Willem Dafoe is named artistic director of Venice Biennale's theater department
Actor Willem Dafoe, a frequent red-carpet star at the Venice Film Festival, was named artistic director Monday of the Venice Biennale’s theater department
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Actor Willem Dafoe, a frequent red-carpet visitor to the Venice Film Festival, was named artistic director Monday of the Venice Biennale’s theater department.
Dafoe, who lives near Rome with his Italian wife, said the appointment came as a surprise but that he was “born in the theater” and trained initially as a stage actor.
In a statement released by the Biennale, he said the program of his two-year 2025-2026 term would follow his own development, “a sort of exploration of the essence of the body.”
Dafoe co-founded The Wooster Group theatre company in 1977 in New York and performed with it for some 20 years. He is more widely known for his film career, including as the scientist opposite Emma Stone's Bella in Yorgos Lanthimos' “Poor Things,” which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival last year.
He is expected on the Lido this summer with the cast of Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice,” which is opening the film festival.
The Biennale Teatro is an independent department of La Biennale, founded in 1934.