Program Overview

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ITALIAN THEATRICAL LITERATURE

Overview

Italian theater literature juxtaposes the study of theatrical texts with the broader study of the relationships between text and theater. The discipline uses a philological and literary-historical methodology together, applying it to the writings that prepare, preserve or replace the spectacular event. Its main object of study are therefore the literary texts that, in gradually different ways, have accompanied the history of Italian performance from the 15th century to the present.

Aims and Content

Learning Outcomes

The discipline's aim is to introduce students to the specificity of the dramatic text in the context of Italian literary and spectacular production; to introduce students to the history of the dramatic text in Italy from the 15th to the 20th century through examples and texts, including the theme of the theatrical book: being able to analyze a text and a theatrical book in all of its structural components and to recognize theatrical elements.

Aims and Learning Outcomes

Participation in the activities and/or individual study will allow the student to:

• demonstrate knowledge of the forms of the theatrical text from the 15th century to the present day (in particular, authors and texts in the syllabus);
• employ basic elements of theatrical philology and drama vocabulary;
• understand the texts in the syllabus and recognise and place unfamiliar theatrical texts in historical context;
• analyse a theatrical text highlighting its main features (genre, structure, themes, setting, relationships between characters, etc.);
• describe and interpret texts according to their dramatic function.

Prerequisites

Good command of Italian literature and History of the performing arts.

Teaching Methods

The teaching involves lectures with the aid of multimedia tools and materials, as well as innovative educational IT systems, flipped classroom, and self-assessment. During the lectures, commented readings of theatrical texts and cultural insights aimed at contextualizing the examined works will be proposed. Students will also be invited to divide into groups, conduct research on texts related to the course theme independently, following the teacher's guidelines, and present it in class.

Syllabus/Content

For all students:

1. The dramatic text: formal, linguistic, and structural features; analysis of the dramatic text.
2. "Was it a true reform?" Goldoni's project between mask and character.
   The second part of the course is devoted to the theatre of Carlo Goldoni, examined through three comedies representing distinct phases of his oeuvre: Il servitore di due padroni , La bottega del caffè , and Una delle ultime sere di carnovale. This module seeks to problematize the so-called "reform," not as a single, definitive turning point—beyond the banalizations and simplifications of standard manuals—but as a complex and often contradictory process.

For 9 CFU, in addition to 1) and 2):

1. Dario Fo, from zanni to the jester
   The final part of the course will focus on the most famous "jesting" work by Dario Fo: Mistero Buffo (1969). Through this text we will reflect on the survivals, transformations, and twentieth-century reinventions of the popular comic tradition.

Recommended Reading/Bibliography

• Simona Morando, La letteratura teatrale italiana. Il testo drammatico e la sua storia dal Medioevo al Novecento ​, Milan, Carocci, 2023;
• Handouts on the dramatic text and its history by the teacher;
• Pocket editions of the drama texts in the program.

Teachers and Exam Board

• GIORDANO RODDA

Exam Board

• GIORDANO RODDA (President)
• SIMONA MORANDO

Lessons

Lessons Start

Lessons will start 15th September 2025.

Class Schedule

The timetable for this course is available.

Exams

Exam Description

The exam can be taken in one of two alternative formats, at the student's choice:

• Written and oral. In this case, the exam consists of two parts: a written test on the Manuale di letteratura teatrale , and an oral test on the topics covered in class.
• Oral only. In this case, the oral exam will cover the entire syllabus, and no written test is required.

Assessment Methods

The optional written test consists of three open-ended questions on the Manuale di Letteratura teatrale. The mandatory oral exam is an interview on the topics covered in the syllabus, and aims to assess the student's ability to:

• paraphrase and summarize a scene or part of a scene from a dramatic text, or a paratextual element;
• contextualize the works studied from a historical and cultural perspective and describe their metrical and stylistic features;
• draw connections and comparisons between the topics covered in the course;
• present ideas clearly and effectively using appropriate terminology;
• formulate a personal critical judgment on the topics discussed.

Exam Schedule

• 16/12/2025
• 13/01/2026
• 29/01/2026
• 27/05/2026
• 17/06/2026
• 22/07/2026
• 03/09/2026

Further Information

All students are asked to register for teaching to receive communications and notices regarding the course. Erasmus or non-native Italian-speaking students should contact the lecturer to arrange the exam schedule. Students with disabilities or DSA are reminded that to request exam adaptations, they must first upload their certification on the university's website.