Diego Fabbri

Diego Fabbri (1911–1980) was an Italian playwright whose plays centered on religious (Catholic) themes.

Early Career

Fabbri graduated from the University of Bologna in 1936 with a degree in economics and business. But his writing career had begun well before that. His first play, The Flowers of Pain, was published in 1928. He followed it with The Node, which was banned by the fascist government.

In 1938, he collaborated with Guido Chiesa to write the play Absent. In 1939 Fabbri received an invitation to Rome, to become director of the Publisher Avenue. Then, in 1940, he was appointed secretary of the Catholic Film Center. He held the post until 1959. During this time, Fabbri began work on The Literary Fair. His co-director on this project was the poet Vincenzo Cardarelli. The project could not be completed until 1966, and, sadly, Vincenzo Cardarelli did not live to see it.

Fabbri was particularly prolific in 1940. In that year, he wrote three plays: “Marshes”, “Meadow”, and “Fun”. The following year he came out with “Orbits”, which was staged at the Teatro Quirino in Rome. “Marshes” was staged in the same theater in 1942.^[1]

Fabbri commitment to creating a national theater is reflected in the declaration of the manifesto for a theater of the people, which he signed in 1943, along with other prominent literati such as Pandolfi and Pinelli. Fabbri was one of the stalwarts who founded the National Union of Drama Writers in 1945.^[1]

A 1964 photo showing Fabbri and Luigi Silori.

Fabbri was born in (Forlì, where a theatre is named after him. His best known plays are Inquisizione (Inquisition) and Processo a Gesú (The Trial of Jesus). He died in Riccione.

Works

• Rancore ("Rancor", 1946)
• Inquisizione ("Inquisition", 1950)
• Il seduttore ("The Seducer", 1951)
• Processo di famiglia ("Trial of the family", 1953)
• Processo a Gesù ("The Trial of Jesus", 1955)
• La bugiarda ("The Deceitful Woman", 1956)
• Veglia d'armi ("Vigil of Arms", 1956)

The Theater Diego Fabbri in Forlì.

References