Commedia dell'Arte in Warsaw

Bohdan Korzeniewski

Abstract

Complemented by an introductory essay, this critical edition gathers ephemeral prints relating to the performances by two troupes of Italian dell'arte comedians who visited Warsaw in 1748–49 and 1754. Based at the Saxon court in Dresden, the troupes accompanied the Polish King Augustus III during his stays in Warsaw, performing at the court theater. The prints are programs – and at the same time scripts – of twelve comedies from 1748–49 and five from 1754. The most valuable document is Polish program/script of the play Prostak oszukujący franta (Il goffo ingana il furbo), staged in 1754, as it lists the cast, including D’Arbes, one of the most famous Italian actors, who performed all over Europe. The original prints from the Załuski Collection in the National Library were burnt alongside other documents of Polish cultural history by the German occupation authorities during World War II. The publication contains their faithful copies, made by the author before the war. The author discusses the importance of these documents for research on the performances of Italian troupes at European courts and the beginnings of professional theater in Poland.