What is the best thing that I love about my work? The moment of creation, the idea and the project: when I write for the theater, when I compose music, when I play a character, when I teach in my theater school.

What is my idea of happiness? Peace of mind to do my job and cultivate my affections.

What is my greatest fear? Don’t leave something good and beautiful behind.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? My naivety and sometimes my low self-esteem.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? People with talent, culture, humility, seriousness and availability towards others.

What is my greatest extravagance? If extravagance means excess, eccentricity, exaggeration, then I don’t think I’m extravagant. If it means healthy craziness, yes: I couldn’t do this job if I wasn’t!

On what occasion would I lie? Whenever a lie is more true then reality.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? Advertising my works: I’m not able to sell myself. Maybe that’s also why I stay in the shadows… Who knows?

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? In theater, when I was on stage for months. Today it is very difficult, especially for those who work in self-production.

If I could, what would I change about myself? Apprehensiveness, worrying too much about others.

What is my greatest achievement in work? The satisfaction of what I write and stage, and the success of the public and critics, of course. I received great recognition from Pietro Garinei, the artistic director of Rome’s Teatro Sistina. He passed away while he was planning to stage “Angeli”, the musical comedy written by me and my colleagues… And the award for the best musical piece “Sola” (Alone) from the Fonopoli association created by Renato Zero.

Where would I most like to live? Anywhere i feel good with myself and others. Lyrics of “Imagine” by John Lennon expresses it better than I do.

What is my most treasured possession? Love and friendship. What is my most marked characteristic? Naturalness, spontaneity.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? In Rome? The old town. It oozes culture, History and stories and is a source of inspiration for writing books, films and plays. It was also for me, when I wrote “Beatrice Cenci”, an entirely musical work inspired by the life of this noblewoman of the late 1500s who was victim of her father’s abuse and then executioner of him. Unfortunately, a subject that is always topical, that of violence generates violence. Also in “Turisti per caso” I was inspired by the events of Cola di Rienzo, a character of great importance in the history of Rome and Italy of the 1300. In Rome there are streets named after both Beatrice Cenci and Cola di Rienzo. “La passione di Maddalena” is a drama in prose and music, a completely invented story in order not to forget the History of Rome during the Nazi occupation.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city? Rome is full of clubs for all tastes. But my favorite restaurant is in my home, with my family and friends.

What books influenced my life and how? Books with a deep character design, so that I was able to live, in some way, the different characters’ lives, influenced both my personal and my professional life as an actress. For instance, I would quote Greek tragedies and works by Patrick Süskind, Saramago, Murakami… But there really are many others book.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? “Vissi d’arte” from “Tosca” by Puccini, the aria that best represents me. And then many songs that have marked my life, from classical music, to rock, pop: listening to it on my last day would be like reliving my whole life in 24 hours.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? I’ve never had heroes. But I admire the Homeric figures of Ulysses and Penelope, because of his thirst for knowledge and her fidelity.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? They are real men and real women who fight against injustice, the ones who are on the side of the weak; the ones who honestly self-made.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? What role play stories in my life and work? A fundamental role. These are experiences from which I can always learn and food for thought for my life, for my plays and for the characters I play on stage. And often reality surpasses fantasy.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me? I think I could have narrated a different life for myself, where perhaps I would have suffered less and achieved more satisfying goals. But everyone has their own nature. I believe that no one changes profoundly, but it manifests itself according to the circumstances.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My collaborators, my work colleagues who believe in me: with them there is a relationship of art and friendship. And the audience that comes to see my shows, of course!

Which people or companies would I like to work with in 2021? Teatro Sistina, Quirino, Argentina, Eliseo, just to name the theaters in Rome. For cinema, Medusa, Fandango, Netflix, Rai Cinema, Lucky Red. If I think of music, I would like to collaborate with Tosca, Giorgia, Mina… a dream! The actors in my shows? Pierfrancesco Favino, Monica Guerritore, Maya Sansa, Valeria Golino, Luigi Lo Cascio, Massimo Popolizio, Cesare Bocci, Yasmine Trinca, Alessio Boni… There are very good actors in Italy. Giuseppe Tornatore, Marco Tullio Giordana: it would be great to propose their a film based on one of the plays written by me, or one of the films I wrote together with my colleague Alberto Mosca.

Which people in my profession who can make a real difference in my creative career would i love to meet in 2021? In Italy there are many artists with whom I would like to collaborate and some I have already named them. I add the directors Garrone, Saverio Costanzo, Sollima, Patierno, Mainetti, Guadagnino… Emma Dante: she is great. Among the actors-directors: Gabriele Lavia and Maria Pajato. And singers as Serena Brancale e Simona Molinari.

What project, in 2021, am I looking forward to work on? I have just written a comedy on the theme of child adoption: a light and brilliant monologue to deal with a very delicate topic and I can’t wait to bring it to the stage. And I’m writing another pièce, with Pietro Mercogliano, a collegue of mine, about the troubled relationship between the paintress Tamara de Lempicka and the poet Gabriele d’Annunzio.

Where can you see me or my work in 2021? The pandemic has blocked the theater. With my association we have realized “I video della quarantena”, a remote project of musical recordings and short theatrical videos coordinated by Alessio Ferrucci, published on the website: www.lospettacolocontinua.it I hope to be back in the theater soon: I miss the stage so much.

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? These are perfect words for me! As a matter of fact, I founded an Association called “Lo spettacolo continua”, that is the Italian translation of the famous quote “The show must go on”. Art is passion, and art is my “for ever”.

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? Gloria Imperi, Gabriella Petti, Eleonora Caliciotti, Caterina Novak, Ambra Luchetti, Anna Antonino, Angela Calefato, Chiara Pavoni

How can you contact me? brunella.caronti@lospettacolocontinua.it