Below is a sample question about COMEDY and an example pf 1 Introduction and 1 paragraph EACH for the 2 sections that the question calls for.
As a director or designer, discuss the production methods you would employ in order to create comedy in at least two sections of the play. You must make specific reference to the social, cultural and/or historical context of So2M in your answer.
INTODUCTION
Although Goldoni tried to ‘reform’ the tired and fantastical elements of Commedia, his 1745 play ‘The Servant to 2 Masters’ (So2M) is still full of physical routines, humourous beatings and polished, character-driven ‘lazzos’. These were the staple elements of traditional Commedia – the popular theatre form of the previous 200 years. In this fast paced comedy, I would direct the action and actors to preserve that highly visual, exaggerated and physical style that originated from the street performances of Commedia, where audiences were noisy and free to walk away and where language barriers made physical story-telling all the more important. As Goldoni wrote the play as a ‘star-vehicle’ for the comic actor Sacchi, the scenes that I would focus most on are Truffaldino scenes: the serving of the 2 Masters and the lazzo of sticking the envelope with the chewed up bread.
BODY (2-3 paragraphs)
The most famous comic routine is the Serving of the 2 Masters (Act 2 Scene 12) – a farcical set piece of fast entrances and exits where comedy can be increased through interactions with props, characters and the audience. I would stage the scene so that the 2 Masters are behind doors (Stage Left and Right) and then have a Central door up stage that leads to the kitchen. This immediately makes Truffaldino have to cover great distances in carrying the dishes. As the pace quickens I would have the dishes thrown by the waiters at the kitchen door and have Truffaldino skillfully catch them just before he reaches each of the Masters doors. Then once he’s collected dirty plates he’ll throw them to the waiters who I’d direct to be in confusion with dishes dropping to the floor or smashing. This comic business reinforces the idiocy of Truffaldino and highlights his anarchic and playful nature. The pace will get quicker towards the end of the scene, the Waiters will be shouting, the Master are screaming Truffaldino’s name and making him dash across the stage. Once the final dirty plate is collected Truffaldino will present himself downstage to the audience. His ‘Thank you’ will be triumphant and he will bow exaggeratedly as a cue for the audience to applaud.
BODY (2-3 paragraphs)
[There would be time for another paragraph about this section – perhaps the status inversion / power play between the 1st Waiter and Truffaldino, OR the lazzo of the jelly (Truff’s playful, childlike fixation on something vaguely rude) OR the breaking of social conventions (dividing up the rissoles on the floor and eating the last one himself).
Lazzos were pieces of comic business often employed to create comedy, reveal character traits but not necessarily move the plot forward. Earlier (Act 1 Scene 8) Truffaldino is trying to reseal his Master’s letter with chewed up bread. This lazzo works using the comic ‘rule of 3’ and having accidentally swallowed his “emergency rations” TWICE I’d direct Truffaldino to show increasing signs of desperation “It’s just not natural having to do this.” I’d direct Truffaldino to use his own brand of logic – he does afterall call himself the “Brains of Bergamo”. He’ll find some string in his pocket, tie it to the tiny crumb and then swallow it taking a long time to suck up the string like spaghetti. All of this is done downstage for the enjoyment of the audience. Then he’ll draw the string from his mouth – it can get stuck – but eventually the crumb comes out and his shouts ‘Got you’ in triumph. He’d then turn his back to the audience to “seal the bastard”. This routine reveal’s Truffaldino’s originality and clever trait as well as reinforcing early in the play his desperate hunger. This trait comes from the origins of this character representing the unemployed peasants. It also sets up the ‘punch line’ of this routine – namely that he should show to the audience the mangled envelope which so obviously has been tampered with and act as if he’s going to get away with pulling the wool over his Master’s eyes.
[If time allowed you might go to a third section – maybe something about PARODY – how to exaggerate a character (the OLD MEN or LOVERS) to get the audience to laugh AT this behaviour]