Shakespeare and Commedia Dell’arte: Play by Play

Shakespeare and Commedia dell’Arte examines the ongoing influence of commedia dell’arte on Shakespeare’s drama.

Blending historical research with extensive practical experience, Artemis Preeshl highlights the influence of commedia dell’arte improvisation, sight gags, and wordplay on the development of Shakespeare’s plays, and demonstrates how these techniques can be applied when producing some of his best-known works today. Chapters focus on specific plays from A Midsummer Night’s Dream to A Winter’s Tale, drawing out elements of commedia dell’arte style in the play-text and in contemporary performance.

Including 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.