Commedia dell’Arte: A Travelling Theatre Across Time and Place

ONE NIGHT ONLY!

A highly visual exhibition of masks and costumes celebrating the renaissance era Italian Theatre tradition of Commedia dell’Arte opens at the History Trust of South Australia’s Migration Museum on Friday evening, 18 November. 

The Commedia dell’Arte: A Travelling Theatre Across Time and Place exhibition showcases traditional and contemporary masks, costumes, performance props and ephemera from the collection of the Festival Centre and the private collection of Dr Corinna Di Niro.

Explore stories of how the genre of theatre known as Commedia dell’Arte migrated from 16th century Italy to 21st century Adelaide. Follow the journey from its emergence in Italy, its adaptation in Britain, to some performances created here in our state.

Learn about the core characteristics of Commedia dell’Arte that define the genre and allow it to be adapted over time and place. The core characteristics in use from 1560 to 1730 – masks, archetypes or stock characters, improvisation, and multilingualism – define the genre and have allowed it to be adapted to suit new audiences for over five centuries.

The exhibition will showcase items from the collection of the Festival Centre and the private collection of Dr Corinna Di Niro. Traditional and contemporary Commedia dell’Arte masks will be on display as well as costumes, performance props and ephemera.