Employees of Teatro La Fenice in Venice have called a strike for October 17, coinciding with the season’s highly anticipated premiere of Wozzeck. The protest targets the appointment of Beatrice Venezi as the theatre’s new music director, a decision many workers and musicians see as premature given her limited experience for such a prestigious role.
The theatre’s union representatives reiterated their demand to revoke the appointment, as approved by the general assembly of employees. During a meeting with the theatre’s management and Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, the union stated it would only agree to discussions with Venezi after her appointment was formally withdrawn. Brugnaro, however, proposed a “preliminary dialogue process” while confirming the decision.
Unions expect wide participation in the strike, including support from audiences and musicians at other Italian cultural institutions who have shown solidarity with La Fenice’s staff in recent weeks.
The theatre’s superintendent Nicola Colabianchi expressed regret over the move: “Striking is a constitutional right,” he said, “but I don’t think it’s the most effective way to achieve the workers’ goals—it penalizes the audience. We’ll lose revenue, and I honestly don’t fully understand the purpose. I hope dialogue can continue.”