Commedia dell'Arte 2

Commedia dell'Arte 2

Troupes of 6 to 12 actors would tour together, performing from town to town. Each actor spent their entire career perfecting one specific character. Over time certain characters became popular and were used by all troupes. This was the origin of stock characters. The quick-thinking, along with the humour are part of what helped the Commedia dell'Arte flourish throughout Europe for hundreds of years. This is a photograph of the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy. [AL] {EB}