Francesco Andreini ( c. 1548 – 1624) was an Italian actor mainly of commedia dell'arte plays. He began his career playing the role of the unsophisticated love-stricken young man. Later he played the role of Capitan Spavento ( lit. ' Captain Fright ' ), a Pickwickian character of excessive fatigue. He died on January 1, 1624, in Mantua , Italy at the age of 76.
19-499: Francesco Andreini was the leader of the Gelosi commedia dell'arte troupe and had he not brought this type of theater elsewhere, it would not have made it further to the mainstream media and developed into multilingualism and oral and textual transmissions. His role of Capitano made its way into modern media with adapted versions solely based on the original Capitano. Francesco had an impact on today's theater and improvisation. Andreini
38-453: A decent sum to watch them. After this they toured all over Europe, spreading commedia dell'arte from Italy to France, Poland, Spain, Germany, and England. Not only was I Gelosi the first troupe patronized by nobility, they were also some of the first to allow women to perform as women, and also write and direct, during this time period In the 1570s, Francesco Andreini joined I Gelosi and in 1578 he married Isabella Canali , an actress with
57-453: A head of directors, similarly, commedia dell'arte , the form of theatre that the troupe performed operates without a script or predetermined directions. Many of the original members of the troupe were also associated with the troupe of Zan Ganassa . When Ganassa left for Spain, some of his actors remained in Italy and reformed under the Gelosi title, with Flaminio Scala as the first director of
76-570: A more accurate translation over "jealous", redefining their motto to signify that, as actors, they were zealous to please. I Gelosi was formed in Milan , Italy, by Flaminio Scala . Their first notable performer was Vittoria Piisimi . I Gelosi was the first troupe to be patronized by nobility: in 1574 and 1577 they performed for the king of France. Audiences in France were enthused by the raunchiness and comedy of their performances and were willing to pay
95-572: Is believed they were previously married in a private ceremony in 1576, soon after the birth of their first child. Vittoria left the troupe to join I Confidenti, and there were rumors that the group's banishment from Mantua was of her doing; the Confidenti were the troupe patronized by the Duke of Mantua, and the actress may have influenced his decision. The troupe, as with most of the era, always contained between 10 and 12 members, with most remaining in
114-433: Is clear that he was trying to give the audience the intense verbosity within. Similarly, Andreini elaborates on the fact that the doctor was only talk, while the lovers could get carried away with themselves to any extent. Andreini spoke a handful of languages including Italian, Turkish, English and French. He used a combination of these languages while performing. As Capitano, he often combined Italian and Turkish claiming it
133-474: The King's court were not smart to remain. Zan Ganassa Zan Ganassa ( Italian: [ˈdzaŋ ɡaˈnassa] , Lombard: [ˈzaŋ ɡaˈnasa] ; c. 1540 – c. 1584 ) was the stage name of an early actor-manager of commedia dell'arte , whose company was one of the first to tour outside Italy . Ganassa's real name was probably Alberto Naseli (also spelled Naselli ). He
152-410: The basis of vulgarity and bawdry. Henri III again bailed the group out, and they continued performing until their departure in 1578. Returned again to the court of Henri III. Were again subjected to parliamentary prohibition. Their departure was likely motivated by increasing rebellion amongst the populace, as well as the murder of the Duke of Guise, who was close to Henri III and indicated those within
171-595: The festivities surrounding the marriage of the King of Navarre (later Henry IV ) to Charles's sister Margaret of Valois in August 1572. From 1574 to 1584 Ganassa performed in Spain during the reign of Philip II , where he exerted considerable influence on early Spanish professional theatre. He was so popular that the authorities in Seville withdrew the troupe's license: workers were neglecting their jobs in order to see
190-577: The monopoly of the Confrerie de la Passion. Organized a caravan to travel to France at the behest of King Henri III. The troupe was captured en route by Huguenots, who were embroiled in conflict with the French Government. Henri III ransomed the players, recouping the money lost from admission costs in Lois and Paris. They were again banned from performing by the Confrerie de la Passion , on
209-468: The new troupe. Francesco Andreini, is first heard of in the troupe in 1576, and succeeded Scala as director in 1578, though Scala remained with the troupe. Vittoria Piisimi was the group's first Prima Donna, while also directing for I Gelosi, and later, I Confidenti, and I Uniti. Vittoria was subsequently replaced with Isabella, already married to Francesco, in 1578 after leaving the troupe. Francesco and Isabella made their marriage public in this year, but it
SECTION 10
#1732782423565228-431: The plays. Ganassa is mentioned numerous times by Lope de Vega , who may have based his comic servant gracioso on commedia dell'arte types. The gracioso later became a stock character of Spanish comedia . During this period, it was common for theatre companies to set up their stages right before a performance and take down everything immediately after. Ganassa recognized what a burden this would be and donated to
247-442: The troupe during their "Golden Age" in the late 16th Century. Despite the troupe's issues and personal problems, they were required to treat one and another with dignity and respect on stage. The Gelosi avoided sponsorship from a sole source; this prevented them from being tied down to a single location, allowing them to travel across Europe and spread the style of commedia . They are the first troupe to be heard of in France, which
266-481: The troupe. The Andreinis became the troupe's most famous performers and eventually Francesco took over as its head. In 1604, Isabella died in childbirth in France. Francesco was so overwrought that he disbanded the troupe and retired from the stage. The stock commedia dell'arte character Isabella is named in her honor. The Gelosi are first recorded as performing in Milan in 1568. Their organization functioned without
285-459: Was 30. She and their son, Giambattista Andreini , were also distinguished in the arts. He published his dialogue as Captain Spavento as "La bravura del Capitano Spavento". This dialogue takes place between the captain and his servant, Trappola. Francesco Andreini wrote four to five page boasts in his publication of his dialogue; although Andreini may have elaborated on these speeches in print, it
304-753: Was Arabic. He also used Grammelot in his works and was one of the original inventors. Attribution : I Gelosi I Gelosi ( Italian: [i dʒeˈloːzi, -oːsi] ; lit. ' the Zealous Ones ' ) was an Italian acting troupe that performed commedia dell'arte from 1569 to 1604. Their name stems form their motto: Virtù, fama ed honor ne fèr gelosi , long thought to mean "Virtue, fame and honour made us jealous", or "We are jealous of attaining virtue, fame, and honour", signifying that such rewards could only be attained by those who sought for them jealously. Modern reevaluations have considered "zealous" (present-day Italian zelanti ) as
323-554: Was a soldier under the banner of the Medici in the Ottoman–Venetian War . He turned to theatre after 8 years in a Turkish jail. Andreini was born at Pistoia . He was a member of the company of I Gelosi which Henry IV of France summoned to Paris for his bride, the young queen Marie de' Medici , thus introducing the commedia dell'arte style to France. Andreini married sixteen-year-old Isabella Canali in 1578, when he
342-691: Was known for playing Zanni , comic servant roles, hence his stage name, and is one of the first actors believed to have played the Zanni subtype known as Harlequin ( Arlecchino in Italian ), which subsequently became one of the most important leading roles in commedia dell'arte plays. Ganassa is first mentioned in 1568 as the leader of a troupe in Mantua . After his troupe had performed in Paris in 1571, they were invited by Charles IX of France to take part of
361-421: Was their most frequent destination and which earned them massive success on separate occasions, despite heavy resistance within the country. I Gelosi's first recorded travel to France, at the invitation of the Duke of Nevers. Performed in front of English Dukes and Ambassadors, and later King Charles IX . Forced to leave after prohibitions were put in place by Parliament against acting in public, likely to protect
#564435