University of Toronto Press Poetry on Stage: The Theatre of the Italian Neo-Avant-Garde (Toronto Italian Studies)

Poetry on Stage focuses on exchanges between the writers of the Italian neo-avant-garde with the actors, directors, and playwrights of the Nuovo Teatro. The book sheds light on a forgotten chapter of twentieth-century Italian literature, arguing that the theatre was the ideal incubator for stylistic and linguistic experiments and a means through which authors could establish direct contact with their audience and verify solutions to the practical and theoretical problems raised by their stances in politics and poetics. A robust analysis of a number of exemplary texts grounds these issues in the plays and poems produced at the time and connects them with the experimentations subsequently carried out by some of the same artists. In-depth interviews with four of the most influential figures in the field – critic Valentina Valentini, actor and director Pippo Di Marca, author Giuliano Scabia, and the late poet Nanni Balestrini – conclude the volume, providing invaluable first-hand testimony that brings to life the people and controversies discussed. Review Poetry on Stage adopts an interdisciplinary outlook that produces keen analyses that revolve around the issue of representation, mimesis and the canon of naturalism/realism, language and ideology, language and commodification, the body and orality, the function of the script and the role of the spectator, and literature and social-political commitment. Gianluca Rizzo displays an excellent knowledge of the theoretical issues raised by the neo-avant-garde and its theatre production, as well as diligent archival work and considerable critical skills. The result is a major contribution to this field of study. - John Picchione, York University, author of The New Avant-Garde in Italy: Theoretical Debate and Poetic Practices With meticulous research and outstanding archival work, Poetry on Stage displays a robust and in-depth knowledge of the history of the neo-avant-garde, and a deep understanding of its theoretical implications. Poetry on Stage outlines how the theatrical and literary movements were interconnected, and how they stood against a common 'enemy, ' traditional Italian theatre. - Paolo Chirumbolo, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Louisiana State University About the Author Gianluca Rizzo is the Paul D. and Marilyn Paganucci assistant professor of Italian at Colby College.