The 53rd International Theatre Festival

The physical presence of actors, their centrality to scenic creation, is the leitmotif of the 53rd International Theatre Festival, titled “Theatre is Body. Body is Poetry”, which runs from May 31 to June 15 in Venice, under the direction of Willem Dafoe. “The body, its presence, its intelligence beyond our control, is the beating heart of the theater. It drives the meeting of people on stage and the public, creating an instantaneous community with a commitment to attention and a possibility to wonder, even in this age of virtual experiences.” This specificity of the body sits at the center of the many revolutions that transform the language of theatre over the past century, original matrices of a new kind of theatre, still today a harbinger of impulses and possibilities. It marks a return to origins for Dafoe, whose roots are firmly anchored in the Wooster Group’s experimental theatre.

Four major areas of research interweave in the 53rd International Theatre Festival:

1 – Venice 75/25
The Festival revisits the revolutionary 1975 Biennale Teatro, honoring figures like Eugenio Barba, Julia Varley, Thomas Richards, and Richard Schechner. Highlights include tributes to Richard Foreman, a “performative experiment” by Willem Dafoe, and the Wooster Group’s European premiere of Symphony of Rats.

2 – Today’s Maestros
Leading voices in contemporary theatre—Castellucci, Ostermeier, Rau—explore the poetic body. Davide Iodice’s Pinocchio features neurodiverse performers; Gardi Hutter reflects on comic physicality; and Bob Holman brings spoken word to the streets of Venice.

3 – The Future
New voices take center stage: Evangelia Rantou, Princess Bangura, Yana Eva Thönnes, Anthony Nikolchev, and Industria Indipendente premiere bold new works. Daniela Pes closes the Festival with her only Italian concert of the year.

4 – Biennale College
Emerging talents debut new creations, guided by artists like Barba, Schechner, Richards, and Latella. Workshops, performances, and critical encounters expand the Festival’s educational mission.