29019 - History of Directing (1) (2nd cycle)

Academic Year 2020/2021

  • Docente: Giacomo Pedini
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: L-ART/05
  • Language: Italian

Learning outcomes

Considered that within the teaching of Theory of Direction the field of application of the notion of direction is open to all forms of live performance, including theatre for music, at the end of the course the student knows: - the main theoretical-methodological articulations of the thought in direction, analyzed in its relations with the artistic context of the sector and with the broader system of human sciences in general; - the main instruments to study and research in direction; - the fundamental practical junctions of the processes of creation in direction; - the structural constraints with which the direction must be in relation. The student is also able to: - handle the language of direction; - elaborate a mature and original critical reflection on the art of staging, also setting up in a correct way a research in direction that uses different sources (documentary and otherwise), aimed to be communicated in written or oral form; - address and fix the main problems given by the practical exercise of staging, in particular by developing communicative and relational skills and abilities and by refining creative attitudes; - relate critically to the structural constraints that guide direction.

Course contents

Game of control (around dark borders of the city)
At the beginning of 1990s - or at the end of the short century - leading ideology was sure of the end of history, thinking that world would have reached an infinite age of progress, freedom and comfort, after the fall of Berlin wall (1989). In those days Gilles Deleuze gives a small divergent postscript, almost a counter tendency prophecy. As the disciplinary societies of the modern age, studied by Foucault, fall with their bureaucracies, procedures, social rigidity and various forms of confinement, the control societies begin to emerge: they prefer - Deleuze says -dynamic "floating exchanges" of numbers to the static "paper money". In this new world, where national states gradually trudge, while cosmopolitan and hyper-concentrated metropolises explode, from one corner of the globe to another, even the language of the scene and the direction begin to seek new solutions, ranging from mixing of experiences, traditions and interpreters - a route already marked by Peter Brook in the 1980s and, in very different ways, by Christoph Marthaler in the last thirty years - to an acceleration towards borderline performance proposals, often of a participatory nature and which problematize the actor's statute. Let's watch, for example, to the German aktionskunst of the 1990s as the most recent sorties of Rimini Protokoll, Roger Bernat, Lola Arias, Christiane Jatahy, etc.
This year's course is entitled Game of control (inside the city hell) and will focus on the complex issues of the relationship between direction, actors and spectatorship in the context of participatory and gamic performances.
After a first part in which, as usual, the main conceptual issues around directorial practice will be addressed - in theoretical and, partially, historical perspective -, with appropriate references and visions of the most relevant European theatrical and performance experiences of the Twentieth Century, in the second half of the course, using the theatre at DAMSLab, students, divided into groups, will be led to develop an original direction project. In particular, being inspired by scenarios of Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities and adopting a point of view that is both gamic and a "challenge to the labyrinth" of reality, students will imagine an urban performance as mechanic of control, starting from the ambiguous spaces at borders of the city to stimulate a critical storytelling of the city itself.

 

Module I = first 30 hours
In the first module, after a brief introduction to the concept of stage direction, the analysis of the fundamentals of the directing language will be developed from a theoretical perspective. This is aimed to empirically give to the participants the knowledge of the fundamentals of the directing design.

 

Module II = following 30 hours
In the second module of the course, attending students will be guided to develop an original directing project. In particular, taking as a model the recent participatory experiences and the emerging universe of pervasive games, students will have to hyoptize a directing construction that traverses and analyzes the city.

The 6cfu course unit consists of module I, while the 12 cfu course unit consists of the two modules.

Readings/Bibliography

A) Compulsory reading list both for students who attend the lessons and for those who do not (attending the lessons means attending at least 80% of them):

6 cfu course unit (Module I)

All students (whether attending the lessons or not) are required to study:

- A. Sacchi, Il posto del re: estetiche della regia teatrale nel modernismo e nel contemporaneo, Roma, Bulzoni, 2012 (capp. 1 e 2).

- E. Fischer-Lichte, Estetica del performativo. Una teoria del teatro e dell'arte [2004], a cura di T. Gusman, Roma, Carocci, 2014, pp. 41-277.

- L. Ronconi e G. Capitta, Teatro della conoscenza, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012.

- La regia teatrale in Italia, oggi. Per Luca Ronconi, a cura di C. Longhi, in «Culture Teatrali», 2016, n. 25 (numero monografico), pp. 7-136.

 

12 cfu course unit (Module I + Module II)

All students (whether attending the lessons or not) are required to study:

- A. Sacchi, Il posto del re: estetiche della regia teatrale nel modernismo e nel contemporaneo, Roma, Bulzoni, 2012 (capp. 1, 2 e 4).

- E. Fischer-Lichte, Estetica del performativo. Una teoria del teatro e dell'arte [2004], a cura di T. Gusman, Roma, Carocci, 2014.

- L. Ronconi e G. Capitta, Teatro della conoscenza, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2012.

- La regia teatrale in Italia, oggi. Per Luca Ronconi, a cura di C. Longhi, in «Culture Teatrali», 2016, n. 26 (numero monografico), pp. 7-136.

- I. Calvino, Le città invisibili [1972], Milano, Mondadori, 2016.

- I. Calvino, La sfida al labirinto, in Id., Una pietra sopra. Discorsi di letteratura e società, Milano, Mondadori, 1995, pp. 99-117.

- J. Derrida, La struttura, il segno e il gioco nel discorso delle scienze umane, in Id., La scrittura e la differenza, Torino, Einaudi, 1990, pp. 359-376.

- G. Deleuze, Poscritto sulle società di controllo, in Id., Pourparler, Macerata, Quodlibet, 2000, pp. 234-241.

Some changes in this bibliography will be possible after the beginning of lessons.


B) For both the 6 cfu course unit (Module I) and the 12 cfu one (Module I + Module II), both students who attend the lessons and students who do not are furthermore required to study a text of their choice among the following:

1) Luca Ronconi: prove di autobiografia, a cura di G. Agosti, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2019

2) A. Antoine, I miei ricordi sul Teatro Libero, Roma-Milano, Mondadori, 1923.

3) A. Appia, Attore, musica e scena, Imola (BO), Cuepress, 2015.

4) A. Artaud, «Il teatro e il suo doppio» con altri scritti teatrali, Torino, Einaudi, 1968.

5) B. Brecht, Scritti teatrali, Torino, Einaudi, 2001.

6) P. Brook, Lo spazio vuoto, Roma, Bulzoni, 1998.

7) Christoph Marthaler. Haushalts Ritual der Selbstvergessenheit, a cura di S. Carp, C. Marthaler e M. Ubenauf, Berlino, Theater der Zeit, 2014.

8) R.Castellucci, C. Guidi, C. Castellucci, Epopea della polvere, Milano, Ubulibri, 2001.

9) J. Copeau, Artigiani di una tradizione vivente, Firenze, La casa Usher, 2009.

10) Everything and Other Performance Texts from Germany, a cura di M. Cornish, Kolkata, Seagull, 2019.

11) G. Craig, L'arte del teatro. Il mio teatro, a cura di F. Marotti, Imola (BO), Cuepress, 2016.

12) S. M. Ejzenstejn, Il movimento espressivo. Scritti sul teatro, Venezia, Marsilio, 1998.

13) J. Grotowski, Per un teatro povero, Roma, Bulzoni, 1970.

14) V. E. Mejerchol´d, L'attore biomeccanico, Milano, Ubulibri, 1993.

15) T. Ostermeier, Il teatro e la paura, Milano-Bologna, Sossella, 2020.

16) E. Piscator, Il teatro politico, Torino, Einaudi, 1960.

17) Il teatro di Trionfo, a cura di F. Quadri, Milano, Ubulibri, 2002.

18) M. Rau, Realismo globale, Imola (BO), Cuepress, 2019.

19) M. Shevtsova, Robert Wilson, Londra-New York, Routledge, 2019.

20) R. Spregelburd, Il teatro, la vita e altre catastrofi, Roma, Bulzoni, 2014.

21) L. Squarzina, Il romanzo della regia, Ospedaletto (Pisa), Pacini, 2005.

22) K. Stanislavskij, Il lavoro dell'attore su se stesso, a cura di G. Guerrieri, prefazione di F. Malcovati, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2003.

23) K. Stanislavsikij, Il lavoro dell'attore sul personaggio, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1988.

24) G. Strehler, Per un teatro umano: pensieri scritti, parlati e attuati, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1974.

25) E. B. Vachtangov, Il sistema e l’eccezione: taccuini, lettere, diari, Pisa, ETS, 2004.

 

For both the 6 cfu course unit (Module I) and the 12 cfu one (Module I + Module II), only students who attend less than 80% of the lessons are furthermore required to study a second text of their choice among the list above.

N.B.: any change of this programme must be discussed with the teacher.

 

Other materials can be put on-line after the beginning of lessons.

 

Who needs some knowledge about history of direction can read also:

- R. Alonge, Il teatro dei registi. Scopritori di enigmi e poeti della scena, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2006.

- Il teatro di regia: genesi ed evoluzione (1870-1950) [2004], ed. by U. Artioli, Roma, Carocci, 2018.

- L. Mango, Il Novecento del teatro. Una storia, Roma, Carocci, 2019.

- M. Schino, La nascita della regia teatrale, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2003.

Teaching methods

The course will start on Wednesday 23rd September and it will end on Friday 11th December.

Lessons will be scheduled on Wednesday (3-5pm), Thursday (9-11am) and Friday (9-11am).

The week 2-8th November will be a teaching pause.

Due to the restrictions imposed by the current health emergency, the course will be carried out with the following teaching method:

  • blended 1: the teacher will carry out part of the course in remote; while for part of the teaching the students will alternate in presence for classroom activities. It will always be possible to connect in remote and follow live lectures in the classroom via TEAMS platform.

The lessons in attendance will be held at Aula Ferrero and theatre at DAMSLab.
In particular lessons in theatre at DAMSLab in via Azzo Gardino 65/a will be held in these days:
- 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30 October;
- 9, 10 and 11 December.

It is recommended to look at timetable and the teacher's page once a week, for the necessary calendar updates during the teaching period.

The course includes a mix of lectures, seminar discussions and practice of direction in group. The groups will be defined during the first week of lessons in remote.


Compatibly with the health situation, it is also possible to attend at theatrical performances scheduled during the lessons.
Finally, as possible, directors/playwrights/actors will be invited for short testimony speeches.

Assessment methods

I module 6 cfu:

The final examination consists of:

1) an oral examination on the topics covered during the class and on the books read by the students among those quoted in bibliography;

2) the presentation of a written essay on a director as case of study, starting from one of the reading choices of the students, among those volumes quoted in bibliography. The essay should not exceed 20,000 characters (including spaces) and it should be delivered to the teacher, preferably by e-mail, at least two days before the date on which the student intends to take the final assessment.

The oral examination serves to evaluate the complex of knowledge and critical skills gained by the student, through attendance of the class and (/ or in the case of non-attending students) through reading the materials listed in the bibliography. At the same time the oral examination will serve as well to evaluate the grasp by the student of the main study tools useful to make a reflection on the issues regarding direction, as well as student's ability to place these issues within a broader theatrical horizon as well as within the general system of the humanities.

The written essay is aimed to assess the student's ability to grasp the crucial aspects of a director's work, knowing how to make critical and interpretive choices also in light of a wider historic-theatrical horizon and above all in relation to the state of direction in today's context.

The oral examination and written essay will be evaluated jointly and in a unified manner, as they are two modes to highlight, from the student, the knowledge accrued during the class and the ability to use them in an original way.

If one or more plagiarisms are found inside the written essay, the final examination cannot take place.

Note: if any of the contributions included in the bibliography have not been studied by the candidate (without a prior agreement with the professor) the test will be immediately interrupted and cancelled.

 

I+II modules 12 cfu:

The final examination consists of:

1) an oral examination on the topics covered during the class and on the books read by the students among those quoted in bibliography;

2) the presentation of a written essay on a director as case of study, starting from one of the reading choices of the students, among those volumes quoted in bibliography. The essay should not exceed 20,000 characters (including spaces) and it should be delivered to the teacher, preferably by e-mail, at least two days before the date on which the student intends to take the final assessment;

3) in the presentation of a project of direction developed during the course for students who attend or elaborated on a dramaturgical score to be agreed with the teacher for non-attending students, to be delivered to the teacher, preferably by e-mail, at least two days before the date on which the student intends to take the final assessment.

The oral examination serves to evaluate the complex of knowledge and critical skills gained by the student, through attendance of the class and (/ or in the case of non-attending students) through reading the materials listed in the bibliography. At the same time the oral examination will serve as well to evaluate the grasp by the student of the main study tools useful to make a reflection on the issues regarding direction, as well as student's ability to place these issues within a broader theatrical horizon as well as within the general system of the humanities.

The written essay is aimed to assess the student's ability to grasp the crucial aspects of a director's work, knowing how to make critical and interpretive choices also in light of a wider historic-theatrical horizon and above all in relation to the state of direction in today's context.

The project of direction is aimed to assess the acquisition and the ability to re-elaborate, by the student, the main knowledge of the language of direction, as well as the ability to develop an organic and complex thought with the language of directing. It is also aimed to assess the ability of the student to know how to compare with the material conditioning given to the director.

The oral examinationwritten essay and project of direction will be evaluated jointly and in a unified manner, as they are three modes to highlight, from the student, the knowledge accrued during the class and the ability to use them in an original way.

If one or more plagiarisms are found inside the written essay or project of direction, the final examination cannot take place.

Note: if any of the contributions included in the bibliography have not been studied by the candidate (without a prior agreement with the professor) the test will be immediately interrupted and cancelled.

 

 

Teaching tools

Iconographic and video materials will be screened during the lessons. Additional text materials will always be read during the course of lessons. Shows and similar will be proposed to the students, as well as the relative calendar and the modalities of participation, during the lesson period.
It is obvious that the attendance to shows and performances will be considered in relation to the present health alarm.
The use of DAMSLab spaces, in particular its theatre, is one of the main theaching tools.

Office hours

See the website of Giacomo Pedini

SDGs

Quality education Gender equality Reduced inequalities Sustainable cities

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.