The short, lascivious lives of two Venetian theaters, 1580-85

Renaissance Quarterly, Autumn, 2002 by Eugene J. Johnson

The fundamental governmental act that controlled all theatrical performances in Venice throughout the sixteenth century, in theory if not always in practice, was a decree of the Council of Ten of 1508. According to this ruling, the comedies newly introduced into the city contained "many lewd, lascivious and most unwholesome words and acts." (15) For reasons of public morals, over which the Ten watched assiduously, no comedies, tragedies, eclogues, or other such similar performances could be given in the city or its territories without the express permission of the Ten. The law was not systematically observed, however. We know that theatrical performances were given many times during the following century for which the registri (records) of the Ten contain no corresponding permits. For instance, for the Carnival of 1565 Palladio built a theater for the performance of a tragedy by the last of the compagnie della calza, (16) but no permit for this performance was entered in the registro of the Council of Ten. (1 7)

Various explanations for this situation, some or all of which may have been operative at one time or another, suggest themselves. In some years, the Ten, a body that changed membership annually, simply ignored its own decree. Indeed, the old men who made up the council had often been members of a compagnia in their youth. There was also an important class issue. The young patricians who put on theatrical entertainments at carnival belonged to the same social group as the members of the Council of Ten. Their performances employed no lower-class persons who earned their livings as professional actors; the young aristocrats took all the roles. As we will see, the Ten had a particular problem with comedians who acted for profit. Also, most Venetian patricians, regardless of age, simply enjoyed going to these plays. If, however, a comedy set the whole city on its ear because of raunchy dialogue, as happened during the carnival of 1529, the Ten could invoke its own law of 1508 and prohibit further performances of t he offensive play. In 1529 the Ten were forced to allow the linguistically offensive comedy prepared by the compagnia dei reali to go forward, not just because of the money that had been spent on its preparation, but mainly because there were distinguished visitors in town, courtiers of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who would be sorely disappointed if the performance were cancelled. (18) The Ten were ready to use comedy as a tool of diplomacy, a subject about which they cared far more than the use of offensive words in a carnival entertainment. In the following century the Ten allowed a comedy to be performed during the sacred season of Lent -- when, even in the most permissive of times, comedies were never given -- to entertain the bored retinue of the French ambassador. (19)

The disappearance of the compagnie della calza after 1565 coincided with a rise in the popularity of the traveling troupes of comedians who had been coming to Venice for some time, performing in private palaces, convents or "stanze" (literally, rooms) adapted for their use. Of the appearances of these stanze we know nothing, unfortunately. Only by implication does it become clear that they were in many essentials different from the theaters that rose in 1580, because the novelty of the architectural form of the latter caused unforeseen problems.