96432 - History of Directing (1)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide students with the following competences and skills: - Knowledge of the milestones in the history of stage direction; - Knowledge of the main historiographic and critical perspectives of studies in the field of stage direction; - Ability to use a method of investigation for the analysis of stage direction as an event.

Course contents

The course will deal with the main historical and conceptual issues related to the theatrical direction. Some relevant direction performances will also be analyzed.

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students:

• Notes from lessons;
• Roberto Tessari, Linee di avviamento alla lettura critica dello spettacolo teatrale, in Roberto Alonge, Roberto Tessari, Lo spettacolo teatrale. Dal testo alla messinscena, Milano, LED, 1996, pp. 11-53;

  One text chosen between:

• Umberto Artioli (a cura di), Il teatro di regia: genesi ed evoluzione (1870-1950), Roma, Carocci, 2004;
• Giovanna Zanlonghi, La regia teatrale nel secondo Novecento. Utopie, forme e pratiche, Roma, Carocci, 2023.

Not attending students:

Instead of notes from lessons, non-attending students are required to study

Elena Randi, I primordi della regia. Nei cantieri teatrali di Hugo, Vigny, Dumas, Bari, edizioni di Pagina, 2009.

Students who made the exam of the workshop of theatrical Direction, instead of Tessari's text, will have to study

Marco De Marinis, Il nuovo teatro 1947-1970, Milano, Bompiani, 1987 (chapters 1, 3, 7, 10 only).

Both attending and not-attending students are recommended to read some texts written by great directors. For example:

• André Antoine, Il Theâtre-Libre e altri scritti, a cura di Maria Grazia Porcelli, Roma, Audino, 2021.
• Konstantin Stanislavskij, Le mie regie: Il gabbiano, Imola, Cue Press, 2016.
• Edward Gordon Craig, L’attore e la supermarionetta, in Edward Gordon Craig, Il mio teatro, a cura di Ferruccio Marotti, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1971, pp. 33-57.
• Aleksandr Tairov, Appunti di un regista, Imola, Cue Press, 2020.
• Julian Beck-Judith Malina, Il lavoro del Living Theatre (materiali 1952-1969), Milano, Ubulibri, 1982.
• Jerzy Grotowski, Per un teatro povero, Roma, Bulzoni, 1970.
• Eugenio Barba, Il Brecht dell’Odin, Milano, Ubulibri, 1981.

Teaching methods

The course includes lectures and, if possible, viewing of rehearsals and testimonies by directors/playwrights/actors.

Assessment methods

The final test will consist of an oral interview which will focus, for attending students, on the topics explained in class and on the volumes listed in the bibliography; for non-attending students, on the volumes listed in the bibliography.

The oral interview will evaluate the knowledge and critical skills gained by the student.

Teaching tools

Videos, iconographic material, textual sources; if possible, sight of rehearsals of performances, and listening of oral testimonies oby directors/playwrights/actors.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Randi