Lucia Vasini and her Gratitudes that save lives

Chatting with Lucia Vasini means immersing yourself in a flow of sincere, intense and at times ironic thoughts, which reveal the depth of an artist capable of putting herself on the line without reserve.

The actress will be in Sardinia from Wednesday 19 February with Le Gratitudini , a theatrical adaptation of the novel by Delphine de Vigan, directed by Paolo Triestino. She plays Michka, the protagonist of the story, an elderly proofreader who is losing her words and who, before it's too late, wants to thank the person who saved her life.

Behind every interpretation there is always a lot of work. “The preparation draws from life,” he says. “I observed people close to me, I lived next to those who, because of aphasia, mix up words, lose them. The actor’s job is strange: sometimes it’s simply waiting for the character to arrive. It’s not just about memory, but about entering into the life of the person you play .”

In the play, Michka faces the progressive loss of language while her mind remains lucid. “I learned silence,” Vasini confides. “If you don’t have the right ways to communicate, the timbre of your voice becomes essential. Words can hurt, but they can also heal. On stage, with the speech therapist Jérôme (Lorenzo Lavia) and Marie (Carmen Di Marzo), there is a continuous attempt to find a way to express oneself.”

The theme of gratitude is the heart of the show, the key to entering the story. Vasini admits that playing Michka has changed her way of experiencing this feeling: “We say ‘thank you’ too often without thinking. Now I try to do it when there is a truth behind it. It’s not just a word, it’s also a real presence”.

Michka's past is intertwined with the memory of the Holocaust and the courage of a family that, during her childhood, saved her from the concentration camps. "I'm not Jewish, but I always think about the Holocaust: an open wound that concerns us all." There is a risk that over time something will be lost, a bit like what happens to Michka with words. An experience that the actress also lived during the reruns: "For two months, even off stage, I struggled to speak. Getting into character means accepting a challenge, with all its emotional implications."

In Le Gratitudini there is also the continuity of life, the passage of love through generations. “Michka is alone, she has no children, but she took care of Marie like a mother”. And when the curtain falls, the audience takes away a suggestion: “ I hope she feels the beauty of humanity, even in small things. A smile, a kind gesture. The importance of being there, of loving with humility ”. And maybe learn to also use silence to express that gratitude that does not need too many frills.

Lucia Vasini knows what it means to be grateful. “To my son, to the people I met along the way. When I arrived in Milan to study at the Piccolo Teatro, my family was far away, in Marina di Ravenna, but I immediately found someone who welcomed me, who taught me to love this job and to grow. Today, on stage, I also bring this piece of life”.

A path that has seen her tread the boards since she was very young. Graduated from the Accademia del Piccolo Teatro in Milan, she studied in Los Angeles and took voice courses with Linda Wise and Strasberg. A career that has spanned all theatrical forms and themes, with mentors of the caliber of Dario Fo and Franca Rame and with the direction of directors such as Gabriele Salvatores, Giampiero Solari and Paolo Rossi. Theater, cinema, television, but also social theater, with a particular focus on mental disability.

Le Gratitudini will be performed on the 19th in Oristano, on the 20th in Alghero, on the 21st in Olbia, on the 22nd in Tempio, on the 23rd in San Gavino and on the 24th in Carbonia .