Before spaghetti, Italy gave us Commedia dell’arte

Italian spaghetti to suit local taste.

After all, we were a colony of Spain, a European nation. One can see European influence on our art and architecture, literature and music, in varying degrees. So, why not our theater?

By Nick Tayag

After digging into it more, it turns out that Spain did indeed bring comedia and zarzuela to the Philippines but not Commedia dell’arte. I may be over stretching or going out on a limb, but it seems to me that Commedia dell’arte came to us not directly from Europe but in a roundabout way in the form of the Americanized vaudeville brought to our shores by visiting American troupes.

The original French comédies de vaudeville were farcical entertainments performed at fairs featuring character types derived from those of the Italian commedia dell’arte.

When the Americanized vaudeville was embraced by local audiences, we naturally nativized it and turned it into our own bodabil

Willie Nepomuceno and Alan K would probably have thrived in that era.

Although I like highbrow witty comedy, my guilty pleasure is watching the brand of low comedy of our native comedians. This includes vulgarity and slapstick, which by the way is a word derived from two wooden boards tied together that, when hit, sounded like someone being slapped. I specially miss our comedy icons of bygone years because they were so improvisational, quick-witted, and freewheeling then. Hindi pilit. Like the style of Commedia’dell arte, it was very visual, physical and verbal. Everything was allowed, including making fun of physical features and defects.

IWAS watching “Turandot” by Giacomo Puccini the other day and I was amused that in spite of the somber spirit of tragic opera, the famous composer was able to insert 3 stock figures straight from Italian Commedia dell’arte named Ping, Pang and Pong in a drama set in ancient China where there were no such characters in that country’s theatrical tradition.

By free association, I remembered the Filipino comedian named Ponga who was always cast as a Chinese character who spoke pidgin Tagalog with a Chinese accent. I wondered if his name had something to do with Puccini’s characters.

It’s really not surprising for Puccini to use some elements of Commedia dell’arte in his opera for after all he was an Italian and the Commedia originated in Northern Italy sometime in the 15th century, and then rapidly gained popularity throughout Europe. This theatrical form is characterized by improvised dialogue and a cast of colorful stock characters who often represented different social statuses and commented on Italian and Venetian social structure in a satirical or comedic way.

You might be interested to learn that many character archetypes you see portrayed in today’s modern com- edy and even in serious literary works like “Don Quixote” and “Waiting for Godot” can be traced all the way back to the Italian Commedia dell’arte.

The commedia has proven to be infinitely adaptable and its influence is recognizable in almost all forms of art and performance.

Come to think of it. In my own lifetime, these stock characters were brought to life by a cavalcade of Filipino comic tandems and trios who made local audiences roar with laughter: Pugo and Tugo, later Pugo and Bentot, Patsy and Lopito, Pugak and Tugak, Dolphy and Panchito, with Babalu added later on, Chichay and Aruray and many more. On stage, we had the Reycard Duet and Big 3 Sullivans. Today we have Tito, Vic, and Joey.

Even if they were cast in varying scenarios, Filipino audiences could easily and consistently recognize them: the mean contrabida, the sensitive male bida, the persecuted heroine, the naive simpleton, the faithful friend or funny sidekick of the hero or heroine and the like.

It makes one think: is there a link or connection between the Italian Commedia dell’arte and our type of comedy? We probably appropriated elements of Italian comedy theater to make it appealing to masang Pinoy in the same way we were able to nativize

The comedy skits became the most popular segments of these bodabil shows. They became the training ground and launching pad for many native comic talents who later on made it big on radio, TV and the movies.

In college, one of my writing assignments was on the Pinoy bodabil and I was able to watch one or two bodabil acts at the defunct Gala Theater in Quiapo. Of course, the main attraction was the strip show at the end. But what I found really enjoyable was the rapidfire give and take banter of two seasoned comic talents named Popoy and Poleng, who I now realize were doing a routine that goes back to the Italian Commedia dell’arte.

But let me just interject here that comedy has always been part of our culture. Our pre-colonial ancestors were practiced comic performers. One of the sailors of Legazpi named “Roque” was delighted to discover this and thus he wrote in his diary:

“Their comedy is rare from our style of comedy where jesters went to the stage and make funny jokes about someone who is in the place. And there is strange part in this ritual where an Indio stands himself and tells jokes not about someone like teasing him or her but telling stories.”

Was he describing pre-Spanish Pinoy stand-up comedy? The late

Remember Pablo Virtuoso who was slightly cross-eyed? Every movie he appeared in would always insert a scene that spotlighted it. He started as one of Fernando Poe Jr.’s regular sidekicks along with Dencio Padilla. He was an excellent guitarist, hence his screen name “Virtuoso.”

Later on, he capitalized on his eye defect in such spoofy movies as Zatoduling and the Man from A.N.K.L.A. Another trademark antic of his was his confident way of speaking fractured English, which paved the way for other comedians of another generation such as Jimmy Santos.

Nowadays, when I want something to get me in the mood, I search for the old films of Pugo and Bentot produced by LVN Studios. The duo’s disastrous schemes conceived by Pugo as the mischievous Tatang serve as social commentaries that can be biting even now.

I also love the early Sampaguita-produced films featuring Dolphy as the perennial sidekick, who took turns playing the harmless chaperone, balloon-pricker, prankster and matchmaker but always providing comic relief, whose perfectly timed verbal zingers are to be treasured.

Pugo and Dolphy. If indeed there’s a little bit of Italian in their acts, one could probably say they were the best of the Pinoy “spaghetti” comedians.

So next time you’re looping Filipino style sweet spaghetti around your fork, remember to thank Italy also for how they influenced our brand of Pinoy comedy.

Da Italia con mucha risata!

Mike