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HISTORY OF THEATRE

Course objectives

This course aims to provide students with a critically informed and structured understanding of the history of theatre and live performance in the Western world, from antiquity to the contemporary era. The curriculum is designed to guide students toward a conscious and context-aware understanding of theatrical languages, with particular attention to the interrelations between artistic, cultural, organizational, and institutional dimensions. Expected Learning Outcomes Knowledge and understanding: Acquisition of basic methodological tools for the historical study of theatre and performance. Understanding of dramaturgical and performative forms from a historical and critical perspective. Applying knowledge and understanding: Ability to analyze plays, documents, and theatrical phenomena using appropriate historical and theoretical categories. Application of acquired knowledge to the analysis of theatrical production, aesthetics, and organizational contexts. Making judgements: Development of independent critical thinking in interpreting plays and theatrical practices within their respective cultural and historical frameworks. Ability to evaluate the interplay between artistic, institutional, and socio-political factors in theatre. Communication skills: Ability to effectively present content, methods, and issues related to theatre history using appropriate terminology, both in written and oral form. Capacity to clearly and coherently articulate historical-theatrical analyses. Learning skills: Development of skills necessary for further academic studies in performing arts and related disciplines. Ability to pursue autonomous learning, even when engaging with complex or interdisciplinary materials. Specific Learning Goals By the end of the course, students will be able to: Identify and describe the key periods, authors, texts, and practices in the history of Western theatre. Recognize and interpret major dramaturgical forms, with particular focus on the relationship between written text and staged performance. Use historical, documentary, and theoretical sources to reconstruct and analyze theatrical phenomena. Understand the organizational, legislative, and production-related dynamics of theatre across different historical contexts. Situate theatrical events and figures within coherent historical and cultural frameworks, with attention to aesthetic and institutional transformations. Develop a critical and well-documented approach to the study of live performance.

Channel 1
GUIDO DI PALMA Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Programme The course aims to offer a general knowledge of the history of theatre and is divided into the following topics: 1. Theatre and communication - Analysis of the constituent elements of theatrical communication. 2. The origins of theatre 1 - Myth, ritual and performance. 3. The origins of theatre 2 - From celebration to theatre. Ritual forms in Western societies. From antiquity to the Middle Ages. 4. The Invention of Theatre - The birth of theatre in modern culture: the Renaissance and the Baroque. 5. The theatrical institution 1 - The forms of theatre from Baroque society to the Enlightenment. 6. The theatrical institution 2 - The theatre of the bourgeoisie and popular theatre: The 19th century. 7. The theatrical institution 3 - From commodity theatre to art theatre: the 20th century 8. The Actor - Theories and practices from antiquity to the commedia dell'arte, from the great 19th century actor to the film performer. 9. The stage space - Morphology of the stage space: from ritual space to Italian-style theatre. The illusionistic space and the architectural space. Assessment Written exams accessed after a knowledge test with a multiple-choice questionnaire. Texts A. Nicoll, Lo spazio scenico, Rome, Bulzoni; R. Guarino, Il teatro nella storia., Bari, Laterza; C. Molinari, Storia del teatro, Bari, Laterza; S. d'Amico, Storia del teatro drammatico 2 vols., Roma, Bulzoni; The reading of the following theatrical texts is compulsory: 1. Sophocles' Oedipus the Tyrant 2. The Menecmas of Plautus 3. Machiavelli's Mandragola 4. Shakespeare's Hamlet 5. Molière's Dom Juan 6. The Innkeeper by Goldoni 7. Ibsen's The Spectres 8. Six characters in search of an author by Pirandello. Lessons timetable Vetrerie Sciarra classroom Levi della Vida Tuesday 16.00 - 20.00 Friday 16.00 - 20.00 Lessons begin: Tuesday 8 October 2024
Prerequisites
no prerequisites
Books
A. Nicoll, Lo spazio scenico, Roma, Bulzoni; R. Guarino, Il teatro nella storia., Bari, Laterza; C. Molinari, Storia del teatro, Bari, Laterza; S. d'Amico, Storia del teatro drammatico 2 voll., Roma, Bulzoni; È obbligatoria la lettura dei seguenti testi teatrali: 1. L’Edipo tiranno di Sofocle 2. I menecmi di Plauto 3. La mandragola di Machiavelli 4. L’Amleto di Shakespeare 5. Il Dom Juan di Molière 6. La locandiera di Goldoni 7. Gli spettri di Ibsen 8. Sei personaggi in cerca d’autore di Pirandello.
Frequency
optional frequency
Exam mode
Written examinations accessed after a knowledge test with a multiple-choice questionnaire.
Lesson mode
Lesson times Inizio lezioni: mercoledì 1 Ottobre 2024 Orario Lezioni Vetrerie Sciarra aula Levi della Vida Mercoledì 16.00 - 20.00  Venerdì' 16.00 - 20.00  Teaching method Oral lessons on the topics indicated in the programme
Channel 2
STEFANO LOCATELLI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Prerequisites
To successfully attend the course, students are expected to possess a basic knowledge of Western history and culture, with particular reference to the main artistic and literary periods, movements, and phenomena. The following skills and attitudes are also recommended: ability to understand and analyse texts in Italian; capacity for critical reading of historical, artistic, and literary materials; familiarity with the fundamental concepts of art and literary history; curiosity and interest in the performing arts and cultural phenomena. No specific technical or artistic skills are required, but a strong motivation to study the performing arts from a historical and cultural perspective is essential.
Frequency
Attendance is not compulsory, but it is strongly recommended. Participation in lectures allows students to follow the development of the course more effectively, to acquire methodological and critical tools for independent study, and to access in-depth materials and case studies presented in class. Non-attending students can find study support both in the required bibliography—which must be studied in its entirety, including theatrical texts and the introductory sections of the assigned volumes—and in the didactic materials made available on the course Classroom platform.
Exam mode
The exam is written. It is designed to assess the achievement of the intended learning outcomes, with particular attention to the student’s historical knowledge of theatre and the ability to critically analyse texts and performance phenomena. 12 CFU exam: students must answer 8 out of 10 proposed questions. Duration: 4 hours. 6 CFU exam: students must answer 4 out of 5 proposed questions. Duration: 2 hours. The possibility of choosing among the proposed questions allows students to demonstrate a conscious and well-focused preparation, consistent with the course objectives. This choice is intended to: acknowledge that students may focus more effectively on specific topics or materials they have studied in greater depth; take into account possible differences between attending and non-attending students, especially regarding subjects or texts discussed more extensively during lectures. Assessment criteria include the accuracy of content, the clarity and coherence of argumentation, the ability to connect historical, theoretical, and textual aspects, and the appropriate use of disciplinary language.
Lesson mode
Classes are held in person and combine lectures and seminar-style sessions, supported by audiovisual materials, bibliographic resources, and supplementary readings provided by the instructor. Teaching activities integrate theoretical lectures on historical and methodological frameworks with case studies and monographic analyses focusing on specific periods, authors, texts, and contexts in the history of Western theatre. Particular attention is devoted to the tools and methods of theatre historiography, to documentary sources, and to the relationships between the artistic and the productive dimensions of live performance. Active attendance is an integral part of the learning process, as it provides methodological examples useful for autonomous study and for the critical analysis of theatrical phenomena. The second part of the course will have a monographic focus on the development of the concept of theatre as a public service in Italy, with particular reference to Giorgio Strehler and to the relationship between critical directing and institutional transformations in Italian theatre between 1943 and 1954. Throughout the course, integrative activities (text discussions, guided analyses, and the use of visual or video materials) will be proposed to encourage active participation and to consolidate students’ historical-critical and methodological competences
  • Lesson code10606777
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseTheater, Film and Media
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDL-ART/05
  • CFU12