Pantomime as Pantalone; and "zanni" (servants) such as Arlecchino, Colombina, Scaramouche and Pierrot. Italian masque performances in the 17th century sometimes included the Harlequin character. In the 17th century, adaptations of the commedia characters became familiar in English entertainments. From these, the standard English harlequinade developed, depicting the eloping lovers Harlequin and Columbine, pursued by the girl's father Pantaloon and his comic servants Clown and Pierrot. In English versions, by the 18th century, Harlequin became the central figure and romantic lead. The basic plot of the harlequinade remained essentially the same for more than 150 years, except that a bumbling policeman
Commedia dell'arte masks mask there are a few different ways to do this, leather is the traditional material used but there is also paper mache and plaster casts. Leather is the most used material for making masks as it is the easiest to shape without hurting the face. Leather is also close to the skin and creates a light, easy to wear mask that holds shape and life on stage. Commedia dell'arte masks Commedia dell'Arte masks are one of the biggest classifiers for each character. Every mask goes with a specific character based on the way it looks. Masks were originally all made