Tiberio Fiorilli

Tiberio Fiorilli, also spelled Fiorillo and Fiurelli (November 9, 1608 – December 7, 1694)"Fiorillo, Tiberio" in
''The New Encyclopædia Britannica'' (15th edition, Chicago, 1991) vol. 4, p. 787.
was an Italian actor of '' commedia dell'arte'' known for developing the role of Scaramouche. He was especially popular in France, where he was the director of the troupe of the Comédie-Italienne, which shared with the troupe of his friend Molière at the theatre of the Petit-Bourbon, and the theatre of the Palais-Royal.Laurence Sinelick, "Fiorilli, Tiberio" in Banham 1995, p. 373.

Life

He was born in Naples, but left Italy around 1640 for unknown reasons, perhaps simply while following a troupe of actors, or to flee a political intrigue. He arrived in France under the reign of Louis XIII. His acting pleased the queen, which enabled him to attend the court.

It is said that one day, when the two-year-old Dauphin cried (the future Louis XIV), Fiorilli, as Scaramouche, made any possible sound to comfort him. He achieved this task with grimaces and tomfoolery; consequently, the Dauphin had "a need, that he had at the time, the hands and the dress of Scaramouche". Fiorilli was then ordered to visit the court every night to amuse the Dauphin, which helped the Scaramouche character become a stock figure in the theatre of the time. The character of Scaramouche became a standard role thereafter of the ''commedia dell'arte''.

Fiorilli's style differed from other ''commedia dell'arte'' players. He abandoned the mask and used the expressiveness of his face to enhance the comedy. His large eyes and eyebrows and long nose contributed to this effect, and he wore moustaches that framed the corners of his mouth and a thin, short goatee. These practices influenced Molière, and by most accounts the two actors developed a close relationship during the years they shared the same theaters. Some critics went so far as to accuse Molière of being Scaramouche's ape. One engraving shows Molière mimicking Scaramouche's grimaces with the help of a mirror.

In the 1670s Fiorilli portrayed Scaramouche in London with great success. He was capable of deft physical farce, including dancing and acrobatics. It is reported that in his 80s he maintained the ability to simulate a kick to another actor's face.

Fiorilli died in Paris and is buried in the Église Saint-Eustache.

In literature

* , called Mezetin, wrote a "picaresque but untrustworthy biography": ''La Vie de Scaramouche'' (''The Life of Scaramouche''), published in Paris in 1695 and Brussels in 1699.Costantini 1695.
* Rafael Sabatini wrote a novel entitled '' Scaramouche'', remotely inspired by Fiorilli's life.
* A stage musical, ''Scaramouche - The Zany Commedia Musical,'' with book, lyrics and music by Stephen Lanigan-O'Keeffe, was premiered in Hoxton Hall, London, UK in 2007 and revised and restaged in 2011. The musical is a fusion of musical theatre and commedia dell'arte practices and treats Fiorillo's life and career as a parable on celebrity culture.

Notes

Bibliography

* Banham, Martin (1995). ''The Cambridge Guide to the Theatre''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. .
* Campardon, Émile (1880). ''Les Comédiens du roi de la troupe italienne'', two volumes. Paris: Berger-Levrault. Vie
vols. 1
an
2
at Internet Archive.
* Costantini, Angelo (1695). ''La Vie de Scaramouche''. Paris: Claude Barbin
1695 edition
(at Internet Archive); 1699 edition, Brussels ()
1876 edition
(at Internet Archive), with an introduction and notes by Louis Moland. Brussels: Jules Bonassies.
* Gaines, James F. (2002). ''The Molière Encyclopedia''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. .
* Maupoint (1733). ''Biblioteque des theatres''. Paris: Chez Pierre Prault
Listings
at WorldCat
View
at Google Books.

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fiorilli, Tiberio
17th-century Italian male actors
Commedia dell'arte
1608 births
1694 deaths
Burials at Saint-Eustache, Paris
Italian male stage actors
Male actors from Naples
17th-century theatre managers