Profile

Romeo Castellucci | Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio leader, director

Born in 1960 in Cesena, Castellucci graduated in stage design and painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. In 1981, he founded the Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio together with Claudia Castellucci and Chiara Guidi. In the beginning of the 80’s he focused his interest on theatre and painting, also giving some exhibitions. Considered to be a trailblazer of avant-garde theater in Italy, Castellucci presented several performances as an author and director, also creating sets, lights, sounds and costumes. Known as an author of a theatre addressed to a “total” perception, he has written several books about dramaturgy. In 2005 he was appointed as the director of the Theatre Section of the 37th Venetian Biennale, and in 2008 he was an Associate Artist of the Avignon International Festival. Among his representative works are “Hamlet. The vehement exteriority of a mollusc’s death” (1992), “Oresteia (an organic comedy?)” (1995), “Julius Caesar” (1997), “Genesis. From the museum of sleep” (1999), “Voyage au bout de la nuit” (1999), “Il Combattimento” (2000), “Tragedia Endogonidia” (2001-04), “Hey Girl!” (2006), and Dante’s La Divina Commedia: “Inferno”, “Purgatorio” and “Paradiso”.

Awards and Honours:

1996 Special UBU prize for the resistance, following to the exclusion of the company from the public contributions for the experimental theatre by the Ministry for Tourism and Arts of the Republic of Italy.
1997 “Orestea”, wins the Premio Masque d’Or as best foreign performance of the year, Festival Theatre des Ameriques, Montreal, Quebec.
1997 Giulio Cesare”, wins the Premio Ubu as best performance of the year.
1998 Special UBU prize for the Childrens’ Theatre, assigned to Chiara Guidi for her Childrens’ Experimental Theatre School"
2000 Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio is awarded with the Premio Europa Nuove Realtà Teatrali, Taormina
2000 Genesi from the museum of sleep” wins the Ubu Prize as best performance of the year.
2000 Genesi from the museum of sleep” wins the Prize as Best International Production at the “Dublin Theatre Festival” (October 2000)
2000 Grand Prix de la Critique-Paris won for the scenography of “Genesi from the museum of sleep”, assigned to Romeo Castellucci.
2002 On 22nd February 2002 Romeo Castellucci was bestowed with the title of “Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of France, in the person of the Minister Mrs.Catherine Tasca.
2003 Romeo Castellucci receives the nomination of Director of La Biennale Teatro year 2005
2004 Special UBU prize, assigned to Romeo Castellucci for the Tragedia Endogonidia Project
2006 Special UBU prize, assigned to Romeo Castellucci for the Direction of La Biennale Teatro year 2005