Commedia Mask: Il Dottore

I chose to recreate the mask of the stock character Il Dottore, because I found his personality amusing, and the shape of the mask interesting. Il Dottore, which means “the Doctor”, is an old man who plays the part of a lawyer or doctor in Commedia pieces, and is often father to one of the lovers. He is both a close friend and/or a rival to Pantalone. He is a stubborn know it all who refuses to listen to reason or take advice from those around him, and believes he is always right. He is generally depicted as having great wealth, and having been from Padua of Bologna, where two great universities of the time were located (though he did not necessarily attend them). He believes himself to be a scholar, but if he is, then he is a poor one. This character’s humor is found largely in words, rather than action. He is known to speak Latin often to show off his learning and intellect, but does it at inappropriate times and usually incorrectly. He is very greedy and gluttonous. He is fond of drinking and eating. He is physically very large, with an expansive belly. His cheeks were reddened to make him appear to be a little drunk. Being very pompous, his physicality was minimal and usually deliberate. He lead with his belly, and moved with pride and purpose. His stances were well balanced, in contrast to the bent-over, gestural movements of Pantalone.

Some of his lazzi include:
Diagnosing someone of an ailment they obviously do not have (such as a male being pregnant)
Lazzi of the enema
Very large and strange medical instruments
When he comes upon a well known fact, tries to make it appear to be a great discovery he has made
Tries to enlist assistance to help him perform experimental surgeries on himself and others.
Performs silly experiments in the name of science and medicine.
Mispronounces words often, such as Pantalone’s name.

The mask intrigued me because it was unique to other masks I had seen in that it only covered the forehead and nose. The forehead section is large and often wrinkled; the nose is large and bulbous. Large eyebrows, which could be made to look angry or thoughtful, were added, as was a mustache on occasion. I created my version of the mask by using masking plaster. I had someone create the basic shape on my face, and then added the details such as eyebrows and wrinkles on the forehead. The nose was made from play-doh, which I added to the mask and then plastered over it to make it sturdy. The mask could either be black, or flesh colored with hints of rouge added. I chose to make it black, with hints of bronze to make the details stand out a little more. I think, over all, my mask is rather authentic in terms of shape and look. However, the mask would have originally been made from leather, not plaster.