Commedia dell' Arte, Mumming, Clowning, Melodrama and Bouffon are all typical examples of naïve theatre.
In spite of their structural and social complexity, these theatre forms
may be considered as "naïve" for the following reasons:
First,
the portrayal of character tends to be simple, in the sense that the
characters do not evolve during the course of the play, and are
propelled by easily recognizable motives.
Secondly, the forms have evolved through tradition and were not
invented by any individual. Historically, they precede the appearance
of the stage director. They tend to have their origins in archetypal
relationships recognizable in every day life.
Because they are very much dependant upon the actor as the source of style, they make excellent training tools.
