Achilles

Earliest tragedy uniting classical form and subject.

Leon Battista Alberti

Wrote Della Pittura in 1435, the first treatise on perspective.

Andrea Beolco

Farce peaked with him. Took inspiration from everyday life and ordinary speech of northern Italy. His plays center around the peasant character Ruzzante, a role he played. His work is cited as a forerunner of commedia.

Arlecchino (Harlequin)

By far the most popular (after the 17^th century – not prominent in early scripts). A mixture of cunning and stupidity. Accomplished acrobat and dancer. Was usually at the center of any intrigue. Costume came to be stylized diamond-shaped patches, red, blue, and green. Shaved head, “rakish” hat, black mask, slapstick sword. Alternate names: Truffaldino, Trivellino.

Sebastiano Serlio’s Architettura

Architettura was the first Renaissance work to devote a section to the theatre. It included illustrations of the tragic, comic, and satyric scenes as described by Vitruvius. Led to some misinterpretation of Vitruvius’ descriptions being perspective. Architettura was the prime disseminator of Italian ideals

Serlio advocated a stage raked upward to enhance the perspective illusion. All scenery was placed on the raked portion of the floor. A narrow flat floor was used for acting downstage of the raked section. Used four sets of wings, the first three angled, and the fourth flat, and a flat backdrop. Does not mention a proscenium/frame

Boccaccio

Urged study of the classics, compiled information about classical myths, wrote a defense of secular authors, and wrote a celebrated lust for life in his Decameron.

Brighella

Harlequin’s most frequent companion. Libidinous, cynically witty servant. Costume consisted of hooked nose and mustached mask, trousers and jacket ornamented with green braid

Alternate names: Flautino, Scapino, Buffetto.

Filippo Brunelleschi

Systemization of perspective usually credited to him. 

Bernardo Buontalenti

Served as architect and designer for the Medicis for 60 years. His work foreshadowed and probably helped create the visual style that was to become so elaborate during the baroque era.

La Calandria

Blends traditional and contemporary elements, and became a model for others.

Capitano

Braggart and coward. Boasted his prowess in love and war, usually discredited in both. His costume consisted of sword, cape, and feathered headdress. Was frequently an unwelcome suitor of the inamorata.

The Casket (la Cassaria) 

New Vernacular drama launched by 1508 with The Casket (la Cassaria) by Ariosto. A Roman plot is given a contemporary Italian setting.

Chariot and Pole

System of scene changing – next significant step in scene shifting 

Cinthio

Roman supporters won the debate of Roman vs Greek form. Due in large part to Giambattista Giraldi Cinthio.

Dafne

Their first full-length work and the first opera was Dafne 1594.

Dante

Renaissance Art began in Italy around 1300 with Dante’s Divine Comedy. Divine Comedy the first major literary work written in a modern vernacular language.

Decameron

Boccaccio wrote a celebrated lust for life in his Decameron.

Divine Comedy

the first major literary work written in a modern vernacular language.

Dottore

Pantalone’s friend or rival. Held an established place in society. An “educated” man (pedant), usually doctor or lawyer. Spoke in a Bolognese dialect with Latin words and phrases stuck in. Loved to show off his learning but was usually tricked by others. His costume was the academic cap and gown. He was a jealous, but often cuckolded husband.