Everyone's A Critic: The "Obscene" Comedies Everyone Wanted to See And Then Complain About.

In 1590 Conte Ulysse de Bentivolgio described a company of Commedia actors as: "It is a brothel of infatuation between strumpets and scamps."  (Perhaps shocked by the troups insistance on having women actors actually play the female roles. Very un-Shakespearean.)

In 1637 Father Girolamo Fiorentini said it was a mortal sin to witness obscene comedy (he was referring to the plays of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte) and every comedy was obscene that "treated" (concerned itself with matters) of love and secret marriage (which was pretty much the plot of every Commedia play). But, it was not a sin to see the plays if "one does not take pleasure in the obscenity, but only goes to satisfy his curiosity or for enjoyment." Can't you just see the good father delivering a line like that with a straight face?

Apparently, there were nobles who enjoyed the plays just a bit too much, for in the same period, when the Commedians performed in a theater (instead of their usual outdoor stages) nobles would come on stage and "make love" to the actresses during the performance -- and woe to the actor who objected. Fines were eventually enacted against people (especially the nobles) whose actions impeded the play.