If you're in Boston, don't miss the wenches and various assorted schemers

My friend Cat in Boston has the rather obscure avocation of performing in late-16th-century-italian-style masked improvisational comedy in a troupe called I Sebastiani (The Greatest Commedia dell'Arté Troupe in the Entire World). The show is from the 9th through the 12th of March at the Boston Center for the Arts.

I Sebastiani (ee se-BAS-tee-AH-nee) performs late-16th-century-italian-style masked improvisational comedy. Commedia performers play stock characters (the rich miser, the learned man, the lovers, the thief, the braggart, the servants (helpful and not so), the schemer, etc.) and work from a scenario that describes the plot and some of the actions to be performed. The scenario does NOT include any dialogue -- that is improvised on the fly. The basic story will be the same every night, but the actual telling of it will be different.

The scenario we are using for this show was originally written about 400 years ago by Basilo Locatelli. A beautiful young woman is betrothed to her father's loathsome business partner... An acting troupe is hired to perform at the wedding... love blossoms... plans go awry... zaniness ensues.

In this scenario, I (Cat) will be playing the sweet young thing betrothed to my father's loathsome business partner... despite the fact that I am in love with said business partner's son! Will love conquer all?

And ... the link again.