When I was writing Clowns, these were the books I consulted the most for my section on commedia dell’arte:
• Masks, Mimes & Miracles by Alardyce Nicoll
• The World of Harlequin by Alardyce Nicoll
• The Italian Comedy by Pierre Duchartre
• The History of the Harlequinade by Maurice Sand
• Scenarios of the Commedia Dell’Arte by Flaminio Scala
• The Commedia Dell’Arte by Giacomo Oreglia
I did not read Masks and Marionettes by Joseph Kennard, nor have I since then, but browsing through it now it seems to be a reasonable overview of the subject, and one that touches on the closely related puppet theatre of the time. And since the above-mentioned books are not available for free and this one is, I though it worth including here.
