Dario Fo

Dario Fo, a multi-talented figure, was born on March 24, 1926, in San Giano, near Varese, Italy. Among other roles, he was a playwright, director, actor, and set designer. He studied architecture but abandoned it to pursue a career in theater, initially as a set designer, then as an actor, and naturally, as a writer and director. He performed in many of his own plays and wrote extensively for Italian radio and cinema. His works are characterized by nonconformity and strong satire against dominant politics, the church, and the moral values that weigh on our daily lives, perpetuating the peculiar social medievalism we experience. His globally renowned works include "Mistero Buffo," "Accidental Death of an Anarchist," "Steal Less," "Can't Pay? Won't Pay!" and "Archangels Don't Play Pinball," among many others. In 1997, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. His plays have been translated and performed in theaters worldwide. He passed away on October 13, 2016, from pneumonia, at the age of 90.