THE TECHNIQUE OF THE IMPROVISATORS

• The success of the Commedia depends on the acting rather than on the scenarios. The actors had to practice a kind of self abnegation and refrain from indulging his own conceit or overplaying his role to the detriment of the others.
• Gheraldi "Italian comedians learn nothing by heart, they need to but glance at the subject of a play a moment or tw before going on stage. A good italian actor is a ma man of infinite resources; a man that plays more from imagination than from memory: he matches his words and actions so perfectly with those of his colleagues on stage that  he enters instantly into whatever acting and movements are required of him."
• Riccoboni:"Impromptu comedy: the result is that the same scenario may be treated in various ways and seem to be a different play each time!" (the only problem with this is that your act depends on your partner in dialogue)
• The actors penetrate to the very core of their subjects always prepared to imprvise with the right quips; their acting gives a far different effect of naturalness and truth.
• Gozzi "[the Italian actor's] his memory like all impromptu actors of his time was stored with phrases, concetti, declarations of love,  reproaches, deliriums and despairs."
• An actor never took any liberties in altering his role, and yet was free to infuse into it all the life and colour of which he is capable.
• Traditional characters (e.g. harlequin, Pulcinella, Brighella) can be traced across the centuries as if they were living beings whose personalities
  
  evolved naturally through a number of reincarnations (a bit like doctor Who!!). Actors would not dominate their role but submerge himself within it that he became an integral part of the character he portrayed.

IT IS TO BE HOPED THAT THESE MERRY AND FANTASTICAL PEOPLE WILL ONE DAY REAWAKEN MORE LIVELY AND ALIVE THAN EVER!

The Humours of Harlequin - Claude Gillort (1673)

• The Lazzi= means turn/trick/Italian business. The actor would resort to it if a scene began to drag. E.g. Harlequin would pretend to throw cherry stones at Scapin's face, or a catch a fly and eat it. They would bulge their faces with air/water for comic effect. And they were all acrobats (walk on hands, do somersaults etc) 
• Disguises are also very important in the plays e.g. Harlequin dressing up as a nurse, a judge when he is the thief, or a young courtesan, with always hillerious outcomes.