The essay proposes an investigation into Eugenio Barba’s conception of
dramaturgy, focusing on the notions of montage, quest for meaning and rhythm,
coherence and contrast in action, and the integration of text and subtext. To this
end, Barba’s positions on directing as a regulatory function of dramaturgy are
analysed through his writings and productions from various phases of his career.
Barba abandons a logocentric dimension of representation, reinstating the primacy of the actor’s presence; nevertheless, Barba exhibits a profound interest in
literary sources and their creative reuse, an area he has dialectically cultivated
over the years through fruitful collaboration with various authors and literary
consultants.