• Conception: Luigi De Angelis and Chiara Lagani |
• Dramaturgy: Chiara Lagani |
• Direction: Luigi De Angelis |
• Music: Mirto Baliani |
• Set Design: Nicola Fagnani |
• With: Lorenzo Gleijeses |
• Special Participation: Geppy Gleijeses |
• Thanks to Gabriele Casamenti, Gianni Gamberini, and Gabriele Rossi

“Nets and fences can be mirrors. That’s why it’s scary.” (DFW)

“US [uhs] = We [ˈnoi], the objective case of ‘we,’ used as a direct or indirect object: They took us to the circus. She asked us the way. […] US = You and I = We two […] g. United States […]” (From the entry “We” in the Collins Italian Dictionary)

US is a dreamlike tennis match, played by a performer against a ball machine. This concrete and arcane object, the “monster,” is not the enemy but rather a partner in a dance. With wild fury, the player breaks through his own limits: transcending, improving, defeating himself. Infinitely. On the sidelines, the father/coach referees this impossible game, while the entire match intensifies to the relentless rhythm of the hits, giving life to the most paradoxical of concerts.

PAST DATES:

• July 12, 2014 | Santarcangelo di R. (RN), Santarcangelo Festival
• October 11, 2014 | Ravenna, Pala Costa

PRESS REVIEW:

Massimo Marino, Santarcangelo Towards the Conclusion in the Name of Agassi
Corriere di Bologna, July 17, 2014
[…] The show inspired by tennis champion Andre Agassi’s autobiography has sparked a lot of curiosity. In the vast field of the Sferisterio, a ball machine will battle against an actor, urged by an umpire who will turn out to be his father. The performance, a site-specific piece, was supposed to go on stage on Saturday but was canceled due to rain. It will now be presented tonight at 9:30 p.m. out of the program. The two characters are played by Geppy Gleijeses and his son Lorenzo, actors from different generations. Chiara Lagani explains: “In the first pages of Agassi’s autobiography, he recounts how, as a teenager, his father built a prototype of a reinforced ball machine to get him used to the relentless battle with the enemy. He designed it so horrifically that he called it the ‘dragon.’ Through that struggle, the athlete internalizes discipline, takes control, almost military command of himself. The umpire is Geppy, the father, the traditional actor, quoting Shakespeare and Eduardo: he takes on a motivational role with his son, becoming an encouraging ghost and a demon.”

Theatre and Tennis: The Unexpected Duo: Agassi on Stage in Romagna
La Gazzetta dello Sport, July 18, 2014

Theatre and tennis met last night in Santarcangelo di Romagna. Fanny & Alexander, one of Italy’s most experimental theatre companies, celebrated this rare union by staging the challenge between the champion and the “dragon” ball machine as told in Andre Agassi’s autobiography. Thus, the most famous snapshot from Open, a global bestseller, transformed from a man-machine competition into a frenzied dance-concert on an improvised tennis court set against the open-air backdrop of the Sferisterio in Santarcangelo. The premiere of US took place last night (with a five-day delay due to bad weather): three quarters of an hour without pause, marked by the techno and dance rhythms of Mirto Baliani, the true driving force of the performance.
A “RELIGIOUS” EXPERIENCE – On the field, Lorenzo Gleijeses alternates forehands, backhands, volleys, and, in response to the relentless balls shot from the machine. Meanwhile, his father, Geppy Gleijeses (also his real-life father), encourages him as the umpire, blending Shakespearean quotes, Neapolitan songs (from Funinculì Funinculà to Maradona è megl’e Pelè), and humorous tennis suggestions such as “Tic Federer” or “Nadal’s disorientation.” Soon, the game moves beyond the confines of the tennis court, becoming primarily a challenge to the physical and psychological limits of “Lori,” as his father/coach continuously reminds him: “Don’t think, just be,” “Who’s the opponent? Who is it?”. In a race with very few breaks and many sprints, the son ends up repelling the relentless balls with every part of his body: hands, feet, and even his head, first dressed as a boxer and then as a football player. An almost “religious” experience, as tennis was immortalized by David Foster Wallace, culminating in the liberating final. “The training is over, now you’re ready for the US Open.”

Agassi, Theatre, Sport, My Son

Luca Manservisi, Ravenna & Dintorni, October 2, 2014
Geppy Gleijeses, protagonist of the Fanny & Alexander show inspired by the tennis legend: on stage at Pala Costa for the “Notte d’Oro.”

How did the collaboration with Fanny & Alexander come about?
“The common thread is my son, Lorenzo (who was also the protagonist in Discorso Celeste by Fanny & Alexander, where Geppy voiced a character), and after meeting Luigi De Angelis and Marco Cavalcoli, I was involved in this experiment, which also represents an evolution of my old performance, Corpo Celeste, and is inspired by the ideas of Agassi’s incredible book, Open. Also, my son was a tennis player when he was younger and loved the sport. Then, Chiara’s dramaturgical idea and Mirto Baliani’s music gave life to a very fascinating show—a story of a father-referee-master who sits in his tower to direct and referee a match between his son and a ball machine…”

So the stage blurs with real life for you…
“Sure, personal memories emerge on stage. I sing to him that Maradona is better than Pelé, like when I used to take him to see Napoli play. But I also motivate him in many other ways, with sports and theatrical references, quoting Hamlet or Carmelo Bene…”

In Agassi’s autobiography, he reveals that he came to hate tennis because of his father’s obsession with making him a professional player… What about you? Did you force your son into theatre?
“No, I wasn’t violent like Agassi’s father. I pushed him to try it, though, taking him to the stage for a Pirandello play when he was 10, and after that, he could continue or decide that he wasn’t interested. I did want him to continue with school, but for theatre, my advice was always ‘do what you think is best.’ He got passionate about it and started his own career, with studies and prestigious recognition (from Odin Teatret to the Ubu Award).”

Returning to US, how was it for you, as a student of Eduardo De Filippo, to collaborate with an experimental theatre company?
“I’m very satisfied with the result, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with Fanny & Alexander, delightful people I had already had the pleasure of knowing after inviting them with their Him to the Quirino (the theatre in Rome I direct). I was familiar with their work and, over the years, I too have done experimentation and worked with very particular texts: I’m open to all kinds of theatre. I hope in the future we can collaborate again.”

Were you a fan of Agassi? Are you an athlete yourself?
“I like sports, both watching and participating. I’ve practiced football, skiing, and equestrianism at a decent level. I knew Agassi as a great champion, but I only came to love him recently through the book…”

Last year, Teatro delle Albe in Ravenna paid tribute to a champion like cyclist Marco Pantani, and now a performance featuring volleyball player Zorzi is coming. However, these are exceptions in the theatre world. Why is it so difficult to bring sports to the stage?
“Theatre is made to tell emotions, and sport has to convey emotions, otherwise, it’s just a bore. So I find it strange that the two worlds have been so separated. Hopefully, this Fanny & Alexander work will open new possibilities for theatre. Who knows, maybe it will.”

Your performance will be staged here in Ravenna at the Pala Costa, during a celebration like the Notte d’Oro, almost as if giving a popular twist to experimental theatre, often confined to a limited audience…
“Theatre is everything, and everything is theatre—tradition, experimentation, they are just different genres. The essential task remains to move and engage. Of course, it will always be an elitist form of entertainment just because of the limited number of viewers, compared to TV, for example. I’ve always thought that the most interesting theatre is the one that’s popular in art, like Vittorio Gassman…”

Gassman, yes, the man after whom the Quirino Theatre, which you’ve revolutionized, is named…
“Yes, while we’re talking, for example, there are 350 people having lunch at the theatre. But we didn’t just add the restaurant; there’s also a library, permanent exhibits, rooms with video projections. It truly runs 18 hours a day because I think the theatre must be a place open to the public, and this way we also attract potential viewers. We’re very happy with what we’ve done at the Quirino, we’ve really revitalized it.