Quaderni

This book has its origins as preparation material for the course of the same name, being part of the curriculum in Dramaturgy and Theatre techniques applied to work for the postgraduate specialist degree project "Communication for the Enterprise, the Media and complex Organizations (CIMO)" of the Catholic University of Milan.

It puts forward an analysis of four characters - The Stepdaughter from Six characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello, Callimaco from The Mandragola by Niccolò Machiavelli, Thomas Becket from murder in the Cathedral by Thomas Eliot, and Portia from The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare - in answer to the key question "What input can these four mavericks offer to us as training for the workplace?"

Drawing on a rich pool of ideas and training concepts, it furnishes an innovative perspective on professional and personal development themes applicable to work where performace - sometimes comic, even tragic - forms the bedrock of most endeavours.

As part of the canon of Europea drama, the selected pieces have already undergone much inspection and yet remain splendid sources of insight and learning. the ideas expressed here represent a personal viewpoint and different interpretations are equally possible. Accordingly, this book should be considered as a "step along the way" rather than a conclusion to the studies of the texts.