Lazzi

Lazzi (/ˈlɑːtsi/; from the Italian lazzo, a joke or witticism) are stock comedic routines that are traditionally associated with Commedia dell'arte. Performers had many of these "silly scenes" or "bits" in their repertoire, and would use improvisatory skills to weave them into the plot of dozens of different commedia scenarios.^[1] These largely physical sequences could be improvised or preplanned within the performance, and were often used to enliven the audience if a scene was dragging. ^[2]

References

1. Boyd, Timothy W. (2011). "Memory on Canvas: Commedia dell'Arte as a Model for Homeric Performance". Project Muse. Oral Tradition. 26

External links

• A list of lazzi
• Austin Commedia's Library, including Lazzi (from the Wayback Machine.)