Gabriele Lavia is as much a protagonist on the stage as he is measured and modest in real life. An actor with a more than capital letter A, one of the columns of the Italian theater, together with another great one like Eros Pagni. It is true that compliments are always popular, positive reviews equally, but the will to shield oneself is always the same: “Me one of the greatest? Well, I am certainly one of the oldest ”, he says with a smile and with that baritone tone of voice that makes him, even this, more unique than rare. Lavia (the photo above that portrays him is by Filippo Milani) answers the phone from Spoleto, where he is participating in an event dedicated to various Italian acting schools. He likes being with young people, discovering new talents as well. Those who start now, those who take their first steps, often see it as an unattainable point of arrival. But Lavia is much more practical: "With work and commitment you can do it. Of course, talent must not be lacking. But alone is not enough. It is no longer enough nowadays. There are many talented guys. Talented guys with the right mind, definitely less ”. One of the greatest actors of all time will be tonight in Chiavari, at 9.30 pm in piazza dei Pescatori (piazza Gagliardo), as part of the opening evening of the Dionisio Festival, organized by the Municipality of Chiavari (Department of Culture) with the direction artist Davide Paganini. Alone on stage, Lavia will recite poems by Giacomo Leopardi, as part of the play 'Lavia says Leopardi' which is one of the many shows in the artist's repertoire. What will he make us listen to? "This is a recital, within which I say some of Leopardi's most famous poems. These are songs that we all have in our ears. We are talking about masterpieces not only of poetry, but of world literature, of all times. It is a very simple and straightforward show. Some poems I recite, others I recite and add an explanation ”. In 2019 'Infinity' turned two hundred years old ... “It is very nice, in fact, to stage this recital this season. Thinking that, just two centuries ago, there was a gentleman who wrote one of the most beautiful things that have ever been written. Here, 'The Infinite' is one of the poems of which I will give an explanation. For others, I believe that there is really no need, because they have the meaning implicitly inside ”. What does Leopardi evoke them? Maybe you remember from your youth? “His works are the first things I memorized, already when I was a child. To prepare for this recital, therefore, I had to study very little. Let's say it was a refresher. I was very pleased. And I see that the response from the public is always excellent. There is a need for these shows. There is a need for poetry, otherwise society is arid, too crude ". Any auditions as an actor with Leopardi? “To tell you the truth, I've been lucky enough to do very few auditions in my life. But yes, Leopardi was one of the pieces I took to the entrance exam for the acting school. To be precise, 'The night song of a wandering shepherd from Asia'. Which is perhaps what, in the recital, I do less well now ... will it be precisely because it reminds me of those times? Well ... " She who does something 'less well'. It is not credible. “Acting is very subjective. It changes from evening to evening. It depends on the contexts, on the audience in front of you, on so many moods. It is obvious that I always try to give my best. Poetry is a direct way of communicating. Perhaps the most direct. Get in touch with the viewer right away. When you act, you are naked. And then, in this case, we are talking about absolute masterpieces. Peaks of literature of all times, such as Dante and Petrarch ”. Two adjectives to define 'Infinity'. "Deep and shocking". From the Acting School onwards, Leopardi has brought her well, if we look at his career ... “Yes, actually I have worked a lot. But I don't feel like one of the greatest. But among the oldest. Once, at actors' meetings, when we were studying scripts, I was the youngest. Then, in the blink of an eye, poof! I found myself the eldest. And it's not a good feeling. It is really true that life is a breath ”. Liguria means Theater of Genoa. Basically his second home. “The Genoa Theater is a milestone in the history of live entertainment in Italy. I hope my friend Marco Sciaccaluga will come and see me. Next season we will be back on stage with Ibsen's 'John Gabriel Borkman', produced by the National Theater of Genoa under the direction of Sciaccaluga. We tell the drama of a banker who, out of ambition, ruins his family and his customers ”. And then there is the relationship with Eros Pagni ... "We worked together in 'Don Giovanni' and 'The enemy of the people'. Beautiful experiences ". Ibsen's text on the banker, like so many of his works, anticipates the most current dramas of the twentieth century. Today the most current issue is that of migration.

Gabriele Lavia is as much a protagonist on the sta Gabriele Lavia is as much a protagonist on the stage as he is measured and modest in real life. An actor with a more than capital letter A, one of the columns of the Italian theater, together with another great one like Eros Pagni. It is true that compliments are always popular, positive reviews equally, but the will to shield oneself is always the same: “Me one of the greatest? Well, I am certainly one of the oldest ”, he says with a smile and with that baritone tone of voice that makes him, even this, more unique than rare. Lavia (the photo above that portrays him is by Filippo Milani) answers the phone from Spoleto, where he is participating in an event dedicated to various Italian acting schools. He likes being with young people, discovering new talents as well. Those who start now, those who take their first steps, often see it as an unattainable point of arrival. But Lavia is much more practical: "With work and commitment you can do it. Of course, talent must not be lacking. But alone is not enough. It is no longer enough nowadays. There are many talented guys. Talented guys with the right mind, definitely less ”. One of the greatest actors of all time will be tonight in Chiavari, at 9.30 pm in piazza dei Pescatori (piazza Gagliardo), as part of the opening evening of the Dionisio Festival, organized by the Municipality of Chiavari (Department of Culture) with the direction artist Davide Paganini. Alone on stage, Lavia will recite poems by Giacomo Leopardi, as part of the play 'Lavia says Leopardi' which is one of the many shows in the artist's repertoire. What will he make us listen to? "This is a recital, within which I say some of Leopardi's most famous poems. These are songs that we all have in our ears. We are talking about masterpieces not only of poetry, but of world literature, of all times. It is a very simple and straightforward show. Some poems I recite, others I recite and add an explanation ”. In 2019 'Infinity' turned two hundred years old ... “It is very nice, in fact, to stage this recital this season. Thinking that, just two centuries ago, there was a gentleman who wrote one of the most beautiful things that have ever been written. Here, 'The Infinite' is one of the poems of which I will give an explanation. For others, I believe that there is really no need, because they have the meaning implicitly inside ”. What does Leopardi evoke them? Maybe you remember from your youth? “His works are the first things I memorized, already when I was a child. To prepare for this recital, therefore, I had to study very little. Let's say it was a refresher. I was very pleased. And I see that the response from the public is always excellent. There is a need for these shows. There is a need for poetry, otherwise society is arid, too crude ". Any auditions as an actor with Leopardi? “To tell you the truth, I've been lucky enough to do very few auditions in my life. But yes, Leopardi was one of the pieces I took to the entrance exam for the acting school. To be precise, 'The night song of a wandering shepherd from Asia'. Which is perhaps what, in the recital, I do less well now ... will it be precisely because it reminds me of those times? Well ... " She who does something 'less well'. It is not credible. “Acting is very subjective. It changes from evening to evening. It depends on the contexts, on the audience in front of you, on so many moods. It is obvious that I always try to give my best. Poetry is a direct way of communicating. Perhaps the most direct. Get in touch with the viewer right away. When you act, you are naked. And then, in this case, we are talking about absolute masterpieces. Peaks of literature of all times, such as Dante and Petrarch ”. Two adjectives to define 'Infinity'. "Deep and shocking". From the Acting School onwards, Leopardi has brought her well, if we look at his career ... “Yes, actually I have worked a lot. But I don't feel like one of the greatest. But among the oldest. Once, at actors' meetings, when we were studying scripts, I was the youngest. Then, in the blink of an eye, poof! I found myself the eldest. And it's not a good feeling. It is really true that life is a breath ”. Liguria means Theater of Genoa. Basically his second home. “The Genoa Theater is a milestone in the history of live entertainment in Italy. I hope my friend Marco Sciaccaluga will come and see me. Next season we will be back on stage with Ibsen's 'John Gabriel Borkman', produced by the National Theater of Genoa under the direction of Sciaccaluga. We tell the drama of a banker who, out of ambition, ruins his family and his customers ”. And then there is the relationship with Eros Pagni ... "We worked together in 'Don Giovanni' and 'The enemy of the people'. Beautiful experiences ". Ibsen's text on the banker, like so many of his works, anticipates the most current dramas of the twentieth century. Today the most current issue is that of migration.

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