Commedia dell'arte region or town represented. Characters would often be passed down from generation to generation, and characters married onstage were often married in real life as well, seen most famously with Francesco and Isabella Andreini. This was believed to make performances more natural, as well as strengthening the bonds within the troupe, who emphasized complete unity between every member. Additionally, each character has a singular costume and mask that is representative of the character's role. "Commedia dell'arte" has four stock character groups: the servants or "Zanni", these are characters such as Arlecchino, Brighella, and Pedrolino; the old men or "vecchi", characters
Pantomime dame Pantomime dame A pantomime dame is a traditional role in British pantomime. It is a continuation of "travesti" portrayal of female characters by male actors in drag. They are often played either in an extremely camp style, or else by men acting 'butch' in women's clothing. They wear big make up and big hair, have exaggerated physical features, and perform in a melodramatic style. While not from pantomime, possibly the best known of this type of character is Dame Edna Everage whose name plays on two meanings of "dame": this tradition and the title equivalent to "Sir". Characters who are