French Literature Reviews - 2026

Andrea Fabiano, Le Théâtre italien à l'époque moderne. Casanova, Chiari, Goldoni, Gozzi, Metastasio
Theatre and Performance

In this work, Andrea Fabiano offers a thematic and problem-oriented analysis of 18th-century Italian theatre, avoiding a purely chronological narrative or a genre-based approach that reduces the specificity of Italian dramaturgy to a series of clichés. The starting point is the recognition that it is impossible to rely on a "grand narrative" to outline the history of Italian theatre without falling into the teleological logic that shaped a historiographical and interpretive canon now subject to critical reassessment. The notion of an evolutionary linearity in the Italian theatre of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries stems from the belief in a progressive improvement of dramatic writing—one that supposedly attained literary substance and ethical grounding only with Goldoni's dramaturgy, thereby erasing *commedia all'improvviso* and the legacy of Baroque drama. Such a literary conception sidelines the dynamic and plural function of shared pleasure and socialized entertainment inherent to theatre.

Fabiano challenges traditional historiographical narratives that present the evolution of Italian dramaturgy as a straightforward linear progression culminating exclusively in the reforms of Carlo Goldoni. By questioning the teleological assumptions of older critical frameworks, the volume revalues the theatrical practices of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, including the vibrant traditions of the commedia all'improvviso and Baroque drama. This approach seeks to restore the plurality of theatrical expression, moving beyond established clichés that often marginalize diverse forms of dramatic writing in favor of a singular literary standard.

The study will particularly appeal to scholars of Italian literature, theatre historians, and researchers interested in the historiography of European drama during the Enlightenment era. By examining the works of figures such as Casanova, Chiari, Goldoni, Gozzi, and Metastasio through a thematic and problem-oriented lens, the book provides valuable perspectives on how shared pleasure and socialized entertainment shaped early modern theatrical culture. It serves as a useful resource for readers seeking a nuanced reassessment of theatrical forms that transcend rigid generic boundaries.