B8712 - Philosophy and Aesthetics of Theatre (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student: - acquires basic critical and methodological tools for the study of works and authors linked in an interdisciplinary sense to the philosophies of theatre and to the theories of representation, in an intercultural context; - acquires advanced knowledge of the main historiographic, critical and aesthetic perspectives of theatre studies in the contemporary international scene, also thanks to the analysis and collective discussion of works that are paradigmatically susceptible to a philosophical reading; - arrives at a complete overview of the aesthetics and theories of theatre whose area of application includes both past theatre works and contemporary performances. In terms of skills, this knowledge provides the student with analytical and philosophical-aesthetic tools that enable him/her to inscribe past and present performances in a wide and conscious framework of meaning, within a polyphonic history of scenic culture marked by systemic continuities and paradigm shifts.

Course contents

To be and not to be: Towards a Philosophy of the Actor

The course will begin with a reflection on some fundamental philosophical ideas within the symbolic grammar of the theatrical event, namely space, time, body, and voice. These concepts will be connected to corresponding theatrical experiences—not as mere illustrations or examples, but as scenic moments inherently full of meaning—belonging to different historical and cultural periods.

In the second part of the course, the focus will shift to the actor and the complex relationship between person and character. To explore this relationship, attention will be given to mimesis as both a process of identification and imitation. To ground these theoretical considerations in specific practices, Diderot’s Paradox of the Actor will be read and analyzed, situating this work within the context of 18th-century French theatre.

The final lessons of the module will be devoted to experimenting with individual and collective critical-philosophical writing exercises. These exercises will be related to performances that students will have attended during the course period, either live or via video.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography for Attending Students

- F. Perrelli, Poetiche e teorie del teatro, Carocci, Roma 2018 (Italian edition, selected chapters as indicated in class);

- Paradossi settecenteschi. La figura dell’attore nel secolo dei lumi, edited by M. Accornero, K. Angioletti, M. Bertolini, C. Guaita, E. Oggionni, Milano, Edizioni Universitarie di Lettere, Economia, Diritto, 2010 (Italian edition, selected chapters as indicated in class);

- D. Diderot, Paradosso sull’attore, Inschibboleth, Roma 2022, includes the Preface by Andrea Tagliapietra and the Introductory Essay by Valentina Sperotto.

- Handout consisting of extracts from plays analysed during lectures and open-access articles;

- Writing exercises carried out in class;

- Lecture notes.

 

Bibliography for Non-Attending Students

- F. Perrelli, Poetiche e teorie del teatro, Carocci, Roma 2018;

- D. Diderot, Paradosso sull’attore, Inschibboleth, Roma 2022, includes the Preface by Andrea Tagliapietra and the Introductory Essay by Valentina Sperotto.

- In the handout available on Virtuale, study the two open-access articles by the professor: C. Piccione, Un pantin merveilleux. L’attore di Diderot come figura dell’eccedenza, in “Il castello di Elsinore”, n. 87, 2022; C. Piccione, Come Macbeth si lava le mani. La concezione diderotiana del movimento fra i primi scritti di estetica teatrale e i Salons, in “Itinera. Rivista di storia e teoria delle arti”, Diderot: space and movement, 22, 2021.

In addition, students must choose one text from the following list (for a contextualization of 18th-century theatre):

- Paradossi settecenteschi. La figura dell’attore nel secolo dei lumi, edited by M. Accornero, K. Angioletti, M. Bertolini, C. Guaita, E. Oggionni, Milano, Edizioni Universitarie di Lettere, Economia, Diritto, 2010;

- Il teatro dell’Illuminismo, edited by A. Calzolari, “Quaderni di teatro”, Rivista trimestrale del Teatro Regionale Toscano, Vallecchi, Firenze 1981;

- R. Tessari, Teatro e spettacolo nel Settecento, Laterza, Bari 2018;

- M. Mazzocut-Mis, La forma della passione. Linguaggi narrativi e gestuali del Settecento francese, Mondadori, Milano 2014;

Finally, students must choose one text from the following list (to problematize the relationship between philosophy and theatre):

- Filosofie sull’attore, edited by K. Angioletti, Edizioni Universitarie di Lettere, Economia, Diritto, Milano 2013;

- J.-L. Nancy, Corpo teatro, Cronopio, Napoli 2010;

- M. Foucault, Utopie Eterotopie, Cronopio, Napoli 2006;

- J. Rancière, Lo spettatore emancipato, DeriveApprodi, Bologna 2018;

- F. Perrelli, Filosofie moderne del dramma antico, Edizioni di Pagina, Bari 2019;

- C. Sini, Le arti dinamiche. Filosofia e pedagogia, in Figure dell’enciclopedia filosofica, libro sesto, JacaBook, Milano 2004;

- A. Attisani, Logiche della performance. Dalla singolarità francescana alla nuova mimesi, Accademia University Press, Torino 2020;

- A. Tagliapietra, Il lettore e lo spettatore. Filosofia di due metafore dell’esistenza, Donzelli, Roma 2024.

Teaching methods

The course consists of lectures. Selected excerpts from dramatic and philosophical works will be analyzed together. The active participation of the attending students will be solicited through classroom discussions. The lectures will occasionally include meetings with artists and scholars on topics close to those dealt with in the course.

Assessment methods

The final examination will consist of an oral interview that will focus on the topics covered in the lectures and on the texts in the bibliography in the case of those who attend; those who do not attend, on the other hand, will refer to the volumes indicated in the bibliography. The interview results in a grade in 30/30. No further papers are due before the oral examination interview. Active attendance of lectures is a relevant factor in the learning process and will therefore also influence the final assessment.

The learning of knowledge, the ability to analyse and synthesise, the organic view (and not the mechanical repetition) of the topics, lexical and expressive mastery, originality in the critical reworking of content will be taken into consideration for the assessment.

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

Lectures accompanied by videos, iconographic material, textual sources.

Office hours

See the website of Caterina Piccione