Referred to as the 'skeleton play", the scenario was written down and posted backstage where the actors might refer to it. Only the characters, the plot and set scenes were known beforehand.

Most of the plots involved love and marital infidelity.

Scenarii used symmetrical pairs of characters: two elderly men; two lovers; two zanni (madcap servants); a maidservant; a soldier; and extras.

A good traditional source of Scenario is Flaminio Scala’s: Scenarios of the Commedia dell'arte which is a compilation of the Scenarios he used and found. You will find that many original Scenarios have inspired great playwrights whilst others share a common source of inspiration.

Here is an extract of an example scenario from Flaminio Scala’s book

“Two old and noble families... bore a long hatred of each other... Oratario had fallen in love with Isabella, daughter of his enemy, Isabella unable to bear the suffering of her... love, took..., a potion which would put her into a death like sleep.”