Willem Dafoe is named artistic director of Venice Biennale’s theater department

ROME (AP) — Actor Willem Dafoe, a frequent red-carpet star at the Venice Film Festival, was named artistic director Monday of the Venice Biennale’s theater department. Dafoe, who lives near Rome with his Italian wife, said the appointment came as a surprise but that he was “born in the theatre” and trained initially as a stage actor. Dafoe co-founded The Wooster Group theatre company in 1977 in New York and performed with it for some 20 years. He is better known though for his film career, including Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival last year.