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From Commedia dell'Arte came archetypal characters that are still with us today, such as Harlequin and Pantalone, and the rediscovered craft of writing comic dramas and masked theatre. From it came the forces that helped create and influence Opera, Ballet, Pantomime, Shakespeare, Moliere, Lopes de Vega, Goldoni, Meyerhold, and even the glove puppet, Mr Punch.

The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell'Arte is a wide-ranging volume written by over 50 experts that traces the history, characteristics, and development of this fascinating yet elusive theatre form. In synthesising the elements of Commedia, this book introduces the history of the Sartori mask studio; presents a comparison between Gozzi and Goldoni's complicated and adversarial approaches to theatre; invites discussions on Commedia's relevance to Shakespeare, and illuminates re-interpretations of Commedia in modern times.

The authors are drawn from actors, mask-makers, pedagogues, directors, trainers, and academics, all of whom add unique insights into this fundamental pillar of western theatre. Notable contributions include:

* Donato Sartori on the twentieth century Sartori mask

* Rob Henke on the Form and Freedom in Commedia Improvisation

* Anna Cottis on Carlo Boso

* Didi Hopkins on One Man, Two Guv'nors

* Kenneth Richards on acting companies

* Antonio Fava on Commedia dell'Arte

* Joan Schirle on Carlo Mazzone-Clementi and women in Commedia

* M. A. Katritzky on Commedia Iconography.