Pagiacci (The Players)
A troupe of players is coming to town to perform. In this prologue before the opera starts, Tonio tells the audience that actors are just people and the problems seen on stage often reflect real life. This is an old performance by Leonard Warren, the great American baritone.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wiwYVL_GCU[/ame]
These old world plays had similar clownish characters and were usually improvised, often a comical take on cuckoldry. Here Canio who has realized that his wife Nedda is having an affair with one of the townspeople. He paints his face for the play, angry that he is the clown in real life. He says,"YOU are Pagliacco". This is John Vickers from a film made in the 60's.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxaJlOBY5bk[/ame]
In this scene, the players are in the middle of the performance, with Canio being the unwary husband when he loses it and declares that he isn't the clown any more and tries to get his wife to reveal her lover. The audience thinks its a great performance. The players try to salvage the rest of the play, but it ends badly for everybody.
The final line of the play is "The comedy is finished".
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXOHuZyYwQs[/ame]