Stages and Staging Practices in Early Commedia dell’Arte

Although Commedia dell’Arte has been described as “street theatre,” historical evidence indicates that Commedia companies utilized indoor stages and that the most prestigious players shunned marketplace theatre. As Antonio Fava has mused, “No actor ‘dreamed’ of playing in the street” (Fava 2007: 47–8), but versatile comici adapted their performance practices for the diverse venues they encountered on tour.