Museu da Marioneta

The mask in the Commedia is only a mask outside of the Commedia. Within the action, it becomes the “face”. On the stage the “mask” is flesh and blood, because it is also a permanent mask of the character. When we see a Zanni in action, we, the audience see that the mask assiste the actor to perform his character and we see perfectly well that mask is the face of the character. In any event, in the Commedia there are characters that perform without the aid of the mask, for witch the face of the actor and that of the character are the same. This difference between characters does not disturb the general style of the Commedia that is presented, the principal of the mask being applied to all characters. The mask determines the character, the behaviours, the aspect, the language and everything that contributes to the recognition and everything is an expression of a production type. However, those without masks, copy society (especially that of the 18th century), in the habits of the real people, in their daily putting a mask on in order not to be completely exposed.
Thus, if Flávio and Isabella try to flee without being recognised, they used the “social masks”, accessory masks, those that have the purpose of hiding their “face”. The 40 masks of ANTÓNIO FAVA on exhibition are mostly “faces of the characters”, such as the Old, the Captain, the Servant and the Zannis. Some are “social masks”, used by the lovers at the time of acts of simulation and dissimulation. The characters are: the Magnificent (Pantalone, Pancrazio, Stefanello…), the Doctor (Balanzone, Plus Quam Perfectus, Graziano), the Captain (Spvento, Scarabombardone, Fracasso, Guangurgolo…), the Zanni (Arlequim, Pulcinella, Ricciollina, Zegna, Zezza) and the androgynous social masks for the lovers. Leather masks, art objects displaying great professionalism.
Ciclo: VI INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF MASKS AND COMEDIANTS