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Theory and Analysis of Theatre

Code: 100242
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Catalan Philology: Literary Studies and Linguistics OP 4
Spanish Language and Literature OP 3
Spanish Language and Literature OP 4
English Studies OP 3
English Studies OP 4
English and Classics Studies OP 3
English and Classics Studies OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Jordi Julià Garriga
Email :
jordi.julia@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Miriam Ruiz-Ruano Risquez

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Since the students have duely given evidence of having acquired the basic competences of the subject, they will need to be able to express properly their ideas both in oral and in written form. Spelling mistakes will be marked down. Coursework will have to be original work and plagiarism either partial or total will be penalised 1 marked down. Coursework will have to be original work and plagiarism either partial or total will be penalised with a failure (0) in the final assessment. The students are expected to be acquainted with the basic rules of academic language and presentation, and also follow the instructions and conventions indicated by the teacher.

Objectives

The fundamental objectives of the subject are to prepare students to be able to make a deeper understanding of the theatrical genre, either from a literary or spectacular perspective. For this reason, the students must know the specificity of the theatrical communication, they must acquire useful concepts and dramatic terms to carry out a theoretical or interpretative reflection of the theatre production.

Learning outcomes

  1. Express ideas effectively in formal academic texts by adopting argumentative and textual procedures.
  2. Submit assignments in formats tailored to requirements and personal styles, whether carried out individually or in a small group.
  3. Seek out, choose and manage information independently, both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, or specialist journals) and from internet searches.
  4. Write text commentaries from a critical standpoint.
  5. Summarise the knowledge acquired about the origin of the various fields within the discipline and the transformations they have undergone.
  6. Argue a case regarding several literary topics and problems arising from different works and evaluate the results.
  7. Critically interpret literary works, taking into account the relationships between the different areas within literature and their relationship to humanistic, artistic and social areas.
  8. Resolve tasks on authors, methods and trends in comparative literature by drawing on knowledge of other humanistic disciplines.
  9. Identify the ancient Greco-Latin sources that have inspired artists and literati of the Western cultural tradition.
  10. Recognise the influence of the Greco-Latin literary genres and works in texts of the post-classical European literary tradition.
  11. Set a plan for working on an assignment on the subject area.
  12. Match literary texts to their corresponding genres.
  13. Match literary texts to their corresponding formal and cultural contexts.
  14. Argue a case regarding several literary topics and problems arising from different works, and evaluate the results.
  15. Solve problems related to methods of study of different literatures.
  16. Solve problems related to the theoretical foundations and the main concepts in the study of literary criticism.
  17. Solve problems related to the historical placement of literary texts.
  18. Explain the basic characteristics of the compared literary texts.
  19. Detect the degree of cohesion and coherence of the different genres and identify the factors that contribute to these and to their suitability in different contexts.
  20. Identify and explain the fundamentals of the literary communication process in each genre and those of the interpretation process based on questions and theoretical and/or practical activities.
  21. Identify and explain the basic characteristics of literary texts and the interpretation process.
  22. Identify different literary elements and their insertion in different texts and styles of discourse.
  23. Analyse literary texts using the different concepts and methods of comparative literature.
  24. Critically interpreting literary works taking into account the relationships between the different areas of literature and its relationships with human, artistic and social areas.
  25. Arguing about several issues and literary problems for the purpose of different works and the assessment of the results.
  26. Present written work or oral presentations on the main concepts of literary theory.
  27. Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
  28. Explaining the basic characteristics of comparative literary texts.
  29. Identify and explaining the basic foundations of the process of literary communication in every genre and the interpretation process from questions and theoretical and/or practical activities.
  30. null
  31. Use traditional sources to collect, classify, interpret and analyse relevant data related to the study of literary theory.
  32. Use digital tools to obtain, classify, interpret and analyse relevant data related to the study of literary theory.
  33. Express oneself effectively by applying argumentative and textual procedures in formal and scientific texts.
  34. Critically interpret literary works taking into account the relationships between the different fields of literature and their relationship with human, artistic and social areas.
  35. Argue on various literary themes and problems in relation to different works and evaluate the results.
  36. Use digital tools to obtain, classify, interpret and analyse relevant data related to the study of literary theory.
  37. Express oneself effectively by applying argumentative and textual procedures in formal and scientific texts.
  38. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  39. Solve problems related to the study of different literatures.
  40. Identifying and explaining the basic characteristics of literary texts and the interpretation process.
  41. Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
  42. Solving problems about writers, methods and currents of comparative literature, and connecting them with knowledge of other humanistic disciplines.
  43. Solve problems related to the theoretical foundations and major concepts in the study of literary criticism.
  44. Analysing literary texts using different concepts and methods of comparative literature.
  45. Use the skills acquired with autonomy.

Contents

The course is intended to be a complete and detailed description of the theatrical genre and its various forms and specific components, as well as of the various explanations and theoretical formulations that it has had over the centuries. The syllabus will carry out an in-depth study of the essential parts of a play from a semiotic perspective, but without neglecting the main theoretical explanations that have existed from Aristotle's Poetics to the most recent formulations. In this way, although the course is based on an eminently theoretical approach, the contents' practical application will be essential, as it can be seen in the commentaries on specific theatre plays during the last classes of the course.


Units


Unit 1. Theatrical genre conventions.


Unit 2. Theatrical semiotics.


2.1. The plot.


2.2. The language.


2.3. The character.


2.4. The time.


2.5. The space.


Unit 3. Classic and classicist dramatic theory.


Unit 4. Modern and contemporary dramatic theory: four examples.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Individual presentations. Reviews or course works (individual or in group) to be realized on the basis of a guide in order to complete these works. 22.5 0.9
Comprehensive and critical reading of literary and theoretical texts. Realization of schemes, conceptual maps and summaries. Realization of works and commentary of texts. 75 3
Master classes with ICT support and debates in large groups. 45 1.8

El aprendizaje de esta asignatura por parte del alumno se distribuye de la manera seguiente:

· Actividades dirigidas (30%).  Clases magistrales con apoyo de TIC y debate en gran grupo.

· Actividades supervisadas (15%).  Presentaciones individuales. Recensiones o trabajos de curs (individuales o en grup)  a partir de una guía para su realización.

· Actividades autónomas (50%).  Lectura comprensiva y crítica de textos literarios y teóricos. Realización de esquemas, mapas conceptuales y resúmenes. Realización de trabajos y comentarios de texto.

· Evaluación (5%).  Comentarios de textos en el aula.

 

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Text Comment in the class 40% 1.5 0.06 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42, 44, 45
Theory Test in the class 50% 1.5 0.06 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45
Monographic work, review or exercise 10% 4.5 0.18 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, 45

The evaluation of the course will be carried out primarily through two tests: there will be a theoretical exam (with a value of 50% of the final grade) and practical exam (with a value of 40% of the final grade) on the subject taught throughout the course. Also, there will be a third test, which will consist of a review, monograph or specific exercise, with a value of 10% of the final grade, on some aspect of the compulsory reading works or topics proposed by the teacher, such as the theatrical period style, the author's poetics, the specific study of the work, the comparison of the play with some other work, the analysis of characters, staging inscribed in the text, various staging, adaptations, etc. 

Only those students who have submitted at least one of the two final exams will be eligible for the re-evaluation of the subject, and only those exams that have been previously evaluated may be re-evaluated, provided that a minimum grade of 3 points in the average of the subject. Students will obtain a “Not assessed/Not submitted” course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items. On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity (copiyng, plagiarism, unauthorized use of AI, etc.), the student will be given a zero for this activity and it will can’t be re-evaluated, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submittedwork that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.

Single assessment: The student will carry out the three evaluation exercises of the subject, with the same value, at the end of the course on a single date that will be established at the beginning of the course. The same assessment method as continuous assessment will be used. 

Bibliography

AA. DD. [2005], Études théâtrales, Paris, PUF.

José Luís García Barrientos [2001], Cómo se comenta una obra de teatro. Ensayo de método, Madrid, Síntesis.

María del Carmen Bobes Naves [1987/1997], Semiología de la obra dramática, Madrid, Arco Libros, 1997.

——— (ed.) [1997], Teoría del teatro, Madrid, Arco Libros.

——— [2001], Semiótica de la escena, Madrid, Arco Libros.

Marvin Carlson [1984/1993], Theories of the Theatre, Ithaca, Cornell University Press, 1996.

Michel Corvin [1995], Dictionaire encyclopédique du Théâtre, París, Larousse, 1998.

Marco De Marinis [1988], Entendre el teatre. Perfils d’una nova teatrologia. Barcelona, Institut del Teatre, 1998.

Xavier Fàbregas [1973], Introducció al llenguatge teatral, Barcelona, Edicions 62.

Erika Fischer-Lichte [1993], Semiótica del teatro, Madrid, Arco Libros, 1999.

María Paz Grillo Torres [2004], Compendio de teoría teatral, Madrid, Biblioteca Nueva.

Juan Guerrero Zamora [1961-1967], Historia del teatro contemporáneo, I-IV, Barcelona, Juan Flors Editor.

César Oliva & Francisco Torres Monreal [1994], Historia básica del arte escénico, Madrid, Cátedra, 1994.

Vito Pandolfi [1964-1969], Història del teatre, vols. I-III, Barcelona, Institut del Teatre, 1989-1993.

Patrice Pavis [1980/1998], Diccionario del teatro, Barcelona, Paidós, 1986.

——— [1996], El anàlisis de los espectáculos, Barcelona, Paidós, 2000.

Ramon Xavier Rosselló [1999/2012], Anàlisi de l'obra teatral (Teoria i pràctica), València/Barcelona, IIFV/PAM, 2012.

Ricard Salvat [1966], El teatre contemporani, I-II, Barcelona, Edicions 62.

Antonio Sánchez Trigueros & María Ángeles Grande Rosales [1996], Teatro, drama, espectáculo, Sevilla, Algaida, 1996.

Jean-Pierre Sarrazac (ed.) [2005], Lèxic del drama modern i contemporani, Barcelona, Institut del Teatre, 2009.

Peter Szondi [1978], Teoría del drama moderno (1880-1950). Tentativa sobre lo trágico, Barcelona, Destino, 1994.

Anne Ubersfeld [1978], Semiótica teatral, Madrid, Cátedra, 1993.

Jorge Urrutia [2007], El teatro como sistema, Madrid, Biblioteca Nueva.

Software

Teams.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed