Commedia Dell Irony In The Servant Of Two Masters

“I’m hungry!” protagonist, Truffaldino (Steven Epp), constantly complains throughout the entirety of the play. However, while Truffaldino craves food, your stomach fills with hearty laughter in his attempts to find some. Director, Christopher Bayes, and actor, Steven Epp, do an outstanding job in the adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s 1746, The Servant of Two Masters.

Commedia dell’arte is a form of theatre that focuses on the improvisation of performing actors and actresses. Within the show, influences of commedia dell’arte are brought to culmination through the quirky humor of the cast who do not fail to include the relevant issues in America by staying true to the elaborate acting techniques of the eighteenth century. Bayes does a great job in giving the actors enough flexibility in their roles for them to be able to interact with the audience. He can also be commended for the way he integrates the recent election and figures from pop culture, like Beyoncé, into a comedic play from the mid-eighteenth century.

The play begins with

Furthermore, Clarice’s previous betrothed, Federigo Rasponi, was the business partner of Pantalone (Allen Gilmore), Clarice’s father, up until he died in a duel by Florindo (Orlando Pabotoy). After Federigo’s death Florindo flees immediately. However, before the wedding takes place, Truffaldino, Federigo’s servant, arrives announcing that his master is alive waiting right outside the door. Little do they know, is it not Federigo that is waiting, but his sister, Beatrice (Liz Wisan). She has come in disguise to search for her lover, Florindo, as well as to collect the money promised to her brother by Pantalone. It does not take long before Beatrice leaves Truffaldino who goes in search of food to satiate his never-ending appetite in turn ending up with a second master. A second master that is none other than