The Theatre of the Grotesque, a dramatic movement in Italy from 1916 until 1930, grew directly out of Pirandello's concept of "umorismo," the painful laugh accompanying the tragic sense of bewilderment at the incongruities and cruelties of life. Growing first of all from a reaction against positivism and its theatrical counterpart,…

This follow-up to two previous studies provides a list of dissertations in the area of Italian studies, mainly literature, either completed since 1971 or currently in progress. (Author/KM)

In 1964, when the "living" theatre appeared to be dying in New York, theater in Italy began changing from an author-oriented to a performance-oriented, nonliterary form. The articles in this document trace the historical development of Italian theatre and analyze current dramas which demonstrate the diversity of approaches and the energy…

A manuscript dated 1651 and now housed at the National Library in Florence, Italy, suggests that the document may be the first Italian adaptation of the Spanish drama, "El burlador de Sevilla y Convidado de Piedra" ("The Deceiver of Seville"). The Spanish tragedy, written in 1630 by Gabriel Tellez, known as Tirso de Molina,…

A curriculum and teaching guide for introductory literature appreciation in the Chicago public schools is an orientation for the bilingual teacher of Italian students. Concepts such as rhyme and personification are developed for the teacher. For each of the two levels included, the section begins with a list of specific performance objectives,…

Selections from world literature can increase high school students' interest in reading, their familiarity with age-old literary themes, their understanding of literary genres, their awareness of varying cultures, and their skill in analyzing and writing about literature. A world literature course with those aims introduced in a small Wisconsin…