Marco Calvani

Marco Calvani (born December 11, 1980) is an Italian playwright, director, filmmaker, translator and actor.

Marco Calvani
Calvani at Savannah Film Festival 2017
Born (1980-12-11) December 11, 1980
Prato, Tuscany, Italy
OccupationPlaywright
Years active1996–present

Biography

Trained as an actor since he was a teenager, Calvani made his debut as a playwright in 2002 with "Quasi", commissioned by the European Social Forum.

"Strong Hands" was his first play to be translated and performed to great acclaim throughout Europe. Commissions from the Todi Arte Festival, the Phoenix Theatre, London, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club of New York, Teatro di Roma, Théâtre de la Ville of Paris and the Festival Grec de Barcelona followed.

His play "The City Beneath" had its New York City debut at the Sage Theater in 2009. In the same year he also wrote and directed "Penelope in Groznyj" performed first at Berlin’s Kunsthaus Tacheles *[1] and was the only European guest at Bali's international Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (Official Event Video *[2]).

In 2011 he won a residency at the Cité internationale des arts*[3] of Paris and was invited by the Théâtre de la Ville *[4] to represent Italy in an international writing project. In the same year he was awarded the Siae Prize *[5] as best playwright at the Spoleto Festival.

He created the project AdA (Author directing Author) with his friend and colleague Neil LaBute, for which he wrote "Things of This World" (Festival dei Due Mondi of Spoleto*,[6] Fringe Festival Madrid *,[7] La MaMa Theatre *[8]) New York), "The Second Time" (Venice Biennale Teatro *,[9] La MaMa Theatre New York *,[10] *[11]) and "After the Dark" (Sala Beckett Barcelone *,[12] La MaMa Theatre New York *,[13])

In 2013 the Teatro Metastasio Stabile della Toscana organized a retrospective of his work for which he wrote and directed "I am Dracula". In 2013 Glory Kadigan directed the New York premiere of his play "Oil" for which he was presented with the Award for Outstanding Playwriting at the Planet Connections Theater Festivity Awards *.[14] He is the founder and artistic director of Mixò, an international cultural center that brings together young actors and writers and promotes original works for stage and screen. His works have been translated and performed in six languages.

He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and of the Playwrights/Directors Unit at the Actors Studio.[15] He’s a permanent artist-in-residence at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club of New York.

In 2015 he was awarded the Writer Fellowship from the Edward F. Albee Foundation.[16]

Most recently he wrote and directed the film "The View from Up Here" *[17] (US/France, 2017) starring Melissa Leo and Leïla Bekhti, based on his eponymous play originally commissioned by The Actors Studio and directed by Estelle Parsons.

His play "Beautiful Day Without You" was commissioned by the Off-Broadway Origin Theatre Company and will have its world premiere at the West End Theatre of New York in November 2018 directed by Erwin Maas.

He teaches writing and acting in USA and in Europe. He translates from English and French into Italian and he’s an official translator of Theresa Rebeck, Bernard-Marie Koltès and Bryony Lavery.

Plays / Films

Theater (playwright)
  • Before We Fall Asleep (2019)
  • Beautiful Day Without You (2018)
  • After the Dark (2016)
  • Maspeth (2016)
  • The View from Up Here (2016)
  • The Conference (2016)
  • The Second Time (2014)
  • I am Dracula (2013)
  • Bad Faith (2012)
  • Things of This World (2012)
  • Nails (2010)
  • Penelope in Groznyj (2009)
  • The City Beneath (2009)
  • Oil (2008)
  • Io che non so che fine farò (2008)
  • Strong Hands (2006)
  • Low Life (2005)
  • Te lo leggo negli occhi (2003)
  • Quasi (2002)

Theater (director)
  • I don't know what I can save you from by Neil LaBute (2016)
  • Happy Hour by Neil LaBute (2014)
  • I am Dracula by Marco Calvani (2013)
  • Stockholm by Bryony Lavery (2013)
  • Lovely Head by Neil LaBute (2011)
  • Nails by Marco Calvani (2010)
  • Penelope in Groznyj by Marco Calvani (2009)
  • The city beneath by Marco Calvani (2009)
  • Oil by Marco Calvani (2008)

Film (actor)
  • Tode Ti (2013)
  • Borgia (2010)
  • Il Commissario Manara (2011)
  • Good Morning Headache (2008)
  • Tutto come prima (2008)
  • Family Game (2007)
  • Caravaggio (2007)
  • Sweet life (2005)
  • Manuale d'amore (2004)
  • Grandi domani (2004)
  • Sandra Kristoff (2003)
  • Su di me (2001)
  • His Secret Life (2001)

Film (writer/director)
  • A Better Half (2020)
  • The View from Up Here (2017)

Awards & Grants

2019, The Studios of Key West (Artistic Residency)

2018, Origin Theatre Company, New York (Play commission)

2017, 42nd Samuel French, Inc. Short Play Festival, New York finalist with the play "The View from Up Here"

2015, Edward F. Albee Foundation, New York (Writer Fellowship) [18]

2015, Calcante Prize for “The Second Time”, Italy

2013, Outstanding Playwrighting for “Oil”, Planet Connections Theater Festivity Awards*, New York [19]

2011, Prix Marie de Paris, Cité Internationale des Arts (Artistic Residency)

2011, SIAE Prize for Best Playwright, Italy

References

Interview with Marco Calvani, author and director of “Penelope in Groznyj” - 22.05.2012 -[20]

La Repubblica: Interview with Marco Calvani -[21]

Theater reviews - The New York Times -[22]

Interview - BigItalyFocus[23]

Notes
  1. http://www.kunsthaus-tacheles.de/
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-18. Retrieved 2014-10-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. http://www.citedesartsparis.net/
  4. http://www.theatredelaville-paris.com/
  5. http://www.festivaldispoleto.com/2014/Eventi.asp?id_progetto=216&lang=eng
  6. http://www.festivaldispoleto.com/2012/TEATRO.asp?id_dettaglio=3262&lang=eng
  7. http://www.fringemadrid.com/
  8. http://lamama.org/
  9. http://www.labiennale.org/it/mediacenter/photo/bct-2014.html/
  10. http://lamama.org/
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-14. Retrieved 2015-07-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. http://salabeckett.cat/
  13. http://lamama.org/
  14. http://planetconnections.org/2013-festivity-archive/2013-awards-gala/
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-17. Retrieved 2015-07-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-14. Retrieved 2015-07-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6633008/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1/
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-14. Retrieved 2015-07-14.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. http://planetconnections.org/2013-festivity-archive/2013-awards-gala/
  20. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2014-10-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2013/01/30/marco-calvani.html
  22. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/theater/reviews/ada-plays-by-neil-labute-and-marco-calvani-at-la-mama.html?_r=0
  23. http://www.9colonne.it/adon.pl?act=doc&doc=42877#.VE9-bPmG_-s
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