Days of Komedia dell’Arte – in virtual space

Agnieszka Cianciara-Froehlich, Artistic Director of the Days, told PAP that the festival is the Polish celebration of the International Festival of Italian Comedy, which falls on February 25. Commedia dell’Arte Day has been held annually since 2010 in more than 60 countries on six continents.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic – noted the organizer – this year’s edition of the event in Krakow will be very different from its predecessors.

“This year’s days will consist of a specially prepared series of recordings + meetings with comedy +. They will present the main aspects of the Dilarty comedy series. A little bit of theory will provide an introduction to the essence of comedy for entertainment” – declared Cianciara-Frolich.

Especially for the occasion, the media was prepared by Komedianty Troupe in Krakow. Individual recordings will be devoted to comedy and seriousness in comedy dell’arte, women in comedy dell’arte and masks in comedy dell’arte.

The event is organized by the Studio Dono Foundation and the Podgórze Cultural Center. It is jointly funded by the City of Krakow.

The comedy dell’arte appeared in the middle of the sixteenth century in Italy. Its most important feature is its improvised character. The protagonists of the film were typical characters of the Italian popular comedy, representing different regions, speaking dialects and appearing in distinctive masks and costumes.

Over time, the comedy dell’arte dominated all of Europe, and was most popular in France. In Poland, it was organized, among others, in the courts of Władysław IV and Jan III Sobieski. The twilight comedy dell’arte occurred at the end of the eighteenth century. And now it is making a comeback – its tradition is indicated, among other things, the Piccolo Teatro in Milan.

Author: Raphael Gerzeb