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‘I Like The Fact That…’: Willem Dafoe On Heading Biennale Theater Department As Artistic Director
Willem Dafoe, the new artistic director of Biennale Theater Department spoke at length about his goals , vision and bringing reforms to the current theater scenes!
Willem Dafoe has a lot on his plate for this year’s Venice Film Festival. He’s not only starring in the festival’s opener Beetlejuice Beetlejuice but will also perform his duties as the newly appointed artistic director of the Venice Biennale Theater Department—the festival’s parent organization.
In an interview with Variety, the actor spoke about the demands of his new position, revealing what drew him to this challenging role. “This would be interesting. It would be a challenge. I will learn something. It’s an honor,” he added.
The actor received a call from Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, who explained to Dafoe what the job entailed, which immediately piqued his interest. “I like the fact that he appreciates my background and recognizes that maybe we could program something interesting,” Dafoe said about Buttafuoco.
Talking about the current theater scene and the reforms he plans to bring as the new director, Poor Things actor Willem Dafoe admitted that he doesn’t know much about the contemporary theater landscape, but coming from a theater background, he understands its essence. “I concentrate on the body and the poetry that can be expressed by the body,” he explained.
According to Dafoe, theater performances are not merely about narrative or psychology but more about the beauty of an artist in a space. He intends to minimize the focus on technical aspects and instead create an artist/actor-driven environment, providing a free and open space for all.
When asked how he would enforce these changes, The Lighthouse actor responded by stating that he would interact with people and share his experiences. “The beautiful thing is when you have a connection with people,” he added.
Dafoe explained that through these interactions, he hopes to assure artists that they can feel free in the space and create something together. Many of the people he’s contacted have embraced his vision. “They are responding by making new works or revisiting work that they did in the past,” he noted.
Dafoe's upcoming film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 28 and will be released in theaters on September 6.
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