Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1971-02-06
Vincenzo Pirrotta
Vincenzo Pirrotta (born 6 February 1971 in Palermo) is a distinguished Italian theatre director, actor, playwright, and librettist rooted in Sicilian tradition and classical drama. A graduate of the prestigious Istituto Nazionale del Dramma Antico (INDA) in Siracusa, he studied under the legendary Mimmo Cuticchio, mastering the art of the “cunto”—a traditional Sicilian storytelling and puppetry form—before launching an illustrious career spanning both stage and screen. Since 1996, Pirrotta has innovatively merged popular Sicilian folklore with avant‑garde theatre. He founded and leads the company Esperidio, for which he’s written, directed, and acted in acclaimed works such as N’Gnanzo’ù, Malaluna, La ballata delle balate, and Sacre‑Stie . His classical directorial projects include Greek tragedies and operatic staples: Eumenidi (performed in Sicilian at the 2004 Venice Biennale), Prometeo, La lupa, Nozze di Figaro for Teatro Manoel in Malta, Carmen at Catania’s Teatro Massimo Bellini, and more. On film, Pirrotta first appeared in John Turturro’s Prove per una tragedia siciliana and later featured in Mario Martone’s Noi credevamo, Matteo Rovere’s Il primo re, Marco Bellocchio’s Il traditore, and Koza nostra, among others. In 2022, he made his feature directorial debut with Spaccaossa, a gritty crime drama shown during Venice’s Giornate degli Autori and winner of several international awards, as well as nominations for a David di Donatello and a Nastro d’Argento. Widely recognized for his contributions as playwright, director, and stage innovator, Pirrotta has received numerous accolades, including the ETI award, Italian critics’ prizes, and the Sebastiano Addamo international prize. His leadership as Jury President at festivals like Ortigia reflects his esteemed status in contemporary Italian theatre.
