Send in the Clowns

In the second part of Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, the audience gets to experience an opera-within-an-opera starring players inspired by those found in commedia dell’arte, loosely translated from Italian as “comedy of craft.” By exploring the history of this enduring theatrical form, students will come to appreciate the fundamental tension at the heart of the opera between high tragedy and low comedy, the divine and the base, the transcendent and the mundane—and what inspiration results from their serendipitous meeting.

In this activity, students will explore commedia dell’arte stock characters, become acquainted with the Opera portion of Strauss’s two-part work, and use recycled items found at home or in the classroom to design their own farcical figures.

STEP 1. DISCOVER

Commedia dell’arte is a theatrical form featuring improvised dialogue and colorful stock characters that began in 16th-century Italy and swiftly became popular across Europe. Commedia dell’arte plays were usually performed by traveling troupes of actors on makeshift outdoor stages with minimal scenery. Their performances were based on set scenarios—a basic plot, often a familiar story, upon which the actors improvised their dialogue. Common commedia dell’arte plots frequently centered three main groups of fixed characters:

Zanni: servants, tricksters, or clowns who cleverly solve problems at hand

Innamorati: refined, sincere young lovers who face constant obstacles in their relationship

Vecchi: selfish masters or elders who often oppose the love of the innamorati

Each stock commedia dell’arte character developed a distinct set of attributes—typical speech, gestures, character traits, props, and costumes—that became standard to the portrayal of that character. Examine some of the paintings and sketches of commedia dell’arte characters included in a handout with this guide and discuss what you see.  

STEP 2. EXPLORE

Now that we know some basics about commedia dell’arte, it’s time to dive deeper. As a group or individually, have students read this passage about commedia characters. As they read, students should note the costume or mask for each character. Then, students should compare their observations with the images of commedia characters examined in the previous step.

Most of the characters, except the innamorati, wore masks. The vecchi included the Doctor, a wealthy and pedantic old physician from Bologna, and Pantalone, a grumpy, rich, miserly old Venetian merchant who fancies himself a ladies’ man. The bullying braggart Capitano, boasting of his prowess in battle, often appears in a military uniform and carries a sword, but usually reveals his cowardice when he is exposed to real danger. The zanni (servants) were in many ways the most important commedia dell’arte characters, as they not only delighted audiences, but usually solved the play’s crises and brought about a happy ending. Perhaps the best known of these is the mischievous but lovable Harlequin, who usually wears a diamond-patterned costume meant to suggest patchwork, a sign of poverty. Though often a brilliant acrobat, Harlequin may also be gluttonous, ignorant, and gullible. His female counterpart is Colombina, a feisty, problem-solving maid who is often the smartest of the bunch. The sweet-natured and naive Pierrot, also known as Pedrolino or Pagliaccio, whose love is often unrequited, frequently accepts blame for things he hasn’t done. Both his garments and his face are white, and often a single teardrop is painted on his face. The stock figures and plots of commedia dell’arte evolved into enduring prototypes seen in European theater and opera from the 17th century onwards.

Equipped with a brief overview of commedia dell’arte stock characters, students are prepared to examine some of the characters in the Opera portion of Ariadne auf Naxos. Below, you will find the names and descriptions of each character. You will use both the descriptors and pictures on the previous page to inspire your commedia mask.

Zerbinetta (coloratura soprano): A beautiful, humorous, and flirtatious young woman, she is a zanni.

Harlekin (bass-baritone): A likeable, lovesick clown characterized by his patchwork costume, he is a zanni.

Scaramuccio (tenor): An unscrupulous and unreliable comedic character, he is often seen in a military costume or cloak and beret.

Truffaldin (bass): A witty and creative trickster characterized by his insatiable hunger

Brighella (tenor): A lustful and greedy comedic character whose mask often features a large nose or large mustache, he is a zanni.

STEP 3. DESIGN

Next students will design their own commedia dell’arte masks. Using whatever recycled or found items you have on hand, students will create a mask that represents one of the Ariadne characters listed above. They may also use the template provided on the included handout to draw or paint their mask.

This exercise is also a good opportunity to use Met Opera on Demand in the classroom to compare costume designs across different productions of the same opera. Select one or several scenes—“Eine Störrische zu trösten,” for example, which features all of the commedia dell’arte performers (MOoD clip 28 in the 2022 production, MOoD clip 29 in the 1988 production)—and have students watch them in succession, either in class or at home. If you are watching these clips together, you can pause on each character to gather student observations and take notes. For a follow-up assignment, students can write short essays comparing the approaches to costume design in both productions and suggesting how these differences (and similarities) informed their own mask design.