HISTORY OF JAPANESE THEATRE

This is one of the related courses within the "Japan" curriculum of the Corso di Laurea in "Lingue, Culture e Società dell'Asia e dell'Africa Mediterranea".
The course contributes to the attainment of the teaching goals of the Corso di Laurea in the area of the cultural and humanities areas.
The main goals of the course are: to provide a basic knowledge on the history of the Performing Arts and the basic tools for the interpretation of theatrical texts and performances; to provide tools for the analysis and discussion of the theatrical genres from tradition to today, historically aware of the Performing Arts, founded on the mastery of the technical language.
The achievement of these instructional goals allows the student to acquire the bases for a fundamental learning of the culture, history and society of Japan developing the skills of comparison and evaluation.

Knowledge and understanding:
- to know and understand the main aspects (genres, authors, artists, movements, works, etc.) in the history of Japanese Performing Arts
- to know and understand concepts and tools from the fields of theatrical criticism and historiography
- to know and understand the historical and social contexts. The historical context may have already been studied in other teachings from different points of view (e.g. historical, artistic ...)

Applying knowledge and understanding:
- to analyze and interpret theatrical genres and texts
- to critically apply critical concepts to the historical period studied in the course

Making judgements:
- to produce critical judgments on the textual and historical-artistic phenomena that are part of the program
- to subject various types of sources (academic and creative texts) to critical examination

Communication:
- to express and re-elaborate the contents of the program in written form, in a synthetic and effective way

Lifelong learning skills:
- to know how to take notes in an effective way
- to know how to critically integrate the study of different materials (notes, slides, manuals, creative texts, academic articles)
- to be able to independently study materials and topics not covered during the lectures
- to refine one's ability to use the online teaching platform.

It is desirable that the students possess a general cultural knowledge and a basic knowledge about theatre and performing arts.
To adequately follow the lessons the student must possess the essential lines of the history and have a basic knowledge of the Japanese language written and oral.

The course will cover the history of Japanese Performing Arts from the tradition until today.
Lesson 1: Performing arts of Ancient Japan
Lesson 2: Court music and dance
Lesson 3: Sarugaku, Okina e sanbasō
Lessons 4-5-6: nō theatre
Lesson 7: kyōgen
Lesson 8: medieval performing arts (biwahōshi, shirabyōshi, sekkyōbushi etc.)
Lessons 9-10: puppet theatre (ningyō jōruri bunraku)
Lessons 11-12: kabuki theatre
Lesson 13: modern theatre in Meiji period
Lesson 14: Tsukiji Theatre, proletarian theatre and war period and post war period
Lesson 15: post war period and contemporary theatre.

- Ruperti Bonaventura, Storia del teatro giapponese, Dalle origini all'Ottocento, Venezia, Marsilio Editori, 2015, pp. 192
- Ruperti Bonaventura, Storia del teatro giapponese, Dall'Ottocento al Duemila, Venezia, Marsilio Editori, 2016, pp. 192.

The written examination will be focused on the discussion about general contents of this course.
Written test (45 mins online or on paper):
- 10 open-ended questions (1 on performing arts in Ancient Japan, 2 on nō theatre, 1 on kyōgen, 2 on puppet theatre (bunraku), 2 on kabuki, 2 on modern theatre).
The student must show to know the contents, object of the course, to be able to frame and to expose correctly and clearly the contents.
Questions and discussion aim to verify the correct understanding of the the historical and cultural context, the knowledge and the ability of critical reorganization of the same, and competence in synthetic and effective presentation.

written

Conventional, with powerpoint presentations.
Bibliography, presentations and further readings are available on the moodle platform.
Italian and Japanese Language.
Japanese texts.
Videos and other audiovisual materials.
Japanese and International artists and professors will be invited.

See: "moodle" for powerpoint presentations of the lessons, syllabus and further materials (video reference etc.).

This exam (with this syllabus) will be available only for the 4 "appelli" of the 2022-23 academic year.

Starting from 2023-24, a new syllabus will be in use.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development