52nd Venice Theatre Biennale: Reality Trend and Pasolini's Ashes

The 52nd Venice Theatre Biennale, directed for the last year by Stefano Ricci and Gianni Forte, took place from June 15 to 30, 2024, under the theme 'Niger et Albus' (Black and White), emphasizing the overcoming of opposition for individual progress. The edition was marked by a pervasive 'reality trend.' Key productions included 'Cenere' by Stefano Fortin and Giorgina Pi, blending fiction, biography, and history, referencing Pasolini's ashes, the G8 in Genoa, an Icelandic volcano eruption, and police procedures. 'Tre sorelle' by Muta Imago (Claudia Sorace and Riccardo Fazi) reduced Chekhov's classic to an essential reflection on space and word, performed by Monica Piseddu, Arianna Pozzoli, and Federica Dordei. Milo Rau's 'Medea's Children' tackled children in theatre, the role of vision in tragedy, and the ontological structure of tragedy, referencing a Belgian mother who killed her five children on February 28. Back to Back Theatre's 'Food Court' (Golden Lion 2024) used video and chairs to address voyeurism around disability, accompanied by The Necks. The Biennale also featured the Biennale College Teatro author competition winner from last year.