Laughter from the past

• Source: Global Times
• [13:48 June 22 2010]
• Comments

A scene from Arlecchino, Servant of Two Masters. Photos: Courtesy of Gao Yuan

By Hu Bei

Inspired by commedia dell'arte (comedy of professional actors), the Piccolo Teatro di Milano (The Little Theater of Milan) troupe has come to Shanghai for the Milan Cultural Week organized by the Italy Pavilion.

The closing performance tomorrow night, Arlecchino, Servant of Two Masters, featuring acclaimed Italian actor Ferruccio Soleri, is sure to get plenty of laughs from local audiences with this classic comedy form.

Commedia dell'arte, began in the 16th century with distinctive costumed and masked characters and non-scripted, improvised performances.

This production of Arlecchino premiered in 1947 with Giorgio Strehler as the director, who also founded the Piccolo Teatro di Milano the same year.

With more than 2,000 performances in over 40 countries, Arlecchino has undoubtedly become the troupe's specialty.

The play goes to the elements of comedy with its simple plot about a cunning servant for two masters who wants to improve his lot in life.

Weddings, duels, dances, chases and food fights ensue, and it has delighted audiences the world over.

In Piccolo Teatro performances of Arlecchino, only two actors have played the leading role: Marcello Moretti and Ferrucio Soleri. And the latter has been playing Arlecchino since 1963.

Ferruccio Soleri, 80-year-young and still performing acrobatics, is one of the most acclaimed actors in the world.

"As long as my body allows, I will keep putting it into the show," he said. "When my body tells me it is time to stop, I will stop."

His Arlecchino performances for the past four decades gained him a Guinness 2010 World Record for most consecutive theater performances in the same role.

He told the Global Times that his daily exercises include an hour of stretching and stair-climbing to keep fit and flexible.

"It is not so difficult for me to keep every performance fresh because of the improvisational nature of the show and because audiences in each new place respond in their own way," Soleri said. "Of course, you must learn how to observe life with keen eyes and apply this energy to shape and influence your own performance."

In Arlecchino, Soleri plays the main role with mastery, and brings farcical elements to life.

On the stage, he moves back and forth with choreographed comic absurdity and a kind of artistic juggling.

"Body gestures can be presented to convey an understanding of what the characters are saying," he said.

"People laugh not only because of the jokes but also their understanding of the relationship between the characters and the gestures. The relationship between servants and masters exists everywhere in the world, and I believe that everyone has the same sentiments of love and hunger," Soleri added.