• The problem of folk religiosity in the creative work of Dario Fo

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DOI: 10.35852/2588-0144-2023-2-104-117

EDN: ZIYOJL

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Yuliya V. Novokhatskaya

Postgraduate student of the Department of the World Theatre History. Scientific supervisor: Vidas Yu. Siliunas — Doctor of Arts, professor of the Department of History of the World Theatre, Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS).
Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS)
Moscow, Russia
E-mail: langley24@gmail.com

The problem of folk religiosity in the creative work of Dario Fo

Abstract

Dario Fo’s one-actor performance “Mystery-buff” is justly considered one of the playwright's main works, his hallmark. This production is a series of stories based on the Evangel apocrypha — biblical stories that, for some reasons, were not included in the official canons. The playwright sees such reasons in the folk origin of these stories, in their poignancy and topicality. Seemingly light and simple, they are nevertheless filled with a rebellious, freedomloving spirit, that obviously goes against the official doctrine of power. As a true giullare, Dario Fo tells these stories from the stage while being one-on-one with his spectators. This form of communication with the audience was very close to him. The explanation for this phenomenon lies largely in the playwright’s childhood and the environment in which he grew up. Consequently, a significant part of this article focuses on the first years of Dario Fo’s life and his communication with the folk storytellers of Lake Maggiore, who, definitely, greatly influenced his personal and professional formation. The comedian reveals all the wealth of Italian folk culture through the prism of Italian folk religiosity. Being far from the official church, he turned out to be incredibly close to folk traditions and national cultural values. The main purpose of this article is to analyze and reveal the meaning of the “faith of the commoners” in the art of Dario Fo, as well as to demonstrate the social angle that acquired, as examplified in his key work “Mystery-buff”.

Keywords

Dario Fo, “Mystery-buff”, folk storytellers, Biblical apocrypha, Italian theatre, national spirit.

For citation

Novokhatskaya Y.V. The problem of folk religiosity in the creative work of Dario Fo. Theatre. Fine Arts. Cinema. Music. 2023, no. 2, pp. 104–117.

DOI: 10.35852/2588-0144-2023-2-104-117

EDN ZIYOJL

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Received: 22.04.2022

Revised: 17.11.2022

Accepted: 27.03.2023