La Signora
Encyclopedia
La Signora is a character in Commedia dell'arte
. She is the wife of Pantalone
and the mistress of Pedrolino
. She is tough, beautiful and calculating. She wears very wide dresses and very heavy makeup. She walks with a flick of the toe and her arms held far out to the sides of her body.
La Signora could be the courtesan (high class prostitute) of the senari, but more usually she manages to wrangle her way into the household of an old man, usually Pantalone, where she would inevitably cuckold him. She was an older sexually experienced Colombina. She was known as Rosaura.
Appearance: Overdressed, wore too many jewels, too much hair, too many flowers, feathers and ribbons, fashionable; but over the top.
Physicality: Like Il Capitano
, excessive and big gestures.
Character Traits: Main aim is satisfaction of physical needs – more jewels, dresses and sex. She will scheme to have them assured. She has an immediate attraction to il Capitano – her Counterpart – and they must be together.
A common Lazzi
of La Signora is to have a fight with another woman, as she is very proud and often ridicules others.
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
. She is the wife of Pantalone
Pantalone
Pantalone, or Pantalone del bisognosi, Italian for 'Pantalone of the needy', is one of the most important principal characters found in commedia del arte...
and the mistress of Pedrolino
Pedrolino
Pedrolino is a zanni, or servant character in the commedia dell'arte. His name is essentially the same as "Pete" or "Petey" in English—a diminutive form of the name Peter. He is normally portrayed as personable, charming and kind, to the point of excess—he blames himself for wrongs never done and...
. She is tough, beautiful and calculating. She wears very wide dresses and very heavy makeup. She walks with a flick of the toe and her arms held far out to the sides of her body.
La Signora could be the courtesan (high class prostitute) of the senari, but more usually she manages to wrangle her way into the household of an old man, usually Pantalone, where she would inevitably cuckold him. She was an older sexually experienced Colombina. She was known as Rosaura.
Appearance: Overdressed, wore too many jewels, too much hair, too many flowers, feathers and ribbons, fashionable; but over the top.
Physicality: Like Il Capitano
Il Capitano
Il Capitano is a masked character from the commedia dell'arte. He is often an outside who can maintain his claims only by benefit of the fact that none of the locals know him. He is usually a Spaniard given the fact that for most of the late Renaissance to well into 17th century, Italy was under...
, excessive and big gestures.
Character Traits: Main aim is satisfaction of physical needs – more jewels, dresses and sex. She will scheme to have them assured. She has an immediate attraction to il Capitano – her Counterpart – and they must be together.
A common Lazzi
Lazzi
Lazzi is an improvised comic dialogue or action commonly used in the Commedia dell'arte. Most English-speaking troupes use the Italian plural "lazzi" as the singular and "lazzis" for the plural....
of La Signora is to have a fight with another woman, as she is very proud and often ridicules others.