The misadventures of Arlecchino are staged in two shows of Commedia dell’Arte written by Goldoni for the Comédie Italienne of Paris. These fairly unknown plays have for protagonist Arlecchino, the legendary mask and they are rediscovered and reinvented in all their glory with music, costumes, duels and just a bit of blues. Running time each show 1 h 20 minutes
The first show is “Arlecchino’s son lost and found again”:
In a faraway village in the valley region near Bergamo, there were two lovers, Rosaura and Florindo, who got married in secret and had a child, during the same period Arlecchino and his wife Camilla celebrated the birth of their daughter as well. The plot develops with misunderstandings and switches of children and reaches its highest with Arlecchino’s jealousy temper tantrums. Camilla is the embodiment of drama, with her crisis over her husband accusing her of cheating and the desperation for a daughter believed dead.
The game of misunderstanding is a stepping stone for Commedia dell’Arte and allows the actors to recreate on stage all those universal conflicts which harbour in every human being: the hunger for power and money, the forbidden love and the green monster of jealousy.
Among comedy, fun and pure theatrical, joyous and musical game, the play hides a hint of black coal, a smothering ash of drama ready to set ablaze the weeds of life.
The second show is “Arlecchino and the magic ring”:
This play is one of the last ones that Goldoni wrote for the theatres of the French capital. It explores a theme almost never presented by the Venetian author: magic. Humble cheese dealer Arlecchino leaves the city of Bergamo in secret, with the intent of committing suicide in the solitude of the woods. The reason, of course, is his belief that his wife Argentina is cheating on him. But the story is interrupted by a warlock, a mystic who proposes a solution to Arlecchino’s misfortunes: a magic ring of incredible power. Wearing it, our protagonist will forget everything, including his torments, and will be able to start anew and to fall in love with, the irony, Argentina, his wife. between misunderstandings, new romances and general confusion, Arlecchino will be declared insane and will start fight left and right until the final twist.
Website: www.teatrostabileveneto.it
Location: Goldoni Theater, Venice
Schedule: until October 18, 2019
Hours: 7.00 pm
Ticket: up to € 25
