mimes turned their eyes on the Catholics, which later lead to criticism and censorship which lead the mimes underground.

From miming was born Commedia dell'Arte. This form came about during the 16th century, which dominated European theater for the next 300 years and whose influences can be found in theater today. This form of theater was first called Commedia all' improviso, improvised drama, later being called commedia dell'arte in respect to the skill shown by the professional actors.

Comedia dell'arte actors use scenarios as the base for their improvisation. The outlines most used were young lovers kept apart by a cruel parent who must be united (much like Romeo and Juliet) or a rich man being cheated out of his money in some elaborate scheme. actors would insert comic turns as needed to warm up an audience, heighten humorous effect, or save a boring performance. Actors would play the same stock characters throughout their careers, so they mastered the characters speech patterns, movements, and reactions. Comedia used half faced masks, as shown in the picture to the left, allowing them to speak even though language was second to physical expressions. Actors would do over exaggerated movements to help tell the story which added to the comedy. The picture to the left also shows the different masks that were used to depict the main characters.

The main characters that were developed over time were Pantalone, who is some what of a Scrooge and often casted as a father figure who was against young love. Dottore, the pompous scholar or medical doctor who gave bad advice giving the excuse that it was correct because he was smart and misused the Latin language. Capitano, a boastful soldier who is the biggest coward ever. Inamorati, the ones who are in favor of young love, this includes the young lovers themselves an example found in modern theater woul dbe Romeo and Juliet, a group of female maids who scold and aide an example of this would be Juliets nurse/care taker, and finally and most the important of the characters are the male servants who scheme, manipulate, and challenged authority in Romeo and Juliet this would be Tibalt.