Colpi di Maschera
A vibrant tribute to the tradition of Commedia dell’Arte, reimagined through a modern pop lens
Wednesday, October 21th, 2026 - 7:00-8:30pm (TBC)
Stanford University - Toyon Hall
455 Arguello Way, Stanford, CA 94305
Please note: the play will be in Italian.
Arlecchino and Brighella are preparing for an important reception at Colombina’s Inn. When the guests — the audience itself — arrive too early, the duo decide to entertain them and buy time by improvising a Shakespeare-inspired performance. In the plot, a usurper has murdered the king— his own brother— and imprisoned the queen. Brighella and Arlecchino, with the help of Pantalone and the ghost of the late king, must rescue the queen and save the kingdom.
The sixty-minute wait before dinner turns into a lively meta-theatrical journey that blends the most iconic elements of Commedia dell’Arte and classical theater — leather masks, traditional comic “lazzi”, and references to Hamlet and The Servant of Two Masters — with contemporary pop culture, including cinematic references and modern-inspired musical interludes.