Pulcinella
Pulcinella's versatility in status and attitude has captivated audiences worldwide and kept the character popular in countless forms since his introduction to commedia dell'arte by Silvio Fiorillo [it] in 1620.
[1] His visual appearance includes a humpback, a crooked nose, gangly legs, a potbelly, large cheeks, and a gigantic mouth.
In addition to being a faithful servant, he adapts to all trades: baker, innkeeper, farmer, thief, seller of miraculous concoctions.
[2] The quality that best distinguishes Pulcinella is his cunning, with which he manages to solve the disparate problems that arise in front of him—always, however, in favor of the weakest at the expense of the powerful.
[citation needed] Pulcinella's repertoire is full of movements, gestures, acrobatics, and dances rooted in Neapolitan culture.
[citation needed] Pulcinella has his origins in two stock characters of the ancient Roman Atellan Farce, Maccus and Bucco.
Pulcinella is a dualistic character: he either plays dumb, although he is very much aware of the situation, or he acts as though he is the most intelligent and competent one on the stage, despite being woefully ignorant.
Antonio Fava, a world-renowned maskmaker and Maestro of commedia dell'arte, is particularly fond of the character in both performance and study due to Pulcinella's influence and continuity throughout history.
Fava explains that, "Pulcinella, a man without dignity, is nevertheless indispensable to us all: without [him] ... none of his countless 'bosses' could ever escape from the awkward tangle of troubles in which they find themselves.
Traditionally made of leather, Pulcinella's mask is either black or dark brown, to imply weathering from the sun.
[15] Pulcinella is most often portrayed in a white ensemble consisting of wide-legged trousers and a long-sleeved, loose-fitting blouse with buttons down the front.
The outfit is completed by a belt that cinches below the waist, giving Pulcinella a place to hold props while emphasizing his pot belly.
[15] A plausible theory derives his name from the diminutive (or combination with pollastrello 'rooster')[18]) of Italian pulcino ('chick'), on account of his long beaklike nose, as theorized by music historian Francesco Saverio Quadrio, or due to the squeaky nasal voice and "timorous impotence" in its demeanor, according to Giuseppe (Joseph) Baretti.
[19] According to another version, Pulcinella derived from the name of Puccio d'Aniello, a peasant of Acerra, who was portrayed in a famous picture attributed to Annibale Carracci, and was characterized by a long nose.
From its east to west coasts, Europeans strongly identified with the tired, witty "everyman" that Pulcinella represented.
In later adaptations, Pulcinella was often portrayed as a puppet, as commedia dell'arte-style theatre did not continue to be popular throughout all of the continent over time.
[21] The first recorded show to have involved the Punch-style marionette was performed in England in May 1662, outside of London in Covent Garden, by Bologna-born puppeteer Pietro Gimonde, also known as Signor Bologna.
In 1851, Henry Mayhew wrote of one performer who described the character's enduring appeal: "Like the rest of the world, he has got bad morals, but very few of them.
