ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION
Playwright Carlo Goldoni (1707-1793) is considered the founder of the “Italian realistic
comedy.” He is known for incorporating commedia dell’arte stock characters into full length
plays. In 1743 Goldoni wrote The Servant of Two Masters which became his most popular play.
The Servant of Two Masters has been adapted numerous times at theatres all over the world.
An adaptor transposes an existing text with the freedom to put his or her personal spin on the
story. Constance Congdon took Goldoni’s original The Servant of Two Masters and altered
it for a modern audience while containing the spirit of the original. You may notice many pop
culture references in the production, those were added primarily by the adaptor, though some
may also have been created by the cast and director and written into the script. Congdon is
a playwright and adaptor who is best known for her play Tales of the Lost Formicans and her
adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s A Mother.
Carlo Goldoni statue, located in
Campo San Bortolomìo square
in Venice, sculpted by Antonio
Dal Zotto in 1883.
Christopher Bayes is known as one of the best interpreters of classical comedy in the world.
He is currently the Head of Physical Acting at Yale School of Drama.
Why stage Goldoni today? Do you think that we relate a lot differently to commedia today
than people might have in the 1700s?
Chris Bayes, photo by Mara Lavitt.
directed by Christopher Bayes
adapted by Constance Congdon
from a translation by Christina Sibul
“Commedia is a living form. It is not a recreation or historical re-enactment. It comes alive with
the new breath of each audience. We see stock characters that we recognize and relate to in
every performance. We see reflections of commedia in sitcoms, “SNL”, and “The Simpsons.”
We laugh at idiotic logic and desperate attempts to cover our mistakes no matter what century
they came from. The main trigger for laughter is surprise. Sometimes we are surprised by a
trick. Sometimes we are surprised by the sheer audacity of the performance. Sometimes we
are surprised that a bad idea leads to something remarkable. Or that something stupid can
turn into something brilliant, simple, and human. I have a feeling that what surprises us also
surprised people in the eighteenth century. We haven’t changed that much. Although I do
think that we bathe more often. And we have the iPhone…what a surprise.”
In the commedia dell’arte style,
servant Truffaldino attempts to serve
two masters in the hope of double
wages and double dinners.
a special thank you to our education Sponsors:
AT&T Foundation | The Sheri and Les Biller Foundation | The Chisolm Foundation
Fales Foundation Trust | The Loeb Family Charitable Foundations
US Bancorp Foundation
-Hannah Ray Montgomery for Yale Repertory Theatre’s WILL POWER! Study Guide, 2010
2013-2014 SEASON
?
IS
T
A
H
W
Imagine roaming the streets of a large Italian city in the 16th century.
Suddenly you are pulled in by a small band of actors and asked to become part of an
audience for an outdoor performance. You watch as masked actors improvise a play
based on a scenario. You laugh, perhaps cry and at the end of the show you might
even throw a small donation into a hat passed around by the cast.
This form of street performance is called commedia dell’arte, and it is responsible for
the birth of one of the most popular forms of entertainment: improvisation.
Commedia actors travelled together in troupes from city to city to perform for locals.
The skill of the actors was the most essential component to a successful commedia
production. The actors needed to be able to take a structure of a story and improvise
the lines and actions in between. They also wore character masks and had to express
themselves using their entire bodies rather than relying on facial expressions.
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A defining element of commedia is that the characters stay the same, however the
story is told. These characters are known as “Stock Characters” and have specific
personalities, costumes, and ways of speaking. Each stock character is also defined
by the detailed mask it wears.
Signo
Singn
re: M
r.
ora:
Mr
STOCK CHARACTERS
s.
Te a t r
o
Masc
: The
atre
here:
Mask
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Av a n
ti: On
ward
Anda
s!
te: G
o!
Lucci
Pantalone An egotistical father obsessed
The Lovers The boy and girl who are
with money. Think Mr. Crabs from “Spongebob
Squarepants.” Pantalone’s mask has a long
nose, bushy eyebrows, and white hair.
completely in love with each other and think
about nothing else. Think Romeo and Juliet
from Shakepeare’s famous play. The Lovers
normally do not wear masks.
The Doctor The self-proclaimed doctor who
is the father of one of the lovers. Think Wile
E. Coyote from Warner Brothers cartoons. The
Doctor wears a quarter-mask with rosy cheeks
and a mustache.
ole: F
irefli
es
Dotto
re: D
octor
Mang
i: Eat
Amo
Arlecchino The comic servant who is stupid
and gluttonous. Think Spongebob from “Spongebob Squarepants.” Arlecchino wears a brown
half-mask with a wide nose. The Arlecchino
character is called Truffaldino in our play.
Brighella The selfish and manipulative tavern
owner. Think the Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh.
Brighella wears a green half-mask with a
greedy expression.
re: Lo
ve
Arlecchino Mask
Ama
rmi p
azza
ment
e:
“Lov
e me
madl
y”
Doctor Mask
Brighella Mask
–Emmy Miller for Yale Repertory Theatre’s WILL POWER! Study Guide, 2010
CHARACTER SKETCHES COURTESY OF VALÉRIE THÉRÈSE BART, THE COSTUME DESIGNER FOR THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS.
Pantalone Mask