Monica Guerritore. Who in Italy does not know this name? Long brown hair, huge deep-set eyes, Monica is a famous TV, theater, and movie actress. The Italian public has known her since 1974 when she first debuted at the age of sixteen in “The Cherry Orchard” directed by Giorgio Strehler at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan. On May 28, Americans will have a chance to meet her in New York where she will give a double performance in "Dall'Inferno all'Infinito" (From Hell to Infinity) and "Giovanna d'Arco" (Joan of Arc).  The event will be the first in a series entitled "Incontri" (Encounters), organized by the bilingual school La Scuola d'Italia Guglielmo Marconi to help finance the school’s cultural activities.

 

Describing Monica Guerritore’s career could be quite an undertaking. Thirty-five years of collaborating with the most famous and talented Italian artists, directors, and actors cannot be easily summarized in a few lines, but let’s give it a try.

After her debut in 1977 she acted under Missiroli’s direction in “Uncle Vanya” and "Three Sisters,” two works by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. She was soon discovered and joined the Valli-De Lullo theater company, acting in “Twelfth Night” and “Le Malade Imaginaire” by Shakespeare and Molière, respectively.

 

Besides being a talented actress, Monica has always been a woman of extraordinary beauty and charm. It’s no wonder that she found her first true love on stage: in 1981 she became involved in a romantic relationship with theater actor and director Gabriele Lavia, who became her faithful partner both privately and on stage for many years. It was during those years, and mostly under his direction, that she played a number of extremely important roles (Giocasta, Lady Macbeth, Ophelia) giving the Italian theater powerful and original interpretations of traditional female characters. Indeed, among the many roles she played, there were some that she particularly preferred, such as Strindberg’s “Miss Julia” and Marianne in “Scenes from a Marriage” (a part she also played for a TV production). Moreover, Monica is not only a comedy and dramatic actress. From 2001 to 2004, she worked with Giancarlo Sepe who cast her as the protagonist in several operas and ballets including “Madame Bovary,” “Carmen,” and “La Dame aux Camélias.” 

 

Let's not forget that Monica is also a TV and movie star. In 1985 she made her  debut on the silver screen in Salvatore Samperi's "Fotografando Patrizia”  followed later that year by Lavia's "Scandalosa Gilda" (Scandalous Gilda), and afterwards by "Sensi" (Senses, 1986) and "La Lupa" (1996), whose cast included Michele Placido., Giancarlo Giannini, and Roul Bova, some of the most famous actors in Italian contemporary cinema. 

 

Her television debut, on the other hand, dates back to 1977 with the first color TV series of “Manon Lescaut” directed by Sandro Bolchi.  In 1997 she  started working for  RAI, the Italian national television broadcasting company and acted in “Costanza” directed by Gianluigi Calderone, followed in 1999 by “Love after Living” directed by Mario Caiano. With these two productions which reached an audience of nine million viewers she proved that she was able to connect with the audience in every possible format and gained fame and recognition as a multifaceted and eclectic actress.  

 

From actress to director and producer. In recent years Monica has launched three successful large-scale Italian theater productions which she directed, produced, and performed. "Joan of Arc" was presented in 2004, followed by "Eros and Psyche” by Apuleio and “Dall'Inferno all'Infinito" in 2008.  

 

This has also been a fortunate period for her movie career. In January 2007 she acted in "Exodus,” a movie praised by critics when screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in May, 2008. In that production she played the fascinating role of Ada Sereni, an Italian woman who saved 25,000 Jews during the Holocaust. In 2008 she starred in Ferzan Ozpetek’s latest movie “A Perfect Day” screened at the Venice Film Festival and at the Museum of Modern Art, as well as “Thyssen Krupp Tragedy” with Valeria Golino and Silvio Orlando also presented at the Venice Film Festival. 

 

This year she will reach an even wider audience, co-starring with Alessandro Preziosi in "Saint Augustine," a TV series in which she plays Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine. 

  
Monica Guerritore is performing in the outstanding "Dall'Infinito all'Inferno" and "Joan of Arc" just for La Scuola, free of charge. Donations to benefit the school’s cultural activities and events are suggested.