A Conversation with Robert Wilson and Willem Dafoe

Since the late 1960s, Robert Wilson’s productions have decisively shaped the look of theater and opera. Through his signature use of light, his investigations into the structure of a simple movement, and the classical rigor of his scenic and furniture design, Wilson has continuously articulated the force and originality of his vision. Wilson’s close ties and collaborations with leading artists, writers, and musicians continue to fascinate audiences worldwide.

Wilson founded The Watermill Center in 1992 on the site of a former Western Union communication research facility near Southampton, Long Island, about two hours from New York City. Watermill fosters research in the arts of the stage, providing young and emerging artists with a unique environment for creation and exploration in theater and all its related art forms, and developing a strong global network transcending age, experience, social, religious and cultural backgrounds. Watermill supports projects that integrate different genres and art forms, break with traditional forms of representation, and develop democratic and cross-cultural approaches. Watermill is about living and working together, and creating your own environment and sharing this experience with others.

Having made over one hundred films, four time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe is internationally respected for bringing versatility, boldness, and dare to some of the most iconic films of our time. His artistic curiosity leads him to projects all over the world, large and small, Hollywood films as well as Independent cinema. Upcoming films include Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, Abel Ferrara’s Siberia, Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, and Robert Eggers’ The Northman. He recently wrapped shooting on Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley.

Willem is one of the original members of The Wooster Group, the New York based experimental theatre collective. He created and performed in all of the group’s work from 1977 through 2005, both in the U.S. and internationally. Since then, he has worked with theatre directors Richard Foreman, Robert Wilson, Romeo Castellucci, and performance artist Marina Abramovic.