THEATRE HISTORY

This course is part of the Master Degrer Programa "History of Arts and Conservation of Artistic Heritage" (it represents a continuation and refinement of the courses foreseen in the three-year degree program) and of the Master Degree Program "Economics and Management of Arts and Cultural Activities" (EGArt). The first one aimes at provide a well-rounded education with in-depth knowledge of artistic phenomena; the second allows the students to understand the nature and processes of cultural production.
The specific goals of the course are to provide a basic knowledge, a thematic introduction to historical elements and a reference vocabulary in the field of theater studies and of the workings of the various models of representation and of audience response. Reaching these goals will enable students to widen their knowledge in the field of theater studies and develop their critical skills, and, in particular, to situate theater history in the broader context of the history of the visual and performing arts.

1. Knowledge and understanding.
Achievement of a set of elements useful for the definition of theatrical studies and for the historical characterization of it. Acquisition of ibliographic tools useful for autonomously dealing with theatrical cultures in order to decipher their forms and contentes.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding.
Knowing hoiw to bring the theatrical literature back to specific cultural domains, recognizing, also on the basis of the relevant crtical literature, some peculiar traditions. Properly interpretation of examples examined in class, citing the interpretative tools of the most suitable bibliography for the purpose.

3. Ability to judge.
To be aware that interpretation can never be severed from in-depth knolewdge of prevoius criticism and historiography, and from the continous comparison of them with the most recently updated bibliographic data.

Nothing (however, basic knowledge is preferable, such as that provided by the Bachelor's degree courses)

The Comedy, the plague, the law

The course aims to address the link that characterizes the comedy, that is the articulation (plot) from a negative and complex beginning to a happy ending, dedicating - through problems and texts from various eras - in particular to two essential questions, and in particular through two authors, Boccaccio and Shakespeare (with a modern appendix, dedicated instead to a tragic example, through some texts by Pirandello). The main topics will consist of: the plague and the foundation of the theater, the happy ending and the suspension of the disease (Agostino and Boccaccio, with particular reference to the Decameron); the tragic law, the sentence and the possible comic resolution (Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Measure for measure, All’s well that ends well).

P. Vescovo, L’incerto fine. La peste, la legge, il teatro, in corso di stampa
G. Agamben, Comedìa, in Categorie italiane. Studi di poetica e letteratura, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2010
W. Benjamin, Destino e carattere, in Angelus Novus. Saggi e frammenti, a cura di S. Solmi, Torino, Einaudi, 1962
R. Sánchez Ferlosio, Carattere e destino, a cura di D. Manera, Torino, Robin, 2017 (l’originale spagnolo al link: www.almendron.com/politica/pdf/2005/spain/spain_2356.pdf)

The exam includes a written essay on a topic of student’s choice, which apply methodological perspectives and the tools offered during the course. The term paper is discussed during the oral exam.

The exam is structured in two parts:
- a written essay, which deals with the application of the essential analysis tools (especially formal) and the personal study of a topic or topic among those dealt with during the course, freely chosen by the student;
- an oral discussion of the same
The verification thus concerns the exposition in written and oral form and aims at a balanced coexistence between theoretical and applied knowledge, reference to the general program and personal elaboration.

The essay consists of a work of about ten pages, provides a formal analysis according to a model proposed during the lessons and a free thematic-problematic analysis of the content.
The essay is then discussed during the oral examination, which may eventually also take up the central issues presented during the course.

The double form of the written work and the oral discussion is considered to allow a wider possibility of verification.
The exam will be about the autonomy of judgment, communication abilities and learning skills that students must acquire.
For this purpose the establishment of an "open" program was successfully tested: in this program the student choose texts and detailed studies in addition to what is analyzed in lectures, of which the final part, after establishing the bases of the course is devoted to proposals in this direction.

Italian

Students who did not attend the course, should agree an alternative program with the teacher during his office hours.

written and oral