German Theatre
A.Y. 2019/2020
Learning objectives
The course is aimed at students of all Humanities: its main objective is a mutual enrichment of knowledge and skills gained in the field of Literary Studies with those of Cultural Studies and Performance and Media Studies. History, theory, methods and topics of modern and contemporary German drama and theatre are thus to be discussed, partly in seminar form, focusing on Bertolt Brecht, his texts and productions as well as on the intercultural and intermedial adaption of his politics and aesthetics in the following times up to the present.
Expected learning outcomes
As far as the Dublin Descriptors are concerned, following learning outcomes are expected:
Knowledge and understanding: overview of history of German Drama and Theatre and of methods and theories of Theatre Studies in Germany in the 20th-21st centuries, with particular regard to drama and performance analysis. Knowledge of Bertolt Brecht, of his dramatic works, theatre aesthetics, and praxis as well as of his inheritance in contemporary culture and media. Understanding of the main theoretical and methodological issues regarding the study of Contemporary German Drama and Theatre and of its intercultural and intermedial adaptations.
Applying knowledge and understanding: analysis skills with regard to the structure of modern drama and of performance, and in particular of the Brechtian, 'epic' tradition; ability in discussing these issues in the class and of autonomously applying the developed methods on other examples (reading list); competencies in writing a paper on a case study.
Knowledge and understanding: overview of history of German Drama and Theatre and of methods and theories of Theatre Studies in Germany in the 20th-21st centuries, with particular regard to drama and performance analysis. Knowledge of Bertolt Brecht, of his dramatic works, theatre aesthetics, and praxis as well as of his inheritance in contemporary culture and media. Understanding of the main theoretical and methodological issues regarding the study of Contemporary German Drama and Theatre and of its intercultural and intermedial adaptations.
Applying knowledge and understanding: analysis skills with regard to the structure of modern drama and of performance, and in particular of the Brechtian, 'epic' tradition; ability in discussing these issues in the class and of autonomously applying the developed methods on other examples (reading list); competencies in writing a paper on a case study.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The course is entitled Bertolt Brecht: Drama and Theatre in theory and practice and consists of the following three teaching units:
A: Historical and theoretical approaches to the study of Brechtian theatre
B: Bertolt Brecht: Drama and Theatre in theory and practice
[C: Workhsop on Brechtian theater in Milan]
Students interested in acquiring 6 ECTS will stick to the program of units A & B. Students interested in acquiring 9 ECTS can take part into the parallel workshop (limited access). Anyone who takes a second exam in "History of German Theatre" must agree upon a personal syllabus with the professor (office hours).
The course aims to bring literary studies into dialogue with cultural and performance studies. Units A and B give an introduction into historical and historiographic, methodological and theoretical aspects related to Drama & Theatre studies in the German context theater, , with particular regard to drama and theatre theory and pratice in Bertolt Brecht's works. Introductory lectures, seminar discussions, group and pair work as well as individual acitivities are to be dealing and exercising methodological questions and analytical practices and will concretely address folowing questions: What are Drama and Theatre Studies and what is their relationship with Literature and Cultural studies at the core of Humanities? What is their specific German tradition and development? What does making Theater History mean, with what sources does one work, how can one investigate them? What were the main aspects of dramatin writing, theorizing and directorial practice in Bertolt Brecht? How does one analyze Brecht's dramas, essays, theatre materials and productions as welle as contemporary adaptions? How does one reconstruct and analyze a staging of a Brechtian piece?
The course program is valid until September 2021. Starting with the exam term of December 2021 only the program of the 2020-21 course will be valid.
A: Historical and theoretical approaches to the study of Brechtian theatre
B: Bertolt Brecht: Drama and Theatre in theory and practice
[C: Workhsop on Brechtian theater in Milan]
Students interested in acquiring 6 ECTS will stick to the program of units A & B. Students interested in acquiring 9 ECTS can take part into the parallel workshop (limited access). Anyone who takes a second exam in "History of German Theatre" must agree upon a personal syllabus with the professor (office hours).
The course aims to bring literary studies into dialogue with cultural and performance studies. Units A and B give an introduction into historical and historiographic, methodological and theoretical aspects related to Drama & Theatre studies in the German context theater, , with particular regard to drama and theatre theory and pratice in Bertolt Brecht's works. Introductory lectures, seminar discussions, group and pair work as well as individual acitivities are to be dealing and exercising methodological questions and analytical practices and will concretely address folowing questions: What are Drama and Theatre Studies and what is their relationship with Literature and Cultural studies at the core of Humanities? What is their specific German tradition and development? What does making Theater History mean, with what sources does one work, how can one investigate them? What were the main aspects of dramatin writing, theorizing and directorial practice in Bertolt Brecht? How does one analyze Brecht's dramas, essays, theatre materials and productions as welle as contemporary adaptions? How does one reconstruct and analyze a staging of a Brechtian piece?
The course program is valid until September 2021. Starting with the exam term of December 2021 only the program of the 2020-21 course will be valid.
Prerequisites for admission
Students of all degree courses who are enrolled at least in the second year of a three-year degree course are admitted to the course, without specific prerequisites.
Teaching methods
The course adopts following teaching methods: introductory lectures, plenum discussions, group and pair work, individual activities; reading and commenting on significant texts and passages, practical exercises on the use of sources for theatrical studies; viewing and commenting of documentaries, films and theatre performances.
Teaching Resources
The course has a website on the "Ariel" online teaching platform (https://mcastellaristt.ariel.ctu.unimi.it). There one finds materials for attending the course and preparing for the exam as well as further information and material.
Hereunder the syllabus for attending students; indications for non-attending students follow right away.
Teaching units A & B
1) HISTORICAL, THEORETICAL AND ANALYTICAL TOOLS FOR GERMAN THEATRE AND DRAMA STUDIES
- Materials provided by the teacher, discussed and used in class and related to the history, theory and practice of German Drama and Theatre studies
- Individual paper of each attending student, in application of the analytical skills learned during the course. Theme and scope are to be agreed with the professor; deadline fot the delivery of the paper (per mail or during office hours): two weeks before the exam term (Bachelor: 10,000 characters; Master: 20,000 characters)
2) BERTOLT BRECHT'S DRAMA AND THEATRE
- Bertolt Brecht, Scritti teatrali, Einaudi, Torino 2001ss.
- Bertolt Brecht, Scritti sulla letteratura e sull'arte, Meltemi, Milano 2019.
- Further materials on Bertolt Brecht for attending students (will be uploaded on ARIEL).
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Trommeln in der Nacht", "Mann ist Mann", "Die Dreigroschenoper" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Die heilige Johanna der Schlachthöfe", "Die Maßnahme", "Die Ausnahme und die Regel" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui", "Furcht und Elend des Dritten Reiches", "Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder", "Leben des Galilei"; "Der kaukasische Kreidekreis" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi).
(As for the plays, Bachelor-students of Foreign Languages and Literatures will read at least two in German, Master-students of European and Extra-European Languages all four)
Teaching unit C
Students interested in acquiring 9 ECTS can take part into the parallel workshop (limited access) relating to the Brechtian theater in Milan. Maximum number of participants, calendar of meetings and theatre visits, acitivities will be communicated at the beginning of the course and on ARIEL and then agreed with the workshop participants.
Informations for non-attending students
During office hours, non-attending students (i.e. those who do not attend at all and those who attend less than 75% of the lessons) will be given further directions for the preparation of the exam.
Hereunder the syllabus for non-attending students
Teaching units A & B
1) HISTORICAL, THEORETICAL AND ANALYTICAL TOOLS FOR GERMAN THEATRE AND DRAMA STUDIES
- Il teatro tedesco del Novecento. A cura di T. Scamardì. Roma-Bari: Laterza 2009.
- Christopher Balme: "Einführung in die Theaterwissenschaft". Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag 2003ff. (students with no German language skills can read: "The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Studies". Cambridge: CUP 2008ss.)
- L. Lari: Generi letterari. Dramma. Bari: Graphis 2004ss.
2) BERTOLT BRECHT'S DRAMA AND THEATRE
- Bertolt Brecht, Scritti teatrali, Einaudi, Torino 2001ss.
- Bertolt Brecht, Scritti sulla letteratura e sull'arte, Meltemi, Milano 2019.
- Further materials on Bertolt Brecht for attending students (will be uploaded on ARIEL).
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Trommeln in der Nacht", "Mann ist Mann", "Die Dreigroschenoper" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Die heilige Johanna der Schlachthöfe", "Die Maßnahme", "Die Ausnahme und die Regel" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui", "Furcht und Elend des Dritten Reiches", "Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder", "Leben des Galilei"; "Der kaukasische Kreidekreis" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi).
(As for the plays, Bachelor-students of Foreign Languages and Literatures will read at least two in German, Master-students of European and Extra-European Languages all four)
Teaching unit C
Students interested in acquiring 9 ECTS can take part into the parallel workshop (limited access) relating to the Brechtian theater in Milan. Maximum number of participants, calendar of meetings and theatre visits, activities will be communicated at the beginning of the course and on ARIEL and then agreed with the workshop participants.
Hereunder the syllabus for attending students; indications for non-attending students follow right away.
Teaching units A & B
1) HISTORICAL, THEORETICAL AND ANALYTICAL TOOLS FOR GERMAN THEATRE AND DRAMA STUDIES
- Materials provided by the teacher, discussed and used in class and related to the history, theory and practice of German Drama and Theatre studies
- Individual paper of each attending student, in application of the analytical skills learned during the course. Theme and scope are to be agreed with the professor; deadline fot the delivery of the paper (per mail or during office hours): two weeks before the exam term (Bachelor: 10,000 characters; Master: 20,000 characters)
2) BERTOLT BRECHT'S DRAMA AND THEATRE
- Bertolt Brecht, Scritti teatrali, Einaudi, Torino 2001ss.
- Bertolt Brecht, Scritti sulla letteratura e sull'arte, Meltemi, Milano 2019.
- Further materials on Bertolt Brecht for attending students (will be uploaded on ARIEL).
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Trommeln in der Nacht", "Mann ist Mann", "Die Dreigroschenoper" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Die heilige Johanna der Schlachthöfe", "Die Maßnahme", "Die Ausnahme und die Regel" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui", "Furcht und Elend des Dritten Reiches", "Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder", "Leben des Galilei"; "Der kaukasische Kreidekreis" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi).
(As for the plays, Bachelor-students of Foreign Languages and Literatures will read at least two in German, Master-students of European and Extra-European Languages all four)
Teaching unit C
Students interested in acquiring 9 ECTS can take part into the parallel workshop (limited access) relating to the Brechtian theater in Milan. Maximum number of participants, calendar of meetings and theatre visits, acitivities will be communicated at the beginning of the course and on ARIEL and then agreed with the workshop participants.
Informations for non-attending students
During office hours, non-attending students (i.e. those who do not attend at all and those who attend less than 75% of the lessons) will be given further directions for the preparation of the exam.
Hereunder the syllabus for non-attending students
Teaching units A & B
1) HISTORICAL, THEORETICAL AND ANALYTICAL TOOLS FOR GERMAN THEATRE AND DRAMA STUDIES
- Il teatro tedesco del Novecento. A cura di T. Scamardì. Roma-Bari: Laterza 2009.
- Christopher Balme: "Einführung in die Theaterwissenschaft". Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag 2003ff. (students with no German language skills can read: "The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Studies". Cambridge: CUP 2008ss.)
- L. Lari: Generi letterari. Dramma. Bari: Graphis 2004ss.
2) BERTOLT BRECHT'S DRAMA AND THEATRE
- Bertolt Brecht, Scritti teatrali, Einaudi, Torino 2001ss.
- Bertolt Brecht, Scritti sulla letteratura e sull'arte, Meltemi, Milano 2019.
- Further materials on Bertolt Brecht for attending students (will be uploaded on ARIEL).
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Trommeln in der Nacht", "Mann ist Mann", "Die Dreigroschenoper" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Die heilige Johanna der Schlachthöfe", "Die Maßnahme", "Die Ausnahme und die Regel" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui", "Furcht und Elend des Dritten Reiches", "Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi);
- Bertolt Brecht, at least one of following plays: "Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder", "Leben des Galilei"; "Der kaukasische Kreidekreis" (ed. Suhrkamp or Einaudi).
(As for the plays, Bachelor-students of Foreign Languages and Literatures will read at least two in German, Master-students of European and Extra-European Languages all four)
Teaching unit C
Students interested in acquiring 9 ECTS can take part into the parallel workshop (limited access) relating to the Brechtian theater in Milan. Maximum number of participants, calendar of meetings and theatre visits, activities will be communicated at the beginning of the course and on ARIEL and then agreed with the workshop participants.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam is an oral interview, usually in Italian. One can choose to take the exam in German, too. The candidate respond on item dealt with dorung the corus and/or the preparation with adequate answers, as far as vocabulary, structure, content and critical spirit are regarded. Presentation and commenting on the individual acitivities and paper (if any) are also required. The oral test aims to verify the acquisition of the skills and knowledge described above and may differ on the basis of the chosen readings and of the activities planned for attending or non-attending students.
The final grade is expressed in thirtieths and takes into account, where applicable, the score obtained for the paper. The student has the right to refuse the grade (in this case the exam will be recorded with "withdrawn").
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to contact the professor (mail; office hours). The examination procedures for students with disabilities and / or with DSA must be agreed with the professor, in agreement with the competent Office.
The final grade is expressed in thirtieths and takes into account, where applicable, the score obtained for the paper. The student has the right to refuse the grade (in this case the exam will be recorded with "withdrawn").
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to contact the professor (mail; office hours). The examination procedures for students with disabilities and / or with DSA must be agreed with the professor, in agreement with the competent Office.
Unita' didattica A
L-LIN/13 - GERMAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-LIN/13 - GERMAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-LIN/13 - GERMAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Seminars: 20 hours
Professor(s)