The course aims to provide students with specialized disciplinary and research knowledge in the field of Theatre Studies and, more broadly, the Humanities, fostering interdisciplinarity and critical thinking. Students are introduced to contemporary theoretical approaches to theatre, literature, and culture. More specifically, the course presents key theoretical approaches to art and culture developed by major twentieth-century thinkers. It seeks to familiarize students with fundamental theoretical debates and concepts concerning artistic creation, both in terms of production and reception. Throughout the course, students explore major contemporary approaches to the interpretation of art and culture while developing research, analytical, and critical-thinking skills. They also engage with the writings of influential theorists through the study of selected representative excerpts from their work.

After the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of key theoretical debates and concepts related to the analysis of literary and dramatic texts, as well as artistic creation more broadly;
• identify major twentieth-century approaches to textual interpretation;
• engage with the work of influential theorists through the study and application of representative excerpts from their writings;
• develop a deeper understanding of literary, dramatic, and theoretical texts;
• describe and compare different interpretive approaches and apply a theoretical framework to a text of their choice;
• recognize the political and cultural significance of theory and its role in both the understanding and production of art;
• conduct research and produce academic writing in the fields of theatre, cultural, and humanities studies from an interdisciplinary perspective;
• strengthen their critical-thinking skills and develop a philosophical understanding of art and culture.