ABSTRACT
The Commedia dell’Arte (1550–1750) is often cited as the progenitor of modern acting in Europe. From its beginnings, the itinerant Italian troupes presented themselves as professional ensembles with long-established reputations. They usually consisted of two or three extended families and almost always included both female and child performers. Since their productions rarely highlighted sophisticated plotting, extensive dialog, or complex visual effects, the Commedia spectators focused their attentions on individual actors and their comic interplay.
