Research Investigation: Commedia Dell'Arte
How should costumes be chosen in a production of Carlo Goldoni's The Servant of Two Masters following the conventions of Commedia dell'Arte? by Jessica Hornsey
The Servant of Two Masters is a Venetian comedy in the style of Commedia dell'Arte, written by Carlo Goldoni in 1743. In order for a director to portray Truffaldino and Smeraldina's class clearly, a costume designer would need to know the origins of the characters, as well as traditional masks and costume styles and colours.
The Servant of Two Masters takes place in Venice when a servant – the main character, Truffaldino – and his master – Beatrice, disguised as a man – arrive in Venice. Whilst Beatrice is preoccupied with finding Florindo, her lover who fled after having committed a crime, her ever famished servant, Truffaldino, decides to double his wages by serving a second master who proves to be none other than Forindo Aretusi himself. Truffaldino does not know of his masters' love affair, let alone that one of them is a woman, and proceeds to complicating matters concerning his own as well as both his masters' lives. Amongst mixing up and opening letters, confusing suitcases and clothes and causing general mayhem, he also falls in love with a local servant, Smeraldina. However, in the end, order replaces disorder, every secret is uncovered and all lovers are united.
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1 Goldoni, Carlo. The Servant of Two Masters. Ed. Turner, David and Lapworth, Paul. London: Evans, 1973. Print
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Until the mid 18th century, Commedia dell'Arte was mostly improvised and leather facemasks were used to portray stock characters. 2 When Goldoni, a Venetian playwright, wrote The Servant of Two Masters, Commedia was undergoing drastic changes. Goldoni was one of few who embraced these changes. 3 The Servant of Two Masters was among the first entirely scripted Commedia plays. This is useful as we can reference the script for characters' speech rather than just a general outline of events. Additionally, the actors abandoned
The Servant of Two Masters is a Venetian comedy in the style of Commedia dell'Arte, written by Carlo Goldoni in 1743. In order for a director to portray Truffaldino and Smeraldina's class clearly, a costume designer would need to know the origins of the characters, as well as traditional masks and costume styles and colours.
The Servant of Two Masters takes place in Venice when a servant – the main character, Truffaldino – and his master – Beatrice, disguised as a man – arrive in Venice. Whilst Beatrice is preoccupied with finding Florindo, her lover who fled after having committed a crime, her ever famished servant, Truffaldino, decides to double his wages by serving a second master who proves to be none other than Forindo Aretusi himself. Truffaldino does not know of his masters' love affair, let alone that one of them is a woman, and proceeds to complicating matters concerning his own as well as both his masters' lives. Amongst mixing up and opening letters, confusing suitcases and clothes and causing general mayhem, he also falls in love with a local servant, Smeraldina. However, in the end, order replaces disorder, every secret is uncovered and all lovers are united.
1
1 Goldoni, Carlo. The Servant of Two Masters. Ed. Turner, David and Lapworth, Paul. London: Evans, 1973. Print
1
Until the mid 18th century, Commedia dell'Arte was mostly improvised and leather facemasks were used to portray stock characters. 2 When Goldoni, a Venetian playwright, wrote The Servant of Two Masters, Commedia was undergoing drastic changes. Goldoni was one of few who embraced these changes. 3 The Servant of Two Masters was among the first entirely scripted Commedia plays. This is useful as we can reference the script for characters' speech rather than just a general outline of events. Additionally, the actors abandoned
Bibliography: Sources • 'Memoirs of M. Goldoni ', trans. Barrett H. Clark, in European Theories of the Drama, Crown, 1947 •