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Student edition of Fo's subversive drama based on a true-life story. A prisoner falls from a window at police headquarters, leading to a chain of events in which the judicial and police corruption of 1970s Italy is thrown into relief. Includes text, notes, commentary and background.

Dario Fo was born in 1926. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997, he is a political activist and national hero, as well as Italy's most famous living playwright.

Customer Reviews (6)

Marxism without Marx
There has been a long debate about the death of the theatre. And that debate still continues, but plays are nevertheless being produced, actors are playing Hamlet over and over again, and directors are staging everything, from timeless classics to newest avant-garde.Even so, death of the theatre seem iminent. New methods of expression appeared which drove public fromt the teatre seats. Nowadays, in those seats you can only find aged critics, younger men and women still posessed by the power of art" and some older couples which have no place to go. Can there be future to such setting?
Whilst future reamins obscured in unsettling clouds, past looks glorious and full of appeal. Not only in works like ones of O'neil, Brecht, Pirandello or Shakespeare but also in the ones that have more modern" sound, whatever that should mean. Dario Fo is one of those men who brings with himself entire glamour of theatre together with precise sharpness of satire and political subversion.
Upon reading this play, you cannot but think of Groucho Marx and his extravagant style, high intelligence and unparalleled big-mouthedness. All of those characteristics were incorporated into the Fo's character called Maniac. But such comparison might not be entirely fair, having in mind what was said before. Still, Death of an anarchist" functions as classic farce, with what it seems as a total anarchy in script and staging, anarchy that is apealing in such a way that you simple cannot put this book away.
Magic of the theatre shows itself in the best way on these pages. You are being drawn into the world wihtout rules, which scarringly resembles our own and which we can relate to. That kind of identification puts us on the edge. And Fo is aware of that and uses that fact in such a brilliant way, that you have to bow to him.
It is quite unnecessary and to some extent impossible to retell the story of Death of an anarchist". It would be exactly the same as if you were going to retell the Marx brothers film and expect that it would have the sam impact as seeing and hearing Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo act themselves crazy.
When you're feeling sad or you would just give up on everything and go with the flow, forgeting that posibility of rebellions ever existed, you should reach for this book, and it will charge up your dead batteries, making you feel the joy of existence and laughter all over again.

A Play Not Performed ENOUGH
I truly enjoyed this play and again am wondering why it is not put on more often.Granted, it has a specific political objective, due to its timely plot and circumstancial event.Yet, as a performer, I find the quality of writing to be extremely wonderful.Interestingly, I also discovered that Fo's viewpoint on comedic and political theatre to be very similar to my own:

(It) grabs at the heart and guts, but attempts to get there by a violent moment of laughter.Because laughter does not remain at the bottom of the mind, leaving sediment which cannot be wiped off.Because laughter helps avoid one of the worst dangers, which is catharsis. (5)

Fo wanted the reverse of catharsis, the emotional release, and it is very apparent in Accidental Death of an Anarchist.He seeks to provoke, debate, to arouse feelings and to challenge ideas while inviting his audience to consider new points of view.I respect this form of theatre, for it is the hardest to write, collaborate, and present clearly to an already cynical audience in this day and age.By using an absurdist/satirical/farcial approach towards the issues of power, its abuse, and political stations, he creates sense out of nonsensical characters and situations.The maniac, a harliquien like character, leads the members of a police station somewhere in a city, in this case we assume New York or London, through a dizzying investigation around the questionable death of an anarchist from years before. Mysteriously, the anarchist had "thrown" himself from a four story window during the course of police investigation.We, the audience suspect foul play for the cause, and in effect we see the maniac give nothing but insane play to the accused.He is quick witted and incredibly dynamic with language and vast information.The maniac flaunts with their pride and guilt, causing mass confusion.The audience cannot help but love his crazy ways. In true satiric fasion, just and darkly comedic rewards are served to all characters by the end.The audience is left wondering how these events effect them.The ever present window in the scene is the only realistic element that the audience must contend with.It reminds them of the reality of the crime, how it really took place, and yet they are forced to laugh at it and find disgust in that humor.It is this form of satire that provokes thoughts and action towards change, which is what Fo wanted.It is this subtle stealthiness of dark humor that creates the desired effect of political theatre:change, perhaps for the better, or in this case, for the playwrights cause.

A bitingly funny satire
"Accidental Death of an Anarchist," by Dario Fo, is adapted by Gavin Richards from a translation by Gillian Hanna.The Methuen Modern Plays edition contains an introduction by Stuart Hood; Fo himself contributes an author's note and a postscript.The opening pages note that the original Italian edition had a copyright date of 1970.The author's note describes how the play was inspired by the death of an anarchist being held in police custody.

This outrageous comedy opens with a character known as the "Maniac" being brought to a police station.It's a very "metatheatrical" piece; Fo warps theatrical conventions and makes jokes in a way that reminds me a bit of Luigi Pirandello's "Six Characters in Search of an Author."There are some really funny scenes, but a very serious vein still runs throughout the piece.

Ultimately, this is a thought-provoking piece about truth.What is the true story, and how do you discover it?Fo's satiric wit explores police brutality as well as the relationships among the police, the media, and the political establishment.I recommend this piece by the Nobel Prize winning Fo to all with an interest in 20th century drama and/or political activism.

One of the best!
In the age we're living in today, this is the perfect satire of police departments. We always here in the news about some cop in some city getting caught framing someone innocent (or sometimes worse). Fo does a wonderful job of humorizing that situation. Some might call the play over-the-top, but they're just missing the humor of it all. I've read a lot of plays, and this is definitely one of the best modern plays out there. Everything about it screams "wit." The characters are great, and memorable too. If you have the chance to buy it, don't miss it!

Way Too Much Zen
I saw a small production of this play a few years ago in downtown Minneapolis and was most interested in what it had to say about police interrogation techniques.This is not a topic which I would expect to be popular now, as most emphasis has been shifted to deadly confrontations, and the only major death in this play is of a suspect who was hanging out of a police department window before he dropped to his death.In the history of people being pick up for interrogation, this might be as famous someplace in Italy as the Biko case in South Africa, where police in Port Elizabeth picked Biko up and slammed him against the wall because he was not cooperating fully in their investigation of his attitude toward law and order.

I thought that the theme of the play was that the police get overly zealous in trying to pin a crime on a particular person once the police have made up their collective minds who they think should have committed the crime, as the defense allegations in the famous O.J. murder case seemed well founded when the methods of the L.A.P.D. were subject to the scrutiny of attorneys who are aware of how these things are usually done.In the case of the actual event upon which the Accidental Death of the Anarchist was based, the police techniques were subject to an official investigation, and the play was written as on ongoing farce which kept Italy informed as more facts came to light.The play may be way beyond the Zen of any audience, but if people think that something about the nature of the police is revealed in it, I don't think that those people should be considered as paranoid as they ought to be.Anyone who loses sleep over this kind of thing hasn't adjusted well to modern society, so they can probably find a shrink to give them pills that will put them to sleep, but that is a different topic, but not much different, really. ... Read more

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Winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize for Literature, Dario Fo is one of the world's most important contemporary playwrights, forging subversive comedy, clowning, unusual linguistic experimentation, and brilliant playwriting into a comedy of complete originality. In a first-person monologue that bends and mutates language and historical fact, Johan Padan and the Discovery of the Americas is a brilliant, vividly imagined retelling of Christopher Columbus's voyage to America. Told by a last-minute conscript assigned to clean the shipboard pig stalls, who goes on to be adopted by a tribe of Indians and help them fight conquistadors, it posits a riotous alternate history in which the dynamics between native and white, male and female, history and comedy are never what they seem. ... Read more

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Johan Padan and the Discovery of the Americas
Are you ready to sit back, relax and laugh a lot?Well, if you are, there is not a better book for you to read than Johan Padan and the Discovery of the Americas.Being that this piece of fiction is a fast read, it is great for a wide range of readers.From the young to the elderly, I'm sure everyone will see the humor.Behind the humor lies a story that will captivate many.Once you start reading this book you will realize that it is not very complex.It is almost a one character story with a few off stage characters.Dario Fo, the fantastic author of this book manages to fit one man's journey to America hundreds of years ago into under 150 pages.The novel contains humor, action, sex and many other concepts that help make any reader enjoy a book.Once you start, you will not put it down, and I do not wonder at all how Fo managed to win the Nobel Prize for literature.His ability to take a rather bland topic and spice it up is amazing.The ability to deeply describe scenes where Johan is alone or with another woman is amazing.He created a character with a strong voice and one very interesting journey.Johan meets almost everyone: from the men and women around Europe to the almost cave like Indians he encounters when he reaches America.This story will leave you spellbound and screaming for more! ... Read more

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Fo's Journey
A.L. Bell, in his ingnorance has overlooked the fact the Fo's statement is quite true, and if further researched his review would have also stated the fact that Mr. Fo had been one of Italy's greatest political satirists and has provided Europe with great satirical works in the latter part of the last century and continues to do so.

A most deserved Nobel Prize
Dario Fo is a great artist and a great man. With his wife Franca he has written some of the best pages of Italian culture. I had the fortune of watching them act (live and on TV) in most of their plays. With the barest stage they can convey the richest combination of form and substance. They represent the core of the profound culture and sensitivity of the Italian working class, which so important has been in the social development of that country, and still is little known abroad (shaded by the stereotypical and outdated images of mandolins, meatballs, and mafiamen). I deeply encourage anyone to read as much as possible of what Dario has written.

I found on this website a review claiming that "Fo supports the WTC attackers". The author of that review should have gone a little deeper in reading the facts, just to discover that the intended message of the reported statement was quite opposite to the alleged one. The original text that includes the statement can be found at ...(in Italian). I believe the misunderstanding is far from casual. Nowadays the Italian Prime Minister controls almost every information medium. He has restored most of the political and cultural conditions that Italy was forced to "enjoy" between 1922 and 1943. It has become very hard for dissenting voices to reach a wide audience without having their messages distorted on the way. The "Corriere della Sera" excerpt from Dario and Franca's email on the 9/11 tragedy is just one more example of how easy it is to manipulate the truth by simply reporting minimal parts of it.

Theatre in Action
For decades Dario Fo and his wife, Franca Rame, have created some of the most interesting political theatre of the 20th century. Fo's work deals with social injustice, political freedom and economic policies.He often expresses pro-communist views.Common themes in Fo's work include critiques of fascism and terrorism.Much of his work is targeted at the working class

Fo is known for his use of the Italian tradition of commedia dell'arte. This tradition allows Fo to exploit taboo subjects in highly comic situations.Like the commedia dell'arte tradition, Fo's humor is bawdy and over the top. It is tremendously absurd and equally as witty.

Dario Fo won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

We Can't Pay! We Won't Pay!, Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Ordinary Couple are my favorite works by Dario Fo.

Fo supports the WTC attackers
While the ruins of the World Trade Center were still burning and the ashes of the dead were still getting into people's eyes, Fo and Franca Rame released this statement:

"The great speculators wallow in an economy that every year kills tens of millions of people with poverty -- so what is 20,000 dead in New York?"

The United States has many problems with its foreign policy, which have been the subject of vigorous debate. Not one of those weaknesses is justification for 6,000 people of every imaginable type being chopped up into little bits and incinerated by the equivalent of a low-radiation nuclear attack without anyone so much as pulling a fire alarm.

Fo and his wife are worse here than the attackers themselves. Maybe the attackers had no idea what the damage they would cause would really be like. Maybe, if they could have jumped forward in time 24 hours and seen the results, they would have repented. They come from a vastly different culture and may have just seen things differently than we see them. But Fo and Rame are westerners who saw the devastation on TV before writing this.

Censoring Fo and his wife would wrong, but I hope others out there will join me in hoping that Dante actually has a ghost, and that Dante's will be in charge of managing their stay in Hell. ... Read more

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Outstanding view of human folies and the comical aspect of history
This is a great introduction to the theme and style of writings by Dario Fo, both from professional and personal aspect.One discovers, with much delight "La vie en rose" sort to speak, the great human integrity with which people deal with the darkest chapters of man-kind history, in fear, in war, in suffering, in death.Reminiscent of Bernini's theatrical production of "Life is beautiful", "My first seven years" is a honest, and often hilarious account of the author's coming-of-age through the lense of a genuine and perceptive mind. ... Read more

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Irreverent, Playful and Imaginative Performance Pieces
"Mistero Buffo,"., alternatively titled "The Comic Mysteries," is a wonderful introduction to the irreverent, playful and imaginative world of Dario Fo, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997. If "Mistero Buffo" has a shortcoming, it lies in the fact that it is merely a text and does not embody the vitality of Fo's imaginative work, which relies as much on performance as it does on literary content.

"Mistero Buffo" draws on the popular and comic tradition of the medieval mystery plays, as well as the tradition of the so-called "jongleur", or traveling comic and mime, whose performances provided a subversive counterpoint to the authority of Church, Monarchy and Lord. As the jongleur in Fo's piece, "The Birth of the Jongleur," reminds his audience: "I leap and pirouette, and make you laugh. I make fun of those in power, and I show you how puffed up and conceited are the bigshots who go around making wars in which we are the ones who get slaughtered. I reveal them for what they are. I pull out the plug, and . . . pssss . . .they deflate."

Written and originally performed by Fo himself, "Mistero Buffo" consists of a series of pieces involving mime, improvisation and performance art. The texts are fiercely anti-Church, anti-materialist and anti-authority, but they are written with a comic verve and playful sensibility that mark Dario Fo as a remarkably unique writer, director, and performer. Drawing on religious traditions, the pieces include Fo's modern take on Biblical stories entitled "Slaughter of the Innocents," "Marriage at Cana" and "Resurrection of Lazarus," as well as a series of short dialogues (entitled "Passion Plays") where Fo adumbrates the death of Christ as experienced by Mary. All of these pieces border on the blasphemous, subverting conventional pieties and unthinking reverence for established religion and replacing them with a kind of popular re-writing of Christianity, a revision which glorifies the common man at the expense of those in power. Not surprisingly, "Mistero Buffo," like most of Fo's texts and performances, is controversial and provocative. It is also, however, a short text worth reading for an insightful sampling of one of Italy's most remarkable literary and theatrical geniuses.

Irreverent, Playful and Imaginative Performance Pieces
"Mistero Buffo", alternatively titled "The Comic Mysteries", is a wonderful introduction to the irreverent, playful and imaginative world of Dario Fo, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997.If"Mistero Buffo" has a shortcoming, it lies in the fact that it is merely a text and does not embody the vitality of Fo's imaginative work, which relies as much on performance as it does on literary content.

"Mistero Buffo" draws on the popular and comic tradition of the medieval mystery plays, as well as the tradition of the so-called "jongleur", or traveling comic and mime, whose performances provided a subversive counterpoint to the authority of Church, Monarchy and Lord.As the jongleur in Fo's piece, "The Birth of the Jongleur", reminds his audience:"I leap and pirouette, and make you laugh.I make fun of those in power, and I show you how puffed up and conceited are the bigshots who go around making wars in which we are the ones who get slaughtered.I reveal them for what they are.I pull out the plug, and . . . pssss . . .they deflate."

Written and originally performed by Fo himself, "Mistero Buffo" consists of a series of pieces involving mime, improvisation and performance art.The texts are fiercely anti-Church, anti-materialist and anti-authority, but they are written with a comic verve and playful sensibility that mark Dario Fo as a remarkably unique writer, director, and performer.Drawing on religious traditions, the pieces include Fo's modern take on Biblical stories entitled "Slaughter of the Innocents", "Marriage at Cana" and "Resurrection of Lazarus", as well as a series of short dialogues (entitled "Passion Plays") where Fo adumbrates the death of Christ as experienced by Mary.All of these pieces border on the blasphemous, subverting conventional pieties and unthinking reverence for established religion and replacing them with a kind of popular re-writing of Christianity, a revision which glorifies the common man at the expense of those in power.Not surprisingly, "Mistero Buffo", like most of Fo's texts and performances, is controversial and provocative.It is also, however, a short text worth reading for an insightful sampling of one of Italy's most remarkable literary and theatrical geniuses. ... Read more

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Clown, political activist, playwright, actor: Dario Fo is an unclassifiable genius of the modern theatre. In his "mini-manual for actors," Fo lays bare the tools of his craft. With the assistance of his wife, playwright Franca Rame, he explains how text, song, humor, mime and political intelligence can be fused into brilliant "popular theatre."Amazon.com Review
When Dario Fo won the 1997 Nobel Prize for literature, establishments everywhere erupted in anger.Here was an anticlerical, obscene, communist clown receiving the world's top literary accolade.As this collection of his essays and lectures shows, Fo has such a unique vision that hismission as clown/playwright requires him to be all those other things. What's interestingabout The Tricks of the Trade is not his politics,but the incredible amount of research he'sdone on 2,000 years' worth of jesters, minstrels, and political clowns, whom he believes havechanged the course of history. ... Read more

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A freeing work from a brilliant actor/scholar.
In this book Dario Fo articulates the relationship between actor and audience in a way only someone who has accepted the physical and mental demands of the acting craft can do. Fo demonstrates he is one part actor,one part scholar, and one part inspired artist.Each page illustrates theline between how an actor acts and their audience cannot be separated fromthemselves, their society, or from the history of the craft.If nothingelse, Fo's joy in performance helps explain why actors remain central toentertainment and to society.

Donald Sutherland praised this book on Charlie Rose 9/10/98
Donald Sutherland praised this book on Charlie Rose 9/10/98DonaldSutherland praised this book on Charlie Rose 9/10/98.

That's good enoughfor me.

I plan to buy it for my daughter - a fledgling Commedia artist. ... Read more

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A Pleasant Surprise
I always look forward to the annual Nobel Prize for Literature with the hope that I'll be able to discover a new "diamond in the rough".When I read the descriptions of Fo's avant garde works, I thought it looked too strange for my taste.However, I came across this book on sale so I thought I'd take a look.I was very pleasantly surprised and actually had a hard time putting the book down.

This is a collection of four plays.The first one is rather political in nature and might seem more enjoyable with a better knowledge of contemporary Italian economics.However, the absurdity comes through very clearly.The comedy comes through as well.I came away with a pretty good grasp of the author's view of the Italian economic problems (as well as that of the European Economic Community).However, this leftist view point left me feeling that there is another side to the story.That, of course, is my problem and not the author's shortcoming.

The second play is an interesting and enjoyable look at Queen Elizabeth I done in great comedy and absurdity.There is a main character named Grosslady who steals the show.She speaks a sort of Esperanto slang that is absolutely hilarious.There is an accompanying translation in the back of the play to help the reader understand her "language".I normally dislike anything that detracts from the flow of the book.However, I enjoyed the availability of the translation to help me follow the flow of the book.At the same time, I made sure I read the actual lines that Grosslady has in the play because it is such a brilliant comedic concoction.For example, her word for England is "Angleterror".This was all brilliantly translated by Gillian Hanna.

The last two plays are interesting examinations of human relationships and interdependence.They continue in the comedy of the absurd.

Perhaps the best recommendation I can give this collection is that I am now looking to read more of Dario Fo's works.Give this one a try!

humorous more than anything else
The first time I heard about Dario Fo was when he won the Nobel prize in 1997, and this was the first book of his that I could get my hands on.I wasn't disappointed.His plays are eminently readable and quite hilarious attimes.The only drawback was that being not too well versed regardingItalian politics,some of the puns were loston me[in spite of the helpfulnotes provided at the back].If you enjoy reading plays you'll like this. ... Read more

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Joseph Farrell and Antonio Scuderi present aninternational collection of essays reevaluating the multifacetedperformance art of Nobel laureate Dario Fo.

The contributors, all of whom either have previously published on Foor have worked with him, are the major Dario Fo scholars of threecontinents. Going beyond the Marxist criticism of the 1970s and 1980s,the editors and contributors try to establish an appropriate languagein which to debate Fo's theater. They seek to identify the core ofFo's work, the material that will be of lasting value. This involveslocating Fo in history, examining the nature of his developmentthrough successive phases, incorporating his politics into a widerframework of radical dissent, and setting his theatrical achievementsin a context and a tradition.

The essays cover every aspect of Dario Fo: as actor, playwright,performer, and songwriter. They also provide the historical backgroundof Fo's theater, as well as an in-depth analyses of specific works andthe contribution of Franca Rame. Also included is original artwork byFo, including vignettes from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. ... Read more

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The Best Intro to Dario Fo
This book offers a fantastic introduction to Nobel Prize Winner Dario Fo's theatre, cultural context and roots. It's essays discuss his performance, his writing and the wonderfully controversial and comical elements of Fo's unique theatre. The essays are by Fo specialists all over the world and they are excellently introduced by the editors (Farell and Scuderi), both eminent Fo specialists themselves. "Stage, Text and Tradition" is a very clear, concise and illuminating presentation of one of the greatest actors/performers/authors of own time. If you are in to theatre and life, I strongly recommend this book! ... Read more

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A Woman Alone And Other Plays- Franca Rame and Dario Fo
This volume contains 20 monologues.With Dario Fo's satirical wit and Franca Rame's ability to produce real-life situations, this book is a must-read for all interested in the dramatic arts.A Woman Alone, the title monologue, is arguably the most brilliant of Fo and Rame's combined efforts.It is the story of Sharon, a woman imprisoned in her flat by her husband after committing adultery with a boy young enough to be her son.The monolgue is expressed through Sharon speaking to her neighbour in the next block of industrial flats.On the outside it appears that Sharon is well provided by her husband, Bryan, with all the material possesions she could ever need.But on the inside her life is empty.Though the title suggests that Sharon is "alone" in her flat technically that is not the truth, her baby boy and her husband's molestering invalid brother both reside in the flat.Sharon's life however, is void of emotion- love, compassion and sympathy.WIth an intriguing story and a satisfying ending, A Woman Alone makes an excellent read and performance. I highly recommend A Woman Alone and Other Plays for all drama enthusiasts. ... Read more

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In collaboration with Nobel Prize Wiinner Dario Fo- the first book of his extraordinary artistry

The Italian actor, comedian, painter and playwright Dario Fo is celebrated throughout Europe asa major figure intwentieth -century theater. Yet the Nobel Prize winning genius-evinced through such seminal productions as Mistero Buffo and Accidental Death of an Anarchist-has never been manifested n a significant publicationj until now.
... Read more