Profile:
Italian Theatre: Text and Performance ITA413/ITA315
In ITA413/ITA315 Italian Theatre: Text and Performance, students work with Professor Lobalsamo as their professor and director to write, direct and carry out a theatrical performance in Italian. Students also fund-raise from within their community and through community organizations. They are involved in every aspect of the performance, from script writing to costume designing and even marketing the performance. They design the set, run the tech and conduct TV interviews ahead of the performances. Shows are open to the general public, with special performances held for area schools as well as long-term care residents.
Program Details
Instructor / Program Coordinator(s):
Professor Teresa Lobalsamo
Profile(s):
External Partners Faculty & Staff Students
Division:
University of Toronto Mississauga
Benefits to Students:
Students benefit immensely from Italian Theatre: Text and Performance courses ITA315/413, with students of Italian language getting the opportunity to do live work in Italian which also involves actively translating the play to and from English. The performance resulting at the end of the courses is in translation so they get to hone their language skills and see their work come to life with it. They also get to learn from the long history of theatre in Italy. Students benefit from taking ownership of the production with its public display of competence and gain a sense of accountability.
Benefits to External Partners and the Community:
The play resulting from Italian Theatre: Text and Performance courses ITA315/413 is open to the community/ public, providing entertainment to them and connecting European viewers to something they are familiar with. Separate showings dedicated to high school and elementary school students learning Italian, in addition to viewings for senior citizens, are also organized.
Benefits to the University:
The benefits of this project to the University include the creation of global citizens at the University of Toronto with real life experiences. It heightens the presence of the University of Toronto within the community, fulfilling the Presidential Priorities. It inculcates management and business skills within students who work on every single aspect of the play from its production to script development to budgeting and marketing. It shows how diverse University of Toronto’s students can be in the humanities in terms of other interests, highlighting the strong critical thinking skills of the university’s humanities division.
Information for Interested Students:
Visit the UTM Department of Language Studies or
Email ita.pc.utm@utoronto.ca for more details.
Advice for Faculty and Staff Interested in Creating a Similar Experiential Learning Opportunity:
Projects like these require Faculty members to really surround themselves with a strong community, in terms of Teaching Assistants, other Faculty members, the Experiential Learning Unit etc. A key piece of advice is to really include the students and allow them to take ownership of the course and any resulting projects from the start.
Students perform Machiavelli’s La mandragola/The Mandrake at UTM, in 2017 (photo credit: Mississauga News).
Details
University Based
Curricular
Unpaid