Breaking Baz: Willem Dafoe Warns Of Trump’s Interference In The Arts As He Launches Programme For Venice Biennale Theater Festival

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Willem Dafoe warns about the U.S. government’s interference in the arts. He expresses surprise in President Trump, who “for someone that supposedly wants to limit government, the government has all of a sudden become very invasive,” in culture.

The movie star and theatre actor insists that Trump must “let the people do their art, let the art talk.”  He adds: “We can develop our sense of compassion and responsibility socially, leave that to the people.”  Dafoe spoke to me as he launched the Venice Biennale’s 53rd International Theater Festival for which he has a two-year appointment as artistic director.

I ask him about the dangers of Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., where he has installed himself as the artistic director of the fabled cultural institution. “Well, there’s many,” he muses. “And it’s not just about bad theater.

I can’t imagine Donald Trump programming a good series of performances at the Kennedy Center. I don’t want to go down a rabbit hole here.” I don’t want to get you into trouble, I tell him.