XV Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2023

The Italian Folk Theater Commedia dell'arte is a bright phenomenon of the Renaissance and Enlightenment, known since the middle of the XVI century. European theatrical culture developed intensively during this period, artists of that era were in free creative search and ways of self-expression, laying the traditions of their profession. Italian folk comedy reveals vivid dialectical contradictions, contrasting opposites, which constitute the original beginning of this type of theater.

The actors of Italy were also distinguished by their orientation to a specific viewer, an emphasis on the problems of society, the use of acrobatics, masks. An artist performing under some kind of mask often remained in the same role all his creative life, studying and refining the image of his character. Despite the outdated type of theater, Commedia dell'arte attracts modern stage directors as an experiment and a special form of creativity, an appeal to national traditions, as an experiment that attracts the viewer with its original beginning. It is obvious that in other countries they know much less about the history of Commedia dell'arte than in Italy, although the touring performances of Italians around the world partly preceded the development of theaters, served as a harbinger of the formation of the domestic theatrical art of each country. Modern pop culture is still reaping the benefits of Comedy. Its echoes can be found in games, films, as well as on the stage of theaters.

CHARACTERIZATION OF CHARACTERS

The number of masks in Commedia dell'arte is very large, there are more than a hundred of them in total. But most of them are related characters who differ only in names and minor details.

The main characters of Commedia dell'arte include Gentlemen (vecchi), Servants (zanni) and Lovers (innamorati), on whose opposition most of the plots of the comedy are based.

Zanni is a common name for a comedy servant. The name comes from the male name Giovanni, which was so popular among the common people that it became a household name for a servant. The characteristic features of the nameless Zanni are insatiable appetite and ignorance. At least 2 such characters participated in the performance, one of whom was stupid, and the other, on the contrary, was distinguished by a fox's mind and dexterity. They were dressed simply – in a shapeless light blouse and trousers, usually sewn from flour sacks. The mask initially covered the entire face, so to communicate with other heroes of the comedy Zanni had to lift the lower part of it. Subsequently, the mask was simplified, and it began to cover only the forehead, nose and cheeks. A characteristic feature of the zanni mask is an elongated nose, and its length is directly proportional to the stupidity of the character.

Vecchi is a common name for comedy gentlemen. This archetype is most often represented by a certain elite of that time: rich, wealthy people, scientists, doctors. Hence the term "vecchi", which means "elders", they are above the common people. Vecchi in the course of the plot of the play do not develop, remaining villains, just to be them, not allowing the beloved innamorati to be together.

Innamorati are most often lovers who cannot be together for some reason. In the course of the play, they can converge and diverge, in the end they either die or live happily ever after.

The most famous of the masked characters:

• Pantaloon;

• Harlequin(o);

• Doctor (il Dottore);

• Pulcinella;

• Columbine;

• Sandrone;

• Captain;

• Pedrolino;

• Tartaglia.

COMEDY IN SOVIET CINEMA

Soviet cinema, as well as literature, often adopted the images of the Italian mask theater, interpreting the characters under the Soviet way of life and time. I would like to analyze the parallels between Italian and Soviet masks.

The main character of our story – Pinocchio has at first glance an exact match in the Commedia dell'arte – Pinocchio, one of the servants, weak-willed and sentimental. A closer look at this role, however, refutes the theory of their relationship. Much more character traits went to our Pinocchio from the most famous hero of the Commedia dell'arte – Harlequin. He is cheerful, naive and easily commits stupidities. He is an eternal optimist, accepting any blows of fate with a smile.

Unlike Pinocchio, Piero in the fairy tale and cartoon fully corresponds to the famous image of Piero from the Commedia dell'arte. However, the melancholic and sad poet, the rejected lover of Pierrot was not always as we know him. This character was originally a clever servant who hid behind ostentatious good nature, achieving his goals. Melancholy and longing for lost love appeared later. Perhaps these qualities were connected with the widespread story that Pierrot was rejected by his beloved Columbine, who preferred Harlequin to him.

Because of this love story, it is easy to believe that Columbine served as the prototype of the blue-haired prima Malvina. But Columbine is a servant, a village girl who, like Harlequin, was distinguished by eternal optimism and a sense of humor. Doesn't really look like a pampered Malvina, does it? The real prototype of Malvina can be considered a Lover of Commedia dell'arte, who in different productions bore different names, but always sonorous and beautiful: Isabella, Vittoria, Flaminia. The lover, unlike the masked servants, spoke literary Italian, was refined, well-read and gentle. It's much more like our Malvina.

Karabas-Barabas or Mr. Baskara in the cartoon also has his prototype. This is the Doctor, a comic old man deceived by other heroes. The parallel is emphasized by the fact that in Alexey Tolstoy's fairy tale Karabas is called "doctor of puppet sciences". The Doctor's appearance is very recognizable: he is as fat and pompous as Karabas-Barabas. The arrogance and bossy tone characteristic of the Doctor invariably caused the audience to laugh. The same laughter is caused by Mr. Baskara's attempts to create an ideal "corporal toy".

MASK THEATER IN THE MODERN GAMING INDUSTRY

Not only Russia adopted and instilled its images in the Italian mask theater, many countries have reborn characters in paintings, works of literature, cinema and, finally, China has reborn famous roles in games.

In Commedia dell'arte, the masks themselves represented the characters of the play, and this is very similar to how the Harbingers of Fatui are always seen in masks in the " Genshin Impact " (to use their delusions).

While most masks act as standard characters in the play, individual performances by talented actors often made these characters infamous and famous. This is where the members of the Fatui Harbingers come into play, as Mihoyo has woven a complex thread, presenting these characteristic tropes in Genshin Impact.

Pantaloon Mask plays the role of a merchant in both Genshin Impact and Commedia dell'arte. In the play, he is represented by an egocentric old man who objectifies women and is completely obsessed with his money.

Although Pantalone is not yet properly introduced in Genshin Impact, players have already received some hints about the role he plays for Fatui. Pantaloon is the brain of Snezhnaya's economic policy. He is also considered a generous spender and is known to often book the entire Gothic hotel in Mondstadt. His personality traits have yet to be demonstrated in Genshin Impact.

In Commedia dell'arte, Dottore Graziano was originally a Bolognese lawyer or doctor who was often portrayed as gullible and depraved. He had a pedantic way of speaking, and he often did not pay attention to those who were below him in social status.

Graziano is primarily shown to be a close confidant of Pantalone. However, the relationship between them varies from play to play. While in one performance they can be friends, in the next they can become bitter enemies or rivals.

In most Commedia dell'arte plays, women were often portrayed as stereotypes or even objectified as tools. They would either play a standard character, or a background that would reveal the vices of the other main characters.

Consequently, it is quite difficult to determine what inspired Mihoyo to develop "Signora" the way they did in "Genshin Impact". Some may suggest that it was taken from the mask of Columbine, who was a servant and often entered into love relationships with Harlequino, Pedrolino (Pierro) or Capitano.

As the first harbinger in Genshin Impact, Pierro is considered one of the most influential characters in the game. As in Commedia dell'arte, Pierro boasts the title “Jester” and is considered the main antagonist who pulls the strings behind the scenes.

However, the representation of Pierro in the plays is very different from the representation in the game. Pedrolino, or Piero in the French version, is seen as nothing more than an ordinary character, a simple-minded and honest servant who is gullible and easily susceptible to tricks and tricks.

Although Pedrolino was not so famous in the Italian theater, Friend Pierrot grew out of his mask and was quite famous. Although his main character and character remained the same, it was talented actors who brought him great fame, giving him a unique personality.

CONCLUSION

Summing up all of the above, we can conclude that even centuries later, after many perestroika in the culture of countries, the Italian mask theater still lives in the images of modern pop culture.

List of used literature:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cky-Uxg2Sf4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFALuPy0k8c&t=281s

https://www.liveinternet.ru/users/masyanova/post129087435

https://fb.ru/article/72882/teatr-del-arte-ranshe-i-v-sovremennosti

https://www.livemaster.ru/topic/2751579-maski-komedii-del-arte-dell-arte

https://studfile.net/preview/9473284/page:13/

https://aesthesis.ru/magazine/february19/delarte

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