Stock Characters

Because this is made as Commedia Dell' Arte, many of the costumes, masks, and physicality are already present before the show begins rehearsal. "A character of the same general type appearing in a number of different plays. The Italian commedia dell'arte offered traditional general types—the young lovers, the comic servants, the foolish old men—but also more specific stock characters that were ..." (ORO "stock characters"). This makes the designing much easier. Many Commedia stock characters are associated with certain costumes. A great example of this is the stock character Pantelone. He is often associated with red clothing, his yellow shoes, and his elderly physicality, making the design very easy. Taking into account that Pantelone is the welthy one in the world of the play, this assists in character work and choices. With a stock character comes stock costumes and masks, as well as describing to the actor what most of the physical movement will entail before they ever walk onto the set.


Work Cited:

MC "stock character"  The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance. Edited by Dennis Kennedy. Oxford University Press Inc. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  Central Washington University.  7 March 2011  <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t315.e3774>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantalone

Google Images Search: "Pantelone"