Shakespeare and Commedia dell'Arte Play by Play

Shakespeare and Commedia dell’Arte examines the ongoing influence of commedia dell’arte on Shakespeare’s plays. Exploringthe influence of commedia dell’arte improvisation, sight gags, and wordplay on the development of Shakespeare’s plays,Artemis Preeshl blends historical research with extensive practical experience todemonstrate how these techniquesmight be applied when producing some of Shakespeare's best-known works today. Each chapter focuses on aspecific play, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream toThe Winter’s Tale, drawing out elements of commedia dell’arte style in the playscripts and in contemporary performance. Including contemporary directors’ notes and interviews with actors and audience members alongside Elizabethan reviews, criticism, and commentary, Shakespeare and Commedia dell’Arte presents an invaluable resource for scholars and students of Renaissance theatre.

Preface Introduction Cast of Characters Chapter 1: Italian Influences on Shakespeare and his Contemporaries Chapter 2: Commedia dell’Arte in Italian and English Comedies Chapter 3: Commedia dell’arte in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Chapter 4: Commedia dell’arte in The Comedy of Errors Chapter 5: Commedia dell’arte in The Merchant of Venice Chapter 6: Commedia dell’arte in The Two Gentlemen of Verona Chapter 7: Commedia dell’arte in Twelfth Night Chapter 8: Commedia dell’arte in The Taming of the Shrew Chapter 9: Commedia dell’arte in All’s Well That Ends Well Chapter 10: Commedia dell’arte in The Winter’s Tale Chapter 11: Commedia dell’arte in Much Ado About Nothing Chapter 12: Commedia dell’arte in Othello Chapter 11: Commedia dell’arte in The Tempest Conclusion Glossary Commedia dell’arte Warm-up and Workout Appendix

Artemis Preeshl is a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Theatre and professional director, actor, dialect coach, and choreographer who has worked at Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, Utah State University, the Faculty of Creative and Artistic Technology at Universiti Teknologi MARA in Malaysia, and Kalakshetra Foundation and the University of Madras in India.