The Birth of Improv

Improvesation, is the finest path in comedy in my opinion. Reason being is because you have to be very attentive and always be thinking in creative humorous ways. Thinking and connecting parts of story together to create something funny and ironic. This way of comedic direction became popular by the conception of Commedia dell'arte. To be more precise, it began in the european nation of Italy. Commedia dell'arte literally means Comedy of Art or Comedy of the Proffessional. In those days, the plays were already mapped out, and chosen how they were going to begin and end. Each plays had their own set of characters, relationships decided upon, and each characters circumstance was already preconcieved before the actors performed this play on the stage.



To explain what you are viewing this picture, are four commedia actors, performing part of their play on stage. As you can there was plenty of music, to give the actors something to dance to. Also, even though this is a painting, this is a representation of how the actors dressed and the masks wore. They wore bright colors to draw attention to themselves.

                         

In comedic acts, we have truly expanded on the ideas set beforehand by the great minds of Commedia Dell'Arte what it was in the days of olde. We have taken the comedic genius of those days and it has been transformed over the years into 21st century humor and NBC has even created and entire show around those traditions; the show called Saturday Night Live. Most of the people that take part in this show are taking part in performance tradition that has been around for centuries. Comedy actor and me as well, appreciate the creation of Commedia dell'Arte.

That's a wrap!

                                       

Sources:

Bellinger, Martha F. A Short History of Drama. New York: Henry and Holt, 1927. TheatreHistory.com. 2002. Web. 05 Apr. 2011. http://www.theatrehistory.com/italian/commedia_dell_arte_001.html.

 

http://www.lightwire.com.au/, Lightwire. "YouTube - Commedia Dell'Arte Production 'Cafe Floriani' - Www.lightwire.com.au." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 9 Dec. 2006. Web. 05 Apr. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95EzlJDaPZo>.

  

Adam. "Google Images." Google. Clownlink.com, 19 Feb. 2010. Web. 05 Apr. 2011. <http://www.google.com/images?hl=en>.