Stenterello

Pinocchio and the repertory of Stenterello

The question of the relationship between the theatrical repertory of Stenterello and Lorenzini, with regard to Pinocchio requires a development. It is certain that, like very good Florentin, Collodi knew very well this repertory as a spectator. But he knew it still more because he passed to him between the hands in Prefecture. He was indeed in charge of the approval (obligatory) of the manuscripts of the comedies which were to be played as a public. One can see besides on one of these manuscripts: it is about Stenterello and His Daughter - Comic Peddlers, comedy in 5 acts, (but they exist about it much of different), in good and off-hand cursive writing, on striped sheets, in octavo, connected in a file of 62 pages, in frontispiece, in the name of the prefect, the authorization to give the representations signed of Carlo Lorenzini: “Florence on June 5th, 1870 - for the prefect - C. Lorenzini”.

The history of Stenterello is rather complex. The character was invented at the end of the 18th century, by Luigi Del Buono (author of the first parts, excellent although ignored) and then taken again by other actors whose Lorenzo Cannelli and Augusto Bargiacchi were among the first. Thus, in 1821 Cannelli at this same Del Buono acquired the parts that this one had represented successfully during all its career. These actors gave life to second Stenterello, much more serene but less vigorous although more “popular” with the modern direction of the term. And to compensate for the request increasingly larger of the public they wrote or made write other parts, in a continuous and regular distance of the initial tone. Well quickly one arrived at a popular type (with the bad direction of the term), which often confined with superficiality and the easy effects. Even the first parts of Del Buono, were handled, “modernized”, lengthened or shortened. They exist still today hundreds of parts which testify this to proceed popular, and which go until the end of the 19th century. In the reports/ratios which exist between Pinocchio and Stenterello they are not the topics, the screens, the dramatic actions which are interesting, but the style, i.e. on the one hand the progression of the turn of phrase, the counterpart, the speech, of the monolog and on the other hand, the technical process or better the formula to create a situation. Eh well one notes that are parts change after the appearance and the enormous success of Pinocchio. Traditional “the stenterellata” is upset at the end of the century and appears a new world of unforeseen bringings together, reversal of situation, logic " illogique" of the puppet and all the speech collodien. Are born from the initially unthinkable bringings together, for better depicting Stenterello, the technique of the absurdity primary education, bébête, simplifying, with its strict but always suitable, very effective coherence especially with regard to the comic result. The speech and the mode to act of Stenterello become unforeseeable, like already that of Pinocchio. The comedies of Stenterello were not masterpieces. One is not interested in it within this framework for their value, but these documents do not contradict the idea that Pinocchio influenced much, in the following decades, the theater of Stenterello and one can even say the vernacular theater Florentin until finally, Wanda Pasquini, one of the most authentic and loved interpreters of this theater, mythical “the Mother Alvara” (" Sora Alvara") “cricket Singer” (" It Grillo Canterino") who, of the post-war period until our days, represented with such an amount of other influential actors and interpreters, Florence and Tuscany.

The monologs of Pinocchio do not find an equivalent, contrary to what could said by certain, in the monologs of Stenterello. The latter are another thing: they are comic word games very intellectualities which do not describe any action, with roots in the theater still embourgeoized of XVIIIe. For all, Stenterello perdurèrent kind by not changing neither their goal nor their style. The monologs of Pinocchio are on the other hand copied on the speeches or better on the letters which a simple person could write very well who would start to write by telling with others her own stories.

Here as example a monolog of Stenterello: “I am healthy, up to point, that of a punch in the face mask, it is not a dream, I kill insane, or with a blow, I splash it, in a well in the middle of a puddle pool, and by the magpie if I twist it, I strangle it to you like an ostrich. ” More evocative obviously in Italian: “Sound system sano, sino have segno, ché di a pugno dentro Al grugno, not E sogno, ammazzo a pazzo, O di a cozzo, io lo schizzo, dentro a pozzo in mezzo Al Guazzo, E pel gazza lo strizzo, you lo strozzo like a struzzo.”

But at the end of the century (after Pinocchio) the word games of Stenterello change nature and, make use of the dialog even if substantially the speech of the new character of Stenterello remains the monolog. With the examination of the situations which come into play the comic action of this new character, the renewal of Stenterello on the model of Pinocchio is not any doubt. The research of the sources of a masterpiece as Pinocchio is thus, seems it, to find elsewhere. Stenterello was by no means used or so much little by Collodi, even not like raw material, and even less from the point of view of the single and singular experiment of Stenterello. On the material plan, a probable source could thus be to seek as regards Germanic fabulists…

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Pinocchio and the repertory of Stenterello

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