Biennale Teatro 2025

The body is that exclusively human channel through which the poetry of words travels and becomes a voice, an action, a movement, a means of expression. Thus, in the midst of a decidedly evanescent era, Director Willem Dafoe has reaffirmed that physical presence cannot be replaced by promises of ubiquity or flattering omniscience; that the premise for existence lies in flesh and bone; and that the here and now is at once a precondition for theatre and a confirmation of our humanity.
Yet laying bare the sumptuousness of the theatrical machine in or- der to access its primary, essential components also means going back to its origins, to a body that is both a container and a mysti- cal device. At once touching, fragile, and the ultimate expressive tool, the body is the beauty at the heart of the theatre rite, in which Theatre itself is embodied.

Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, President of La Biennale di Venezia

When I accepted this appointment, I knew it would be both a challenge and an honour. I had to reflect on what was essential for me in theatre, returning to the roots of my experience. For many years, I worked daily in theatre, and so I have always maintained a deep connection with it. For this year’s selection, I didn’t just go shopping for performances; I drew on what shaped me—actors, mentors, and experiences that nurtured my passion. At the core is the actor’s body and its power to create an immediate community with the audience, especially in an era where so much of our experience is mediated by technology. I don’t reject technology, but I want to refocus on the essential element: stage presence, which elevates the spectator and opens spaces of imagination. Theatre exists in the unique relationship between actor and audience. That intimacy is irreplaceable.

Willem Dafoe, Artistic Director of the Theatre Department

Texts taken from THEATRE IS BODY – BODY IS POETRY, catalogue of the 53rd International Theatre Festival - La Biennale di Venezia 2025