Willem Dafoe Confirmed as Biennale Teatro Director Through 2028

The 54th Venice International Theatre Festival, titled 'Alter NATIVE', concluded with a focus on breaking geographical and artistic boundaries. Sicilian director Emma Dante received the Golden Lion for her career, while Greek-Albanian director-choreographer Mario Banushi won the Silver Lion. The festival featured artists from multiple continents, with a particular emphasis on Eastern traditions, alongside emerging Italian talents. A highlight was a performance by Davide Iodice in a Venetian nursing home. The Biennale di Venezia's board, chaired by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, confirmed Willem Dafoe as artistic director of the theatre section for the 2027-2028 biennium. The independent Indonesian company Bumi Purnati Indonesia, founded in Jakarta in 2007, presented two works based on Indonesian literary heritage: 'Under the Volcano' directed by Yusril Katil, inspired by Muhammad Saleh's poem about the 1883 Krakatoa eruption, and 'The Tale of Boat' directed by Sri Qadariatin, based on the Sufi poem 'Syair Perahu' by Hamzah Fansuri. Indian Odissi dancer and choreographer Sharmila Biswas performed 'Mischief dance: A Journey Through Rhythm and Spirit'. The festival also featured staged readings by winners of the Biennale College Teatro Drammaturgia for under-30 authors: Bruna Bonanno's 'aka Jolly Roger' with Motus company, and Davide Pascarella's 'Bacio sogno autodistruzione' directed by Alessandro Businaro.