West Linn High School Performing Arts Dept.

The Servant of Two Masters

Set and Lighting Design (and Direction) by Jon Ares.

March 2025.

The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni, adapted by Constance Congdon. Directed by Jon Ares. Costume design by Annie Kaiser.. Sound Design by Gabriel Garrett. Tealia Jud, Production Stage Manager.

The concept for the set and costumes was embracing the concerted effort Venice (and Italy in general) put into transforming their international reputation as a post- World War II war-torn country into a classy travel destination - adopting an identity of a city of culture and fashion. (Worked for Milan!) Although the show is written with the intention of performing Commedia dell’Arte (and I have MUCH experience in teaching and directing Commedia), I purposely chose not to lean on that too much (beyond the stereotype characters), and instead focused on the more sitcom-style of the plots. Scenically, I wanted to express a museum-like “cleaned up for guests” aesthetic for the unit set, and using color and texture on the museum-like walls to dress up the different locations. Costumes (fashion) was as much a character as the characters themselves. Read more from the program:

From the Director’s Program Notes:

The Servant of Two Masters, originally written in 1746, and revised in 1789, is one of the few original Commedia dell'Arte productions that was scripted. You see, in Commedia dell’Arte, the actors improvised the show, following an outline, or scenario. Much can be found online about the history of Commedia dell’Arte, but, in a nutshell, this form of blue-collar entertainment comes from northern Italy, starting in the 15th century. These “stock” characters, many traditionally performed in masks, would find themselves in comical situations, play after play. Much like a sitcom of the 20th or 21st century.

But in our production, they’re not wearing masks.

And it’s 1963, in Venice, Italy.

So, no, this is not a Commedia dell’Arte production.  Just a light-hearted comedy, featuring lovable, familiar characters, who find themselves in awkward situations.  Much like a sitcom of the 20th or 21st century. And this script, expertly adapted by Constance Congdon, updates some of the characters a bit, particularly the female characters, by making them a bit more strong and contemporary.

But it does take place in Venice, as in the original. But why 1963? 

After World War II, Italy had a bit of a bad rep across the globe. During the war, they found themselves suffering from (checks notes) Fascism. This didn’t end well for them, and they were ready for a makeover. They needed to reinvent themselves, much as they did during the Renaissance. They wanted to give the world a reason to take a fresh look at Italy… and so they, like any good Chamber of Commerce, looked to what they could promote: history, architecture, food, and… fashion.  Hey, focusing on fashion worked for France after World War I, why not give it a try? 

Venice may not be Milan, but who says the lovable characters in our sitcom can’t have high fashion? It’s their world, and we’re just being entertained by it.