A popular and controversial playwright, actor
and director, Dario Fo has earned international acclaim for his
political satires and farces. Often considered the rightful heir
of Aristophanes, Fo has led the field
in political satire in Europe for over thirty years. The main
targets of his ideologically inspired attacks have been capitalism,
imperialism and corruption in the Italian government. For performances
outside of Italy, his comedies are frequently adapted to reflect
local political conditions.
Born in 1926, the son of a railroad worker, Fo began his career
as a performer in satirical cabaret-style revues. Later, he wrote,
produced and directed a string of successful "bourgeois
comedies" (so called because they were performed mainly
for middle class audiences). He has also written for and performed
in several films and his one foray into television was as writer,
director and co-star of Italy's most popular television series,
"Canzonissima", which was ultimately removed from the
airwaves by the Italian government after Fo portrayed a 12th
century Pope who was known for being particularly cruel and hanging
monks by their tongues from the church doors when they didn't
agree with him.
Fo was refused a visa to enter the United States during the
1970's and 80's under the McClaren Act. It was not until Robert
Brustein and the American Reportory Theater invited him to perform
in 1986 that he was finally granted entry. At the time of this
appearance, he made a point to thank Ronald Reagan for all the
publicity that had been generated by keeping him out of the country.
Since 1954, Fo has been married to Franca Rame, his chief
collaborator and co-star. His best known plays include Accidental
Death of an Anarchist, We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay!, and Orgasmo
Adulto Escapes from the Zoo. He was awarded the Nobel Prize
for Literature in 1997 for "emulating the jesters of the
Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity
of the downtrodden."
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