PIERROT (PEAR-OH) Status: The baby of the Commedia troupe, Pierrot was often the youngest son of the travelling Commedia family. He is usually cast as the lowest servant of a miserly master and is often the butt of jokes and casual cruelty or neglect. But Pierrot’s heart is earnest and true and no matter how he suffers, he never loses his dignity. Appearance: Bedraggled and dressed in over-sized, worn out, hand-me- downs. His shoulders are rounded and his feet are close together with toes pointed in, always trying to be inconspicuous. Movements: Timid and tentative, Uses small gestures and shuffles rather than walks. Speech: Light, high and lilting, given to poetry and sighing. Characteristics: Always stoic in the face of misery, oppression and deprivation. Takes himself very seriously and is clever, but survives by Pretending to he simple. Gives vent to feelings only when alone. Is totally honest, earnest and conscientious. Always tired due to long and arduous work, and poor accommodations. He is over-worked and underfed. Often falls asleep, especially when asked to watch over something. Relationships: A lone observer of the follies of others. Unhesitatingly- faithful to his undeserving master, and to Columbine, for whom he suffers eternally unrequited love. Plot Function: Often the unwitting linchpin, in some apparently small but ultimately crucial way. He takes a childlike delight in practical jokes, but otherwise his intrigues are on behalf of his master; he is too honest and self-effacing to do otherwise. At times the best he can do is to preserve himself from the punishments others intend for him.- SCARAMOUCHE (SCARA-MOOSH) Status: Older servant to an impoverished gentleman or a minor nobleman such as a Baron's second cousin. Seeks endlessly to upgrade his status by vaguely alluding to his own obscure noble bloodlines. He has delusions of Grandeur, but is in fact, a servant. His name means ‘small skirmisher' and he is like a smaller, older, poorer version of Capitano. Physical Appearance: Very upright with a grand, chest-out bearing, but carries a withered shoulder. He’s all bluff. Dresses in perhaps, once-grand, attire, handed down from his master. His clothes are all black, well-worn and much-patched. He often carries a tattered white kerchief with which to gesture when he talks. Movements: An extremely agile and acrobatic performer. He has a grand Imagination, which manifests in a rich repertoire of gestures, postures and grimaces. Speech: A lisp is a useful tool to emphasise his foppish, gossiping nature, And he uses his body and gestures to give weight to his spurious claims regarding heroic deeds, noble heritage and romantic conquests. Characteristics: Boastful and foppish, a malicious gossip who fears nothing but danger. Will sacrifice anything and blame anyone to save face, or elevate others’ opinion of him and his standing. He fancies himself devilishly attractive to women, but they rebuff him. Relationships: Loves to go out with Pulcinella but slips away when Pulcinella becomes drunk and dangerous. Totally self-interested, but only interested in elevating his reputation, rather than material gains. Plot Function: A stirrer and a blamer. Gossips about People and spreads malicious rumours.COLUMBINE (ikzzaé (COL-UM-BEEN) Status: A servant of high-standing. She is the only female character in Commedia and she is intelligent, sassy, sexy, cheeky, confident, talented, manipulative, and deliciously sharp-tongued. She is totally aware of her feminine assets and the beguiling effect she has on men. She is a morally upright character and uses her cleverness and influence to exert a soothing influence and achieve just outcomes. Physical Appearance: Columbine is the archetypal buxom wench. She is strong, earthy and attractive and dresses in a low-cut, tightly-laced bodice ‘over colourful skirts. Movements: She has a seductive, hip-swaying walk and can move nimbly in order to escape the unwanted attention she often inspires. Speech: Flirtatious and cajoling, seductive and breathy, can also be quite sharp-tongued. Also affects a foreign accent to increase her allure, Characteristics: She is the only really rational person in Commedia, and she has no negative attributes, She is self-edueated, street-wise, good at her job, and capricious and coquettish when it helps her to get her way. Relationships: Usually the girlfriend of Arlecchino, although she is much smarter than him. She is by nature generous and affectionate and is by tums mothering and flirtatious when engaging with other characters, Relationship to Audience: The audience wants the same outcomes as Columbine and identify and empathise strongly with her. She can confide in the audience and seek their help. Plot Function: She knows all of the plots and intrigues that are going on, and exerts a benevolent influence on the outcomes,TART AGLIA (TART-AR-LI-A , the stutterer) ‘Status: Can be from any class, but is always a well-meaning, innocent- abroad. Is often struggling ~ with the climate/ his health/ being understood! trying to make a living or deliver an important message; there is always an air of desperation surrounding him, compounded by his difficulty, as a stutterer, in being understood. He is also frustratingly pedantic. Physical Appearance: He is corpulent and pot-bellied, bald and anaemic- looking. He wears a grey cloth cap, and a striped, loose-fitting tunic. He has white stockings or long white socks and sandals. He is totally ‘dorky’. Movements: He walks with his weight on his heels, his belly forward and his backside stuck out. He waddles like a duck, with his feet sticking out. Speech: Tartaglia stutters; this is his defining characteristic and the meaning of his name. His voice is monotonously monotone. Characteristics: With his stutter he is likely to get stuck on the potentially rudest part of a word and say it repeatedly; of course when he does finally manage to finish what he’s saying, it’s totally innocent. Relationships: He has good relationships to all the characters, but is closely allied with the lower class characters who benefit from the inside information he gets when the upper class characters patronisingly - Presume him too dull or unimportant to worry about what they reveal in his presence. Relationship to Audience: He solicits sympathy and assistance from the audience who can help guess the words he is trying to say. Plot Function: He provides comic opportunities with risqué’ double- ententes, and confuses the plot when his messages are misinterpreted.BRIGHELLA (BRIG-EL-A) ‘Status: A Boss Man. Top of the rung, self-made man of the lower classes. A butcher, tavern-owner, blacksmith, or jack-of-all-trades. He is a very physical, confident, ‘swaggering character. He has big appetites for food, drink and women and can be ruthless, He has an unexpected soft, romantic side to his gruff nature and can be musical and poetic. He is never a victim and always maintains his status. Physical Appearance: Heavy and swarthy with a huge belly, he looks ike he is carrying a tres-trunk in each hand. He dresses in white/green tunic and baggy pants, with a wide belt supporting his ample belly, a product of his proclivity for self- indulgence. Attached to his belt are a bulging money-bag and a dagger. Movements: Walks with feet wide, knees slightly bent and belly forward. Despite bulk, moves easily and stealthily without apparent effort. insinuates himself into nooks and crannies to observe and overhear. Walks with heavy shoulders rolling over hips. ‘Speech: Melodious and smooth, cajoling; a consummate con-artist always looking for an opportunity in any given situation to feed any of his large appetites for meat, drink and women, and indeed an appetite for opportunity itself. Characteristics: He is astute, humorous and quick-witted. He is ingenious and capable of intrigue and deceit. He ts crafty, cunning and unscrupulous; a habitual fi who looks out only for himself and seeks ever to slake his mammoth appetites — he is always hungry, thirsty and lusting after violence or women, for whom he holds a ‘magnetic, rakish attraction. He also has a romantic side and sings and plays the lute. Relationships: Is often a friend to Arlecchino, but generally has no relationshijis that are not exploitative, Often uses his abundant cunning to better Pantalone in a business deal, or to intimidate Capitano into revealing his true, cowardly nature. Relationship to Audience: Cynical. He is not approved of by the audience, although they are left gasping at his audacity and are perhaps a little envious of his ability to be unscrupulously self-serving, and thereby get the better of the exploitative members of the upper class — Pantalone, Capitano and Dottore. Plot Function: His job is to guide the action; stir it up and give it movement. He is. indefatiguable in weaving complicated intrigues, breaking up or arranging marriages, liaisons or deals, insinuating suspicions, flattering vanity and trading anything!ee ee ee ee ee a2 2 = 4 :s PULCINELLA (PULL-CHIN-EL-A) Status: Generally a lower class character he is a sneering, self-serving ‘knocker’ and likes to humiliate people in order to elevate himself. The story goes that Pulcinella was originally a rowdy audience member who was so disruptive, that the Commedia players invited him up to perform with them, and henceforth, he became one of the regular characters. Physical Appearance: He often has a hunchback and a long, hooked nose. He typically wears a black fez hat and has a white, flouncy top and pants with black pom-poms down the front, like a colourless clown. Movements: He is slow and top heavy in contrast with the fast speed of his thoughts and speech. He walks in small jerky steps and when he must move quickly, he does so in small, quick, skipping steps, Speech: Speaks in a snide, nasal voice, and squawks like a chicken when angry or excited. Characteristics: A sociopathic egoist, his good humoured exterior poorly conceals a ruthless interior. He is without pity or remorse. He does however have one weakness; he cannot help telling everyone everything. Relationships: Often pals up with the irrepressibly good-natured Arlecchino, and anyone who he can pump for information. If they catch on to his true motives, which they will because he will tell them, he immediately becomes hostile and insulting. Relationship to Audience: Marked by mutual hostility. He often engages in speaking directly to the audience, mostly insultingly. The audience boos him and tells other characters his sneaky plans. Plot Function: He is a self-serving loner and a stirrer. He co-opts the innocent into helping him con or rip off the upper class characters.PANT ALONE (PANT-A- LONE-EE) ‘Status: An upper class landlord with many business interests — controls all the money in Commedia, but is stingy in the extreme, and terrified of being parted from his money. He is demanding and even thoughtlessly cruel fo his servants, and has a terrible temper. He is sociopathic and cares for no-one. His only ambition is to further his financial interests and he manipulates and schemes tirelessly to this end. He is also lecherous and made more repulsive by moments of salivating lasciviousness. Physical Appearance: Lean and scrawny, hunched and wizened; turkey-like. He wears red stockings and a shabby, threadbare black cape lined with red, which flashes dramatically when he explodes in his not-infrequent temper tantrums. He has a red wool skullcap and yellow or black Turkish slippers at the end of his thin-legged red stockings. He looks undernourished and poorly dressed, belying his great wealth. Movements: Walks in smail, urgent steps with his neck craning out ahead of his body. His shoulders are hunched over and his hands flutter about him continuously gesticulating as thoughts come to him, and grasping for re-assurance at his coin- pouch which he keeps close to his nether-regions. Speech: A high-pitched and demanding chicken squawk. Characteristics: Operates on the assumption that everything can be bought and sold, which turns out to be true, with the exception of loyalty and love, which goes beneath his radar. Loves money for its own sake and will only part with it when there is absolutely no other option. When things don’t go his way, as they inevitably don't in Commedia, he quickly falls into emotional extremes, especially enraged tyranny. He is driven by greed and has ongoing prostate problems. Relationships: Mean to his servants, fawning to Dottore (because he may have ‘something he wants), scheming with Capitano, lecherous with Columbine. Relationship to Audience: The character the audience loves to hate, he is too self- interested to be aware of the audience, who are often privy to his schemes as he mutters to himself. His only true virtue perhaps is that he is completely transparent. Plot Function: A source of mockery because he takes himself so seriously, and of constant scheming by the rest of the cast to part him from his money. He is Personally impotent because he is so old and decrepit, but his money gives him Power,7S SS eee le DOT T ORE (DOT-TOR-AY, the Doctor) ‘Status: A bachelor or widower from the upper class. Fancies himself very well- learned but is in fact a loquacious and pretentious fool. Physical Appearance: He is grandiose; a huge character, he makes up for in Pomposity what he lacks in intelligence. He dresses in academic gowns complete with mortar-board hat. May carry a book to make himself look scholarly, and for quick, ostentatious referencing. Movements: He walks in tiny, mincing steps of figure of eight. His posture slowly descends as he thinks (out loud of course for he never stops talking whilst on stage), and rises up again when he finds the solution to a problem. He has his weight on his heels, belly forward, hands gesturing or pretentiously hooked in his upper lapelsas he expounds his ridiculous theories. ‘Speech: He ‘parps’ like a trombone. Pronounces ‘s’ as ‘sh’ and traditionally speaks a tumbled mix of made-up words embellished to make them sound important and learned. Characteristics: He specialises in everything; there is no subject on which he is not an expert. He is very oral and has a great fondness for food; he is essentially centred in his belly rather than his intellect. Like Pantalone, he can be stingy, but this is due more to the fact that despite his upper-class appearance, he doesn’t have any money and is loathe to admit it. He is never put off his endless prattle by parody, interruption, or even physical abuse. He can be carried or pushed off-stage, whilst still holding forth, Relationships: Neighbour, rival or friend to Pantalone, (either way they're inseparable), and since he’s a natural parasite, having nothing of his own, he sées the advantage in the association, Often the master of Pierrot, whom he treats badly as he is in fact envious of Pierrot's true creativity and cleverness. Relationship to Audience: Lectures the audience and makes grand proclamations to them. Uses the audience for confirmation when making a point to another character, whether the audience actually agrees with him or not. Plot Function: Gives other characters a break from their exertions by his great fondness for extrapolating at length. He will provide such long-winded and impossible-to-understand explanations for things that others will just give in and do it, or walk off and leave him prattling on totally unaware that he has been abandoned.a ee ee eo ARLECCHINO (ARL-E-KINO) Status: Central figure, the link between audience and players. Audience identify with him. A servant, often to Pantalone, maybe to Capitano or Dottore, Physical Appearance: Feet flat, arms held in juggling position, palms up to affect constant upward gesturing when speaking. Dresses in belted, patched (or diamond Patterned) long coat, belted with wide belt worn low over hips. Trousers Patched and ragged. Can carry a slapstick smacked on leg or hand for emphasis, Movements: Physically quick and acrobatic. Gestures extend to end of every digit. Describes very precisely in both word and gesture, and when something attracts his attention, the mask moves first towards it followed by the gesture or greeting. Speech: Speaks with a high-pitched, energetic voice and either ‘speaks continuously oris silent and attentive. Characte! # Upbeat, excitable. A slow mind in an agile body. Always quick, big Sesturec; if for example he leaves his slapstick behind, he would somersault back to retrieve it. His body doesn’t recognise the inadequacy of his mind so he is never short of a solution. Can only deal with one thought at atime, doesn't learn from experience and has nto concept of consequences. Responds to all stimulué — hunger, love, danger — in a way that is taken to apocalyptic proportions, then entirely forgotten. He is never malicious and always wins out in the end, despite Seemingly overwhelming odds stacked against him. Relationships: Friend to all. Loves Columbine but has a roving eye, Relationship to Audience: Often makes asides to audience, either overtly to the side of the action, or covertly behind hand if engaging with the another character. Plot Function: Plot complications often arise from his mistakes or shortcomings, illiteracy for example. World’s worst messenger, he’s bound to. Get side-tracked enroute.CAPIT ANO (CAP-I-TARNO, the Captain) STATUS: Seif-appointed to the rank of Captain, and if he ever held that rank, he has long been stripped of it due to his incompetence or cowardice. He is his greatest (and only) admirer and never ceases to rant about his (imagined) heroic deeds and romantic conquests. Physical Appearance: He stands with his feet planted wide apart and his chest out, taking up as much room as possible, mimicking his inflated sense of self-importance. His costume satirises the military and everything is exaggerated ~ huge boots, enormous feathered helmet, extravagant and ornate cape which he swirls and Swishes as he strides about, revealing patched and tattered undershirts , an indication that beneath the bold and boastful exterior lies a poverty of character. He carries a long sword and gesticulates extravagantly. Movements: Walks heels first in big strides. Struts and preens as he strides. When frightened, he drops everything to flee, but only succeeds in running on the spot, head thrown back and arms in the air in a state of completely impotent panic, howling piteously. He can also fold in on himself, shrinking bit by bit as he deflates; when he has made himself as inconspicuous as possible, he scurries away in a crotch, Speech: Loud basso profundo, turning to a castrato squeak when frightened. Characteristics: He thinks he is strong, handsome, brave and a helluva good guy. But he lives in an infantile make-believe world full of famous and mythological battles in which he casts himself as the hero, although in reality he would be the first to flee even the most minor of skirmishes and is very easily frightened. He also fancies himself irresistible to women. Relationships: Often employed by Pantalone to do his dirty work, although Pantalone has no compunction in betraying him to others as he sees him as a contemptible mercenary. He is threatened by Plerrot’s genuine knowledge and understanding of life, and Columbine’s plain speaking. He is also wary of Arlecchino who has the uncanny and ingenuous ability to unmask his weaknesses. Relationship to Audience: The whole world is his audience! He stops frequently to Pose for the audience so he can be admired, Plot Function: He oxiste to be revealed (as a coward), by the plot. Always a complete and final transformation from pride to humility, confidence to panic.