116-077 Modern Italian Theatre

Note

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Completion of all Second Year Italian subjects; 37.5 points at either post-beginners or post-VCE sequence for Third Year, admission to Honours in Italian for Fourth Year.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

This subject will examine a selection of the most significant dramatic texts of modern Italian literature from the 18th to the 20th centuries. The subject will concentrate on a number of key texts written by Goldoni, Pirandello and others. Students will be asked to pay particular attention to the structural features of the plays studied, relating them, where appropriate, to current theoretical concerns and to the social and ideological context of the plays. In particular, the subject will examine the work of Dario Fo and Franca Rame in the context of the politicisation of the theatrical tradition. Students should have acquired, by the end of the subject, a knowledge of some of the landmarks in modern Italian theatre; and have developed an awareness of the critical dimensions of analysing the theatrical text and its relationship to performance.

Assessment

A 1500 word classpaper, and a 2500 word essay for 3rd year, a 3500 word essay for 4th year.

Prescribed Texts

• C Goldoni, Commedie. Garzanti.
• L Pirandello, Three Plays. MUP.
• D Fo, Morte accidentale di un anarchico. MUP.
• D Fo & F Rame, Venticinque monologhi per una donna. Einaudi.