Commedia Dell Women In Theatre

“Comic laughter comes out of our awareness of the act of living, an awareness that is distinctly human” (Longman 9). Comedy has been and will be a major part of our society in terms of entertainment, conversation and in many other aspects of our lives. It is something that is inevitable and allows us as humans to communicate. The journey that comedy has made throughout the years has not been an easy one, especially for women. You think about comedic characters in movies, plays and television today and immediately there are many women who come to mind. Unfortunately this was not always the case for women in theatre. Commedia Dell'arte was first seen and used in Italy, and it influences both visual and performing art forms throughout different

This was in contrast to their rights to perform as women in plays performed in companies throughout Europe. The fact that women were not allowed to perform except in commedia makes this art form very special and crucial for the development of comedy. Robert Henke argues that “it was women who added lyrical and literary dimensions to the form” and without their contribution the troupes would not have succeeded far into their futures. (Schmitt 56) There of course was some fear that using women was not the strongest choice for the companies etc. and there is research that shows they have not been favored in performance aspects in the past and currently. In one of the articles there is a “discussion of female actresses in commedia dell'arte that reflects much of the same ambivalence towards female speech and song that has been so fruitfully considered by opera historians” (Heller 609). This study focused on the role of women in opera during the 16th century, but also described how women played a large role in the formation of commedia dell’arte. One of the main points found was “there is an uncontested prominence of the female actresses within these commedia dell'arte troupes…the traditional strictures against female performers-in does not seem to have been equaled by subsequent generations of operatic prima donnas” (Heller 609). This was essentially discussing how women have defied the popular

Although women were once overlooked in the performing arts, as time went on their opportunities changed for the better. They were slowly integrated into this improvisational style comedy and that is what developed into women on stage in plays. Commedia Dell’arte was not only prevalent in the role of women in theatre, but in the role of theatre to our society. Without it, theatre and comedy would not have any of the aspects that allow for society to enjoy them from an entertainment perspective. This specific art form has been the building block for most styles of comedy that are seen today, and will continue to surface in research of those interested when theatre, television and visual arts look for guidance on how to perform comedic