The comedic style was broad so it could reach a large audience consisting of all social classes. The performers would have included political or satirical jokes and slapstick or low comedy with a great emphasis on physicality. Performances were often outdoors and had female entertainers playing the female characters.
Commedia performances were known as scenarios and often were an outline of entrances, exits, and action describing the plot of a play that was literally pinned to the back of the scenery. It is also known as canovaccio or "that which is pinned to the canvas" of which the scenery was constructed. The performers would improvise scenes based on the scenario using a repertoire of rehearsed material such as stock speeches, phrases and reactions therefore. Many lazzi, a bit of well-rehearsed comic action, were used. The actors are able to run with a situation or change the jokes for the town they were in or in reaction to the audience, but the plot remained the same as outlined by the scenario.
There were usually a dozen or so “stock” characters, most of whom wore masks. Masks were very important for recognizing the characters on stage. The improvisation and physicality used with them were also very unique.
These stock characters remained constants although the names might change from one acting troupe to another. The stock characters included zannis or clowns, vecchi or male masters, innamorati or lovers and soubretta or female servants. There were sometimes female vecchi or gossips as well as courtesans.
Vecchi: Pantalone, Dotore and Tartaglia
Zanni: Arlechinno, Pedrolino, Brighella and Zanni