ADA2O

Commedia Blog
Throughout this unit, you need to complete a Commedia Reflection Blog. This blog
makes up your Thinking/Inquiry mark for the culminating performance, so it is imperative that
you complete the work otherwise your performance mark will be affected. The Commedia
Reflection Blog is a chance for you to reflect and make connections about the work completed in
class to demonstrate your learning. Your blog entry must be submitted to the class weebly
(www.ada2o.weebly.com) and will be marked and returned to you for safekeeping.
Please use full sentences when responding to these questions ABSOLUTELY NO POINT
FORM! With that said, you are not being marked on spelling and grammar you are being
marked on how thorough your thinking is, so you need to show as much thinking as
possible. Also, please include the question in your response so that it is clear which question
you are responding to.
Due date: Friday, March 13th by 12:00pm.
Blog Entries:
You will notice that the following potential reflection blog entries have different numerical
values attached to them. You can choose any of the questions below to reflect on in your blog
entry, but you must choose your questions so that the value of your entry adds up to ten. Please
note that if you have done research of any kind, you need to include a link to the websites where
you found your information. This should be done in a very small resources section at the end of
your assignment.
4 Point Questions:
a) Think of a modern day example (not one shown in class!) of a stock character from
Commedia. Discuss the similarities between the Commedia Character and the modern day
character, including personality and physicality. Find a clip on youtube that you think
supports your choice and post a link to your video in your blog so Ms. Imrie can watch it.
b) Reflect on your Commedia Troupes performance thus far, and state specific examples
from your scene that demonstrate 3 of the 7 properties of comedy.
c) Research another stock character NOT discussed in class. Describe their personality,
physicality, mask and costume. Include the links to any pictures that support your
response.
d) Think of an example of lazzi in a modern day TV show or movie and explain how it
resembles traditional Commedia lazzi. Find a youtube video that demonstrates the lazzi
you chose, and include a link to it in your response.
e) Research 1 of the famous Commedia troupes learned in class and answer the following
questions: When were they popular? Where did they perform? Who were some of the
people in these troupes?
2 Point Questions:
a) Commedia DellArte is Italian for comedy of professional players. Discuss 2 specific skills
that a commedia performer needs to have in order to be successful.
b) Find a painting of a Commedia performance taking place on Google Images. Post a link to
the picture, and highlight who is who and what is happening in the photo.

c) How are modern sit-com television show similar to Commedia DellArte?

d) Describe some of the commons plots found in Commedia DellArte plays.
1 Point Questions:
a) Who directed and wrote commedia plays?
b) How many different stock characters did a Commedia actor play throughout his/her
lifetime?
c) What two categories can Commedia characters be divided into?
d) Which characters are usually responsible for bringing the play to a happy conclusion?
e) How did the audience know who the lovers were just by looking at them?
f) Out of Arlecchino, Il Dottore and Il Capitano, which character is most likely to include
acrobatics in their performance?
g) Which of the stock characters is most likely to run at the first sight of danger?
**HERES AN EXAMPLE OF A COMMEDIA RELFECTION BLOG:
Commedia Reflection Blog by Ms. Imrie
1. What character is known for a long hooked nose and a straggly gray beard? (1 point)
The commedia stock character known for his long hooked nose and straggly gray beard is
Pantalone, the man who believes everything in life can be bought.
2. Find a painting of a Commedia performance taking place on Google Images. Post a link to
the picture, and highlight who is who, and guess what might be happening in the photo. (2
points)
http://msnyder.typepad.com/the_labyrinth/images/2008/06/15/commedia2.jpg
In this photo, it is clear to me which characters are which. Arlecchino can be found on the far left,
holding onto Pantalones straggly gray beard while giving him bunny ears. On the far right are
Isabella and Flavio, who are identifiable due to their lack of mask and high status attire. This
painting looks like it could be the final scene of a Commedia play where everything comes
together and the schemes are unravelled.
3. Research another stock character NOT discussed in class. Describe their personality,
physicality, mask and costume. Include the links to any pictures that support your
response. (4 points)
Another stock character not learned in class so far is a male servant character by the name of
Brighella. The name Brighella means brawler, and he is known as the tough-guy servant. He
is a good liar, someone who is always out for himself. His audience accepts his evil as comic
rascality, because it is broad and aimed at the common enemy - the wealthy. He sometimes
appears as a bartender, innkeeper, or shopkeeper, and is often portrayed as Arlecchinos older
brother. He wears a green half-mask that has a greedy expression, and a white, loose-fitting
servants uniform or smock with green embellishments. He always carries a leather purse and a
dagger which he is not afraid to use if it will earn him a buck.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3f/SandBrighella.jpg
http://www.paololandi.it/theater/amore/immagini/costumes/images/Brighella.jpg

Resources:
http://www.humanracetheatre.org/commedia_dell'arte_aug_7_screen.pdf