“I Gelosi,” or “The Jealous Ones,” is a play set in the tradition of commedia dell’arte, or the Italian art of comedy, that explores the lives of the real-life acting troupe the Gelosi. They lived in the 1500s and gained significant fame and traction in Italy and France. The play focuses on their successes, and how they lost everything in the blink of an eye. UA Theatre & Dance is showing the play this week at the Allen Bales Theatre.
The most interesting aspect of the play, not often explored in other productions, is the meta-commentary on the nature of theater itself. For example, the play explores the gender dynamics of traditional theater, such as the fact that women couldn’t perform on stage at all, meaning men often played any parts that called for a woman. In “I Gelosi,” there are three women – Isabella Andreini, Vittoria Piisimi and Sylvia – who accompany the troupe and perform in all of their plays.
As you can imagine, this stirs quite the controversy, which becomes a marketing tactic used by the troupe’s de facto leader and director, Francesco Andreini, and works superbly to its advantage. Despite the prominent appearances of all three women, they are often seen by the male characters as nothing more than props or, in the case of Isabella and her poetry writing, just a tool to make money.
“I Gelosi” handles its story material deftly through careful intermingling of comedy and heavy moments of emotional gravity. Both work hand-in-hand to not only make light of the terrible situations the troupe often finds itself in, but also to emphasize and relieve the members’ pain.
Characters such as Isabella must not only deal with the gendered convictions of their day, but also from other women, as they compete against each other to secure approval in a heavily patriarchal society. To accomplish this, the production employs direct monologues that testify to such an imprisoned nature, satirical caricatures of kings as buffoonish men often distracted by base desires, as well as fourth wall-breaking where the characters speak to the audience directly. This all gives “I Gelosi” a unique theatrical flair and sets it apart from traditional period pieces.
All of this comes together wonderfully in a hilariously executed portrayal of one of history’s most interesting comedy troupes ever to walk the stage. However, “I Gelosi’s” most impressive feat is not in the jokes it tells, as funny as they are, but the piercing humanity that shines through such dramedy.
