Commedia dell'arte
(, , ; meaning "comedy of the profession") was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Italy, that was popular in Europe from the 16th to the 18th century. "Commedia dell'arte" was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as "commedia alla maschera", "commedia improvviso", and "commedia dell'arte all'improvviso". "Commedia" is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century and was responsible for the advent of actresses (for example Isabella Andreini) and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. A "commedia", such as "The Tooth Puller", is both scripted and improvised. Characters' entrances and exits are scripted. A special characteristic of "commedia dell'arte" are the "lazzi". A "lazzo" is a joke or "something foolish or witty", usually well known to the performers and to some extent a scripted routine. Another characteristic of "commedia dell'arte" is pantomime, which is mostly used by the character Arlecchino (Harlequin).