Theater, Film and Media

The course "Bertolt Brecht and His Heirs in Contemporary Theatre" will focus on the epic theatre created by Brecht in the 20th century and its legacy in the 21st century. Nearly seventy years have passed since his untimely death in 1956, and this may be a fitting time to reevaluate his legacy. The course will be divided into two parts. In the first, we will study Brecht's versatile career as a playwright, theorist, and director, through his writings and critical essays on his work. The second part of the course will focus on Brecht's legacy not only in international theater (Living Theatre, Heiner Müller, Rimini Protokoll, Milo Rau), but also in Italian theater (Dario Fo, Franca Rame, Marco Paolini, and Ascanio Celestini).

Knowledge of theatre history and literature

Required plays 1. B. Brecht, L’opera da tre soldi 2. B. Brecht, Madre Coraggio 3. B. Brecht, La linea di condotta 4. H. Muller, Mauser 5. D. Fo e F. Rame, Non si paga! Non si paga! 6. M. Paolini, Vajont 7. A. Celestini, Poveri Cristi Online reader: P. Szondi, Teoria del dramma moderno; Piccola biblioteca Einaudi, 2000, pp 87-101; B. Brecht, “Arte e politica (1934-38)” in B. Brecht, Scritti sulla letteratura e sull'arte, Einaudi, Torino 1973, pp. 115-150; B. Brecht, “Effetti di straniamento nell’arte scenica cinese”, “La scena di strada”, “Breviario di estetica teatrale” in Scritti teatrali, Piccola biblioteca Einaudi, pp; 72-84; 113-150. M. De Marinis, “Dal teatro politico alla politica teatrale” e L. Mango, “Il teatro è politico?” in Passione e ideologia. Il teatro è politico, a cura di S. Casi e E. Di Gioia, Editoria & Spettacolo, 2012, pp 15-45; A. Jovicevic, “L’eredità di Brecht nel teatro post-drammatico”, Brecht e media, Studi germanistici, 2013, pp 231-245; H.T. Lehmann, “Segni teatrali postdrammatici”, in Teatro post-drammatico, Cue press, 2018, pp 91-115; C. Molinari, “Pratica e teoria”, e “La critica”, in Bertolt Brecht, Laterza, 1996, pp 44-61; pp 162-197. Different texts from https://nuovoteatromadeinitaly.sciami.com/

Attending students will be invited to participate classes and based on attendance, reading, and analysis of the plays they will gain 50 % of their grades.

Grades for attending students will be based on class participation (attendance, reading, and analysis of the plays – 50%), and the 2,500-word essay – another 50% of the final grade. Non-attending students must take the oral exam, based on the required plays and the online handouts.

Even if considered a traditional, frontal way of teaching, the attending students will be invited to participate actively in the lecture, through presenze, reading and analysis of required texts of the course, which will make up for 50% of their final grade.