punto d'arte - Commedia dell' Arte

The famous "Commedia dell'arte" is a theatre play from northern Italy that was invented during the Renaissance. Each Commedia performance regularly featured 7-10 characters or variations of them, representing a certain social position. Masks were used for each of these characters and they acted according to their personality. It was a new way of understanding theatre at the time, based on irreverent comedy and the ability of the ensemble to perform without a fixed script. Each actor improvised their role, following a simple plot that merely provided the framework for the action. The masks were created from the actors' performances and represented the different regions of Italy: Arlecchino, Pulcinella, Meo Squacquera and many more!
These are some of the most famous!

Dottore della Pesta_Veneto