96364 - History of Theatre and Performing Arts. Fundamentals (1) (M-Z)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student: knows the general features of the history of theatre and live performance; knows how to place the history of theatre performance in the wider context of the history of the arts; identifies the dramaturgical and performative criteria that unite historical and contemporary experiences in this field; knows how to apply specific methods of analysis on limited fields of investigation.

Course contents

Part I: Institutional Module.

Period:
Institutional Part: September 21 – October 21, 2026

Class Schedule

Monday, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Location: Via Azzo Gardino 23, Classroom A

Topics:

Following an introduction to the principal methods and tools for the study of theatre history and performance, the course traces the development of Western theatre and performance from classical antiquity to the twenty-first century.

Figures, works, historical processes, and theatrical phenomena will be examined through the analysis of primary sources and historical evidence. By comparing performance practices and cultural contexts across different periods, students will explore how different societies define what counts as theatre and assign it changing forms and functions in relation to their social, political, ideological, and aesthetic horizons.

The analysis of primary sources will also introduce students to the principal questions of theatre historiography, providing the foundations for understanding how theatre history is constructed, written, and transmitted. The study of Antigone—from Sophocles to contemporary rewritings, adaptations, and counter-narratives—will illustrate the ways in which the classical legacy is transmitted, reinterpreted, and reshaped across changing theatrical cultures.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities. They are encouraged to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and the lecturer as early as possible in order to identify together the most effective strategies for attending classes and/or preparing for the examination.

Course Structure (12 and 6 CFU)

The course History of Theatre and Performance (M–Z) is organised into two 6-CFU modules. History of Theatre. Institutions (6 CFU) constitutes the first module and is followed by Processes and Forms of Performance-Making. Workshop (6 CFU). The total amount of hours is 30 per module.

Attendance is strongly recommended. 

Passage of letter (A-L => M-Z; M-Z => A-L)
The teaching of History of Theatre and Entertainment is divided into two courses according to the letter of the surname (A-L; M-Z). The passage from one letter to another is only possible in the presence of: (i) overlap with another course; (ii) proven work needs. In both cases, it is necessary to contact the teacher of the destination course and justify the request for change by producing proper documentation.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Institutional Module (6 CFU)

The examination syllabus differs for attending and non-attending students.

Students may take the examination with the syllabus for attending students only if they attend at least 80% of the classes in each module (24 hours per module). Students who do not meet this attendance requirement, or who are unable to attend the course, are required to take the examination with the syllabus for non-attending students.

Syllabus for attending students

1. Roberto Alonge, Franco Perrelli, Storia del teatro e dello spettacolo, third edition, UTET, Turin, 2026 (students are required to study the sections indicated for attending students on the course Virtuale page).
2. Lecture slides (uploaded to Virtuale during the course and made available at the end of the course).
3. Supplementary materials (optional for students who have attended all classes). Students who are absent from one or more classes are required, for each missed class, to watch in full the video materials indicated in the corresponding lecture slides and to supplement their preparation with the relevant sections of the manual and of Antigone. Oltre la rabbia selected, from among those assigned to non-attending students, as corresponding to the topics covered in the classes they missed. The specific supplementary readings for each class will be indicated on Virtuale.

Syllabus for non-attending students

1. Roberto Alonge, Franco Perrelli, Storia del teatro e dello spettacolo, third edition, UTET, Turin, 2026 (students are required to study the entire manual, with the exception of the sections that will be indicated by the lecturer on the course Virtuale page as excluded from the syllabus for non-attending students).
2. Lecture slides (uploaded to Virtuale during the course and made available at the end of the course; including the assigned video materials, which must be watched in full).
3. Antigone. Oltre la rabbia, edited by Lucia Floridi, Rossella Mazzaglia, Filippo Milani, BUP, Bologna, 2026 (to be studied in its entirety).

Teaching methods

All classes are held in person. 

The course combines lectures and seminar-style discussions centered on the critical analysis of primary and secondary sources, including epigraphic, iconographic, textual, and audiovisual materials. In addition to regular class meetings, the course features guest lectures and conversations with scholars, artists, and cultural practitioners, organized in conjunction with the publication of significant new scholarship and with theatrical productions presented in Bologna and the surrounding areas during the academic year.

 

Assessment methods

Student learning will be assessed through an oral examination consisting of open-ended questions based on the assigned readings, lecture materials, and primary sources discussed in class. Students will be expected to identify, analyze, and contextualize the sources examined during the course.

Assessment will place particular emphasis on the student's ability to relate themes, authors, works, and performance practices to their respective historical periods and aesthetic traditions.

Outstanding performance will demonstrate a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the course material, the ability to engage critically with historical and theoretical issues, and a confident command of appropriate scholarly terminology.

Good performance will reflect a solid knowledge of the material, supported by effective analytical and synthetic skills, although the use of disciplinary terminology may not always be fully precise.

A satisfactory performance will demonstrate only a basic knowledge of the course material and may reveal gaps in preparation and/or an inconsistent use of disciplinary terminology.

Unsatisfactory performance will be characterized by significant gaps in knowledge, inadequate use of scholarly terminology, and an inability to engage critically with the assigned readings and primary sources discussed throughout the course.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

The course makes extensive use of lecture slides based on a wide range of primary and secondary sources, including epigraphic, iconographic, textual, and audiovisual materials. Lectures incorporate references to key scholarship in theatre historiography and cultural studies, as well as the reading and discussion of selected literary, dramatic, cinematic, and visual works that illuminate the cultural imagination of the historical periods under consideration.

Course announcements, lecture slides, and supplementary materials will be distributed through the University's Virtuale learning platform. All students, including those who do not attend classes regularly, are expected to enroll in the course's Virtuale site in order to access course materials and instructional information.

Office hours

See the website of Rossella Nancy Maria Mazzaglia