Some emerging Toronto actors have embraced the ‘commedia dell’arte’ style of theatre in staging The Lovesick Lambs of Lombardi, now on stage at Toronto’s Busy Street VideoCabaret in the Deanne Taylor Theatre.
That’s quite a bold and daring undertaking to take on that specific theatre form. In my experience, I’ve rarely seen ‘commedia dell’arte’ performed, so I had to do a quick online search to refresh my memory about this theatrical style.
Briefly (and this is by no means a full definition), commedia dell’arte is improvised comedy based on stock characters such as the foolish old man and the devious servant. It involves improvisation and numerous jokes, often exaggerated to the extreme, which then become real for the characters in the scene.
‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ (!?) incorporates characteristics of this Italian art form. I’ve never watched SpongeBob, so I have no idea what the show entails.
With that basic understanding of the theatrical form, I ventured to Lombardi. Directed by Sue Miner, the cast includes some names I’ve seen, heard, and reviewed in shows across the GTA and beyond.
The website lovesicklambs.ca says all audiences need to know is that commedia dell’arte is from Italy (and who doesn’t love Italy). Okay, I’ll buy that, as I knew the theatre form came from Italy and I love Italy. The website then states that the story brings to life the shepherds of Alto-Lombardi and Basso-Lombardi as they compete in the annual Festival of the Lambs. There’s just one catch – the lambs are missing.
While there’s genuine, unfiltered energy in the often lively (and dangerously close to losing control) and frenetic stage presence of these emerging performers, the production didn’t do enough to hold my interest. There’s too much going on, and I didn’t know where to focus. I couldn’t even recall the brief story outline from the ensemble at the top of the show.
Perhaps that’s the very intention of Lombardi. It doesn’t matter that it’s a joke after joke with so much improvisation, and that it’s okay not to know what’s going on. It has been a long winter, and we’re all looking forward to spring. It’s okay to be silly and goofy as we emerge from the shackles of cold.
If that’s what is intended and meant, and if that’s what audiences are looking for, then go see The Love Sick Lambs of Lombardi. Tickets are available for tonight, March 25, but I hear the rest of the run is sold out. And that’s great if it has sold out.
Check here: lovesicklambs.ca for ticket sales and other information.
