Performances
I Sebastiani's performance birth began when Sebastian entered and shouted, "Buon Giorno! Oh, you lucky people! You are truly blessed among the living. For into your dull gray lives have come i Sebastiani, the greatest commedia dell arte troupe in the entire world..." Since then, the troupe has begun every show with a "Buon Giorno..." where one member, usually the director, introduces the show and invites the audience to participate by hissing at the villains and sighing with the lovers. Shows are typically divided into three acts separated by intermezzi. The intermezzi are brief performances between acts. They are usually musical, although there have occasionally been jugglers or short comedy routines.
All plots are based on written scenarios usually 3 to 6 pages in length. The dialog and much of the action of the show is improvised. Scenarios may be Sixteenth century repertoire or written by one or more troupe members. Most scenarios involve at least one set of lovers facing some obstacle preventing marriage. The obstacles are usually the creation of the vecchi, or "old men", typically parents of the lovers, or rich suitors. A broader comedy is provided by Zanni, or servants. They are typically responsible for lazzi, or stock bits, which the troupe uses for comic effect. Sometimes a secondary love story will revolve around the servants. The shows usually end with all characters on stage. As with comedy of the renaissance, conflicts are resolved and the lovers are allowed to marry.
Read more about this topic: I Sebastiani
Famous quotes containing the word performances:
“At one of the later performances you asked why they called it a “miracle,”
Since nothing ever happened. That, of course, was the miracle
But you wanted to know why so much action took on so much life
And still managed to remain itself, aloof, smiling and courteous.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“This play holds the season’s record [for early closing], thus far, with a run of four evening performances and one matinee. By an odd coincidence it ran just five performances too many.”
—Dorothy Parker (1893–1967)