Description
This course will focus on the major movements and themes of Italian theater from the 16th century to the 20th century. With critical reading and discussion of the selected works by Machiavelli, Da Ponte, Goldoni, Mascagni, Pirandello, Natalia Ginzburg, and Dario Fo, students will learn to recognize and analyze the qualities of plays, such as plot, character, and setting. In addition to a formal, traditional literary analysis of the works, we will examine the works’ adaptations for modern performances and cinema. Students will identify key elements involved in production (stage and cinema) and analyze how they are used and adapted for the performances of the selected plays. We will also examine the roles of directors, designers, and actors and how they have taken inspiration from or have adapted/interpreted the original literary work.
