| Course Title: Liars and Pranksters on the Italian Stage |
| Start Date: 09/03/2025 End Date: 12/16/2025 |
| Term: Fall Semester 2025 |
| Description: Can serious artists play cruel jokes? Who laughs at Dante? This course explores the role of lies and practical jokes in Italian theater and the way the concept of humor has changed over time. We will investigate the intimate connection among power, religion, and laughter by reading some of the funniest (and politically charged) works of Italian theater. Our authors will take us through the streets of Renaissance Florence, eighteenth-century Venetian canals, as well as the improvised factory theaters of the 1970s. Readings include Dante, Machiavelli, Goldoni, Puccini, Fo, De Filippo. |
| Distribution(s): NO - Meets No Distrib. Rqmt , FY - First-Year Seminar , WI - Writing-Intensive |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Ombretta Frau | 413-538-2581 | ofrau@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 09/03/2025 - 12/16/2025 | Seminar | Tuesday and Thursday | 10:30AM - 11:45AM | CIRU - Ciruti | 206 | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| None |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| Course Tags | ||
| FYSEM0001 | First-Year Seminar | This is a First-Year Seminar. |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| None |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Closed | Capacity: 12 | Enrollment: 18 | Available: 0 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| To be determined. |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is NOT the complete book list for this class. |