Accidental Death of an Anarchist- Context

Dario Fo
1. Fo was a Marxist- equality and no hierarchy
2. The 'third act of his plays was dedicated to a political debate/discussion between the actors and audience
3. The idea that theatre should engage and awaken people politically can also be seen in Brechtian work
4. There are two distinct periods to Fo's work: bourgeois theatre and the revolutionary period
  1. Bourgeois theatre was Fo's first theatre work in 1959-68, and was a populist theatre playing in proper venues
  2. The revolutionary period was from 1968-death, and began in the year the student protests occurred in Paris. He began by associating with the communist party with his company Nouva Scena, but then moved further left and created his own theatre cooperative called La Commune with a venue called Il Capanonne (The Shed) in Milan, although he also played in non-theatrical spaces as well.
5. He won a Nobel prize for literature in 1997. The Swedish academy justified this decision by saying he wa 'upholding the dignity of the downtrodden', had a 'blend of laughter and gravity', he would 'simultaneously amuse, engage and provide perspectives.'
6. Fo wasn't a fan of the abstract avant-garde style, instead opting for a popular theatre that was accessible for all.
7. Fo was influenced by the Marxist thinker Antonio Gramsci,who believed the elitist culture debased the popular culture (for the masses), which was disregarded as inferiro.
8. Fo wanted popular theatre that had its roots in tradition, such as the giullare.
  1. The giullare was a one-man actor in medieval Europe who would perform in the streets and piazzas.
9. His work involved a dialectic between the past and present
  1. He linked the theatrical past to modern news and events to make a critique of society- this is known as satire
  2. He was also influenced by the fabulatori- the storytellers who used wit, irony and exaggeration in their work
10. He subverted Greek theatre who held farce as the lowest dramatic form
11. Fo was an auteur- he was a playwright, actor, director, set designer, choreographer, songwriter and costume designer
12. He wrote nearly 80 theatrical pieces and directed many others by other playwrights
13. His texts are a result of continual re-developments based on audience reactions to improvisation, much like Commedia
14. Fo was in constant conflict with institutional power over his work- his work was censored, he was attacked, his wife was abducted and raped in 1973, and he withstood 25 charges
  1. This could be viewed as a continuation of the conflicts faced by jongleurs in the middle ages, who suffered torture and execution for their criticism of the church and state.
15. Fo's theatre defends subordinate people while defying dominant ideology
Historical events which influenced the plot of ADOAA
1. The play was written in protest to the unjust death of Pinelli and the 'hot autumn' of working class struggle of 1969.
2. On 15th October 1969 there was a demonstration of 50,000 workers in Milan protesting against the high cost of living.
3. On 19th November 1969, there was a successful 24 hour strike to demand changes to government housing policies. During the strike a police officer was killed and the immediate explanation was that he'd been killed by demonstrators, although this was disputed.
4. On 12th December 1969, a bomb exploded in Milan at the National Agricultural Bank in piazza Fontana, killing 16 people and wounding 90. A strategy of tension was formed, and that was the beginning of modern terrorism in Italy.
5. Senior police officials told the press that the bomb had originated from left-wing or anarchist sources. The police began targeting anarchists at Milan State University, despite the fact that there was no evidence to prove this claim.
6. Two anarchists were arrested- Pietro Valpreda, a ballet dancer who was arrested 3 days after the bombing but was then accused of being part of an anarchist conspiracy. He was never convicted, but spent 3 years in jail. Many Italians believe the bombs were planted by neo-fascists who were protected by the secret services. The other anarchist arrested was Giuseppe Pinelli.
7. The police, media, courts and church all blamed the anarchists for the attacks, and they were consequently demonised by the Italian people. The scapegoating via the anarchists was initially successful, as it allowed the right wing to have the unions sign national contracts to avoid guilt by association.
8. Giuseppe Pinelli was a 41 year old railway worker who was captured by police just hours after the bombing in a raid of an anarchist centre. He was held in Milan police headquarters for 72 hours, before dying in police custody. There were multiple reasons for his fall, but the main reasons were suicide or that the police pushed him.

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Accidental Death of an Anarchist- Context

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	Created by Grace Fawcitt over 6 years ago