Being a baddie in the 16th century: Isabella Andreini, the OG diva of Commedia Dell’Arte

By Lily Dowlatshahi,

Prepare your masks divas. Circular Fashion Expo is back for round 8, and we’re going back in time to the streets of Renaissance Italy!

But before our night of Commedia Dell’Arte, let’s take a moment to learn about the woman who made the theatrical movement what it was: Isabella Andreini.

Isabella Andreini was a renowned Italian actress, writer, and poet, a pioneer of Commedia Dell’Arte, paving the way for women in theatre for centuries to come. In a time when women in theatre had little respect, she defied the norm and rose to great fame through her art. 

Isabella was born in Padua in 1562, and despite being poor, received a full classical education with training in the fine arts. This set her up for a lifetime of success in the arts. 

At age fourteen, Isabella was recruited by the most renowned Italian theatre troupe, Compagnia dei Comici Gelosi. Fourteen. Are you kidding me? What were you doing when you were fourteen? If you weren’t getting recruited by the theatre troupe, Isabella’s already out-baddied you. 

As a member of Compagnia dei Comici Gelosi, she was cast as an Immorata (learn more about Commedia Dell’Arte stock characters in Megan’s post!) and met Franceso Andreini, marrying him two years later. Isabella quickly became the star of Compagnia dei Comici Gelosi, eventually running the whole company with Franceso, leading them in tours around Italy and France. As an Immorata, she revolutionized the whole character by portraying her as educated, eloquent, and beautiful, even giving birth to a new character, “The Isabella”. She has a freaking character named after her; she literally is the blueprint. She is the moment. She is Isabella. 

Not only was Isabella a kick-ass actress, she was a renowned writer. In 1601, our girl was inducted as a member of the esteemed literary academy “Accademia degli Intenti”. Being accepted into an academy was unusual for women at this time, but Isabella achieved this great honor by being an even greater writer. Some of her works include La Mirtilla and Rime, both of which challenge traditional gender roles and offer readers a wonderfully dramatic reading experience.

Looking back, I realise I forgot to include that Isabella was a mother to seven children with Franceso. My bad guys. This woman’s done a lot in her life, it’s hard to keep track of. Keep in mind she was doing all of this stuff and more, with SEVEN CHILDREN. What a woman. 

In 1604, while returning from a trip to France performing for the court of Henry IV and Queen Marie de’ Medici, Isabella suffered the miscarriage of her eighth child and died on July 10. Her death was a tragedy to many across Europe. A grand public funeral for her occurred in Lyon, the place of her death, where a commemorative medal was created and inscribed aeterna fama, Latin for “eternal flame”. 

Isabella left behind an incredible legacy, inspiring women for centuries to come. She was the first woman to master theatrical improvisation and elevated the female characters of Commedia Dell’Arte to a new level of respect and depth. In a time when women were given little opportunity, Isabella took whatever she could get, multiplied it by 1000x, and used it to be a star. 

I hope you’ll find Isabella as great an inspiration as I did as we approach CFE 8, and look for her legacy as our own divas walk the runway.