Performance and Literature in the Commedia Dell'arte

By Robert Henke

Book Overview

The actors of the commedia dell'arte (the sixteenth-century Italian professional theater) usually did not perform from scripted drama. They improvised their performances from a shared plot and thorough knowledge of individual character roles. Robert Henke analyzes commedia dell'arte texts to demonstrate how the spoken word and written literature were combined in performance. Henke examines primary sources including performance accounts, actors' contracts, letters and other documents.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521172381
• ISBN13: 9780521172387
• Release Date: December 2010
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"