Commedia dell'arte (/kɒˈmeɪdiə dɛlˈɑːrteɪ, kə-, -ˈmɛdiə, -ˈɑːrtiː/; Italian: [komˈmɛːdja delˈlarte]; lit. 'comedy of the profession') was an early form of professional theatre, originating in Italy, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as commedia alla maschera, commedia improvviso, and commedia dell'arte all'improvviso. Characterized by masked "types", commedia was responsible for the rise of actresses such as Isabella Andreini and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. A commedia, such as The Tooth Puller, is both scripted and improvised. Characters' entrances and exits are scripted. A special characteristic of commedia is the lazzo, a joke or "something foolish or witty