commedia dell'arte
/kɒmˈmedjɑːdelˈlɑːte, 〈意〉komˈmɛdja delˈlarte/noun
mass noun
- an improvised kind of popular comedy in Italian theatres in the 16th-18th centuries, based on stock characters. Actors adapted their comic dialogue and action according to a few basic plots (commonly love intrigues) and to topical issues.即兴喜剧（16至18世纪流行于意大利剧院中的根据定型人物临时准备的喜剧, 演员根据少数基本情节［一般为私通］和主题自编滑稽的台词和情节）。
词源
Italian, 'comedy of art'.