Italian Political Theater from Dario Fo and Franca Rame to the Present

Dario Fo’s political theater is part of an Italian theatrical tradition that utilizes “lightness” as a tool for political and social criticism. From the times of the Commedia dell'Arte laughter has been used as a tool to vent popular resentment and frustration against the government and the ruling classes. In this course the theme of a false lightness that is characteristic of many Italian comedies will be examined as a dramaturgic trait of Italian theatrical representation. The last part of the course analyzes Italian contemporary political theater, and examines Paolini’s Vajont that will be compared to Bernard’s Teatro S-naturalista. This manifesto, which begins with the political concept of theater, addresses the challenge launched by Calvino in the narrative sector regarding the need for lightness as a way of communicating a work’s “message.”

Texts required: Vajont (Paolini) Manifesto del Teatro S-naturalista (Bernard) Dario Fo: MORTE ACCIDENTALE DI UN ANARCHICO e LA SIGNORA E' DA BUTTARE, in Commedie di Dario Fo, Einaudi, Gli Struzzi (vol. 330) Dario Fo: MISTERO BUFFO, Nuova edizione integrale, Einaudi Tascabili. Marco Paolini, IL RACCONTO DEL VAJONT, Garzanti e/o Einaudi (con DvD) SUPPORTI: DvD Eduardo de Filippo: NAPOLI MILIONARIA Paolo Rossi, IL SIGNOR ROSSI CONTRO L'IMPERO DEL MALE Dario Fo, IO NON SONO UN MODERATO, Film intervista di Andrea Nobile Marco Paolini, VAJONT Fabio Massimo Franceschelli, APPUNTI PER UN TEATRO POLITICO Play to be represented by students: Mistero buffo di Dario Fo (Reduced and adapted by Enrico Bernard)