This Commedia dell’Arte piece set in 1700s Venice follows the story of Lelio , a charismatic young man looking for love – and our titular liar – as he weaves himself a web of white lies trying to find love upon returning home after 20 years in Rome, telling tales of his heroic escapades.

The Art of Commedia dell’Arte
To bring this complex comedic delight to life, Terry Christgau, Head of Upper School Theater Productions and Director of the Master Theater Program, first prepared our actors for the daunting task of taking on the highly physical art form of Commedia dell’Arte. This style of Italian theater began in the late Renaissance in marketplaces, where a motley group of characters developed — jugglers, acrobats, clowns, and archetypes who were, at the time, a modernization of characters from Roman comedies. As these characters grew in popularity through the 1500s and 1600s, they gained a foothold in France and then throughout Europe and into England. But what truly sets Commedia apart are the masks and physical transformations. These unique additions – similar to that of the work of mimes and clowns – soon became very familiar to audiences of that day and is a staple of this character-driven style of storytelling. 

Little White Lies
With absurdity and chaos propelling the flow of this comedy, it’s no surprise that the whirling web of lies begins right at the start as we take a journey to explore themes of deception, acceptance, and the meaning of integrity. To begin our story, Lelio, played by Lily Ventura ’23, immediately sets his sights on the lovely Rosauro, played by Ava Kimmel ’23, putting an elaborate scheme in place to win her heart with the help of his loyal servant, Arlecchino, played by Guilherme Sequeira ’24. But how far can Lelio’s lies take him before it all unravels? 

With the assistance of the shy Florinda, played by Polina Nikitina ’23 and Sophia Severson ’25; and the noble Ottavio, played by Olivia Beal ’25 and Zayneb Sumar ’25, the gentlemen and their loyal servants come to realize Lelio’s endless schemes and eventually untangle his web which, by Act Two, has grown far too large for our titular character to control.

An incredibly talented cast of students in grades 10-12 brought Goldoni’s farcical characters to life, effortlessly inhabiting them and telling a provocative story a modern audience may find quite unfamiliar. To top things off, this difficult form of theater is one that many professionals devote their lives to perfecting. The style, which became prevalent in the works of Shakespeare and Moliere, found its way into early films with actors like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton and even into more recent TV shows like “The Nanny” and “Spongebob,” solidifying its place as an everlasting art form. “Commedia dell’arte, its stock characters, and the whole approach to theater — a mirror that we look into to see our own folly — remains an essential part of the human experience,” explains Mr. Christgau.

Work on this show began in early October with cast and crew alike dedicating hours and hours of time and energy after school, on weekends, and some even in the fall Master Theater Program session, working alongside a commedia dell’arte expert. During rehearsals, they perfected every ounce of timing and learned to truly inhabit this challenging style – after all, practice makes perfect! The final product left audiences breathless from laughter and impressed by the performances of this gifted group of young actors. All in all, the result was both a whirlwind and a lesson about the importance of honesty — and we give it two massive thumbs (or masks) up! 
Bravissimo to all in the cast and student crew: 

Florindo ..........................................................................Polina Nikitina ’23/Sophia Severson ’25*

Brighella ...................................................................................................... Brooke Radosevich ’24

Rosauro .....................................................................................................................Ava Kimmel ’23

Beatrice ........................................................................Natalie Martell ’23/Allegra Masterson ’24*

Lelio .......................................................................................................................... Lily Ventura ’23

Arlecchino...................................................................................................Guilherme Sequeira ’24

Columbina...........................................................................................................Mia Rasmussen ’25

Ottavio .......................................................................................Olivia Beal ’25/Zayneb Sumar ’25*

Pantalone ................................................................................................................ Maysa Souri ’24

Il Dottore ................................................................................................................. Acadia Colan ’24

Gondolier/Singer/Draper’s Apprentice...................................................................Esme Tublin ’25

Musician/Coachman...................................................................................................Oliver Wyatt ’26

Musician/Letter Carrier.......................................................................... Franny Gindi-Chiafullo ’24 

Production Stage Manager….......……….…………………………………….. Franny Gindi-Chiafullo ‘24 

Lighting Designer……….....………..............……………………………………………………..Ben O’Connor ’23

Student Design/Carpentry/Paint Crew…………......……….. Em Brandon ’23, Sylvia Cardew ’24,

  .........…………....…….....…...………………………………………………………..Charlene Luo ’24, Zoe Lenz ’24 

Stage Crew………..…...…...………....……...………………….……….Xuan Stabb ’23, Hannah Klamkin ’24,

……………......………………………….Olivia Mitchell-Burrell ’24, Mora Vazquez ’24, Freda Manu ’26