Willem Dafoe on Theatre as a Common Good: Message for World Theatre Day

Willem Dafoe on Theatre as a Common Good: Message for World Theatre Day 2026

For World Theatre Day (March 27, 2026), actor and theatre maker Willem Dafoe authored the International Message calling for theatre to be understood as a common good capable of connecting communities, provoking thought, and generating public value.

Named Artistic Director of the Theatre sector at the Venice Biennale, Dafoe stresses that "theatre has never been so important and vital to our understanding of ourselves and the world" and warns against reducing theatre to mere commercial entertainment or an inward-looking institutional archive, advocating instead for its inclusive and questioning role.

In Italy the day is organized by the Italian Centre of the International Theatre Institute – ITI UNESCO, based at Astràgali Teatro in Lecce and chaired by Fabio Tolledi. Regional bodies like Puglia Culture highlight the role of theatre in smaller communities: "Theatre is a cultural, social and civic stronghold," says Paolo Ponzio, president of Puglia Culture.

Selected events in Italy on March 27 include:

• A Radio3 special program dedicated to World Theatre Day, featuring members of ITI Italy.
• Events in Pesaro and Urbino organized by Teatro Universitario Aenigma, including readings and school and community activities.
• Inclusion projects such as the presentation of the book "Fuori Riga" at the Pesaro prison.

Dafoe's message and ITI Italy's initiatives emphasize that theatre is lived in encounters: beyond performance, it is a collective practice that builds skills, dialogue and opportunities across territories. World Theatre Day offers a moment to reaffirm the public value of theatre and to support broad networks of cultural participation.