Play structure of Commedia dell'Arte: Scenarios and Canovacci

Scenarios

Traditional commedia does not use a fully written script but a brief summary called a scenario. In the original Italian, scenario meant "that which is pinned to the scenery" because the sheets of paper it was written on were attached to the back of set pieces so actors could review before entering the stage. It is said the greatest purpose of the scenario was to avoid the censorship laws at the time - for if no controversial or obscene dialogue or action was jotted down, the censors had nothing to prohibit!

A full length, three act play can be written with only several pages in scenario form. The scenario contains the entrances and exits of each actor and their goals in each scene. It is often divided into what theatre calls "French scenes" - a new section beginning with every entrance unto stage by a character. It can be said that the actors know how each scene starts and how each concludes and they improvise how to get from the beginning to the end.

Scenarios rarely include actual dialogue and limit the amount of stage direction or business. In the course of the play, improvisation (either intentional or accidental) can divert from the written notes but because the actors know the overall plot, they can bring it back on track when and where necessary.

The most common scenarios involve the old men (especially Pantalone) interfering in the romances of their children, often forbidding marriage to the one they love or arranging a marriage with an unwanted suitor. This results in the various zanni and servetta trying to make things right for the lovers - or exploit the situation for their own profit. Full length plays often have several near resolutions that are again complicated until the end of the third act where the lovers come together and most of the more morally "good" characters reach an understanding and a happy ending. In many plays of any length, a farcical chase scene erupts before the conclusion.

Commedia does not have to adhere to the above formula and can take a widely different structure, sometimes without many if any of the familiar stock characters. Sometimes classic stories, fables, or myths can be reinterpreted in a commedia framework. The Confused Greenies have often broken out of the norm, especially when placing plays in the academic setting of a university.

Canovacci

The short summary of the plot was also known as a canovaccio. In Italian this meant "that which is pinned to the canvas" because of the construction material of the simple sets.

In most studies of commedia, the term canovaccio is used to describe a full story of action. This could be a short scene or an entire play though is often considered to have one plot, not multiple intersecting threads as in a full scenario.

For training purposes, many simple and short scenes and improv prompts can be developed. These do not have to be expanded into a full plot though many could be or inserted into many plays or be the seed of a complete story. Some behave almost like lazzi - short comedic gags - though as a full scene with a beginning and a resolution.

With these, the overall story and plot goals are not needed. Only the immediate situation counts. They are useful for exercises because players can gain experience with a certain stock Mask including its behaviors, actions, and way of speaking. These skills can be practiced through numerous short scenes and then used when the same characters are inserted into a full scenario. Actors can also try out several different roles with ease.

The short scenes also provide a good demonstration of commedia, its characters, and its interactions to someone new with the style, especially compared to the time and effort for a full length show for an audience that might not know enough to already have an interest. These canovacci are often used for demonstration purposes at fairs and events outside of theatrical productions.