La Ruffiana is an older female character of the Commedia dell'Arte with a shady past or who used to be a prostitute. She is used most often in relationship to the vecchi of which group she is a nominal member. Ruffiana is most often romantically involved with Pantalone, though his love may easily be unrequited if it suits the plot. She is generally described as being talkative/gossipy, sneaky, and mischievous, but deep down is actually kind. She has been described as an "outsider" that always mixes things up and causes trouble for the rest of the characters. "Her quips reek of garlic" (Pierre Louis Duchartre, The Italian Comedy p. 285) [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
- ^ Rudlin, John. "La Ruffiana." Commedia Dell'arte: An Actor's Handbook. London: Routledge, 1994. 158. Print.
- ^ Grantham, Barry. "La Ruffiana." Playing Commedia: A Training Guide to Commedia Techniques. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2000. 237. Print.
- ^ Pesner, Ben. "TDF Theatre Dictionary » Commedia Dell’arte." TDF Theatre Dictionary » Commedia Dell’arte. N.p., 03 May 2015. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
- ^ Wilkes, Cali "18th and 19th Century Theatre." BYU Theatre Education Database. N.p., 2015. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.
- ^ Bettella, Patrizia (2005). The Ugly Woman. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 71.
- ^ Ariosto, Lodovico (1857). Opere di Lodovico Ariosto. L. Austriaco. p. 62.
- ^ Cripps, Linda Ann Elizabeth. Calling All Clowns - A Creative Project and A Personal Journey. Diss. U of Montana, 2007. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
- ^ Duchartre, Pierre-Louis. "La Ruffiana, La Guaiassa, The Go-Between, The Gossip." The Italian Comedy: The Improvisation, Scenarios, Lives, Attributes, Portraits, and Masks of the Illustrious Characters of the Commedia Dell'arte. Trans. Randolph T. Weaver. New York: Dover Publications, 1966. 285. Print.