L'amore non lo vede nessuno

Text and interview by Emilia Costantini

Every Tuesday, at the same time, two strangers—a mature, charismatic man and a young woman named Silvia—meet at a bar on the outskirts of Milan. The man is eager to speak; Silvia is determined to uncover the truth about her sister Federica, who died in a devastating and highly suspicious car accident. The mysterious man admits to having had a passionate and tormented love affair with Federica and agrees to answer all of Silvia’s questions—on one condition: she must not try to uncover his identity. As the meetings unfold, Silvia learns disturbing and unexpected truths about her sister. But how much of what the man says is actually true?

‍L’amore non lo vede nessuno is the new novel by Giovanni Grasso—“an existential thriller,” as the author calls it—premiering on stage at the Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi on July 11, adapted and directed by Piero Maccarinelli. The production stars Stefania Rocca and Massimo Venturiello, with Franca Penone.

This marks your third collaboration in theatre. The first was Fuoriusciti, written by Grasso specifically for the stage. The second, Il caso Kaufmann, and now L’amore non lo vede nessuno, are both novels. How did this dynamic partnership begin?

GRASSO: We met thanks to a mutual friend, Gloria Giorgianni. I wanted to show my play Fuoriusciti to a director. Piero liked it immediately, and soon we were on stage. The late Antonello Fassari played Sturzo, Gigi Diberti was Salvemini, and Guia Jelo was also part of the cast. Seeing my words brought to life on stage was unforgettable. Sadly, after performances in Brescia and Turin, the tour was halted by the cursed Covid outbreak. But not our friendship, nor our desire to work together again.

‍MACCARINELLI: Our collaboration began after I directed La Mafia, an unpublished text by Don Sturzo. Since Giovanni had written a one-act play, Fuoriusciti, based on the conversations between Sturzo and the secular intellectual Gaetano Salvemini—both exiled in New York during fascism—I was immediately drawn to the work and chose to stage it.

Grasso, your first two works were inspired by real events. Is L’amore non lo vede nessuno purely fictional, or is it based on a true story?

‍GRASSO: It’s a contemporary tale with fictional characters. That said, the dynamics between them are very realistic, drawn from real-life experiences, accounts, and public events.

You’ve said that stories find you, rather than the other way around. But writing a novel and writing for the stage are two very different processes. How do they compare?

‍GRASSO: It would take many pages to explain the differences—and there are plenty of books on the topic, so let’s spare the reader! I’ll say this: with Il caso Kaufmann, the idea of a stage adaptation came later. But with L’amore non lo vede nessuno, I was already imagining it as a play while I wrote the novel. So the dialogue is lean, descriptions are pared down, there are few internal monologues or subtexts, and the focus is on action.

How do you find time to work as the spokesperson and advisor to President Mattarella and still write novels and plays? Do you have help from a ghostwriter?

‍GRASSO (laughs): That’s a clever joke! Let me answer this way: when writing is not just a passion but a necessity, you make time—perhaps by sacrificing (or dedicating) your holidays and weekends.

Maccarinelli, what intrigued you about this new story? Is Grasso better at writing directly for the stage, or at adapting his novels? And is it harder to stage a novel or a purpose-written play?

‍MACCARINELLI: In Grasso’s prose, I especially admire his dialogue. It develops the characters in their full complexity. His novelistic dialogue is already partly theatrical, because it’s rooted in clearly defined character relationships. That makes the dramatic adaptation smoother. The connections between characters foster empathy, first with the reader and, in turn, with the theatre audience. Moreover, Giovanni likes to attend early rehearsals, absorbing feedback from actors and the director to refine the play’s flow and communication.

What are the core themes of this novel? Is it also a psychological thriller?

‍GRASSO: I prefer to call it an existential thriller. It uses the conventions of the mystery genre to reveal the unease, contradictions, and frailties of the human soul.‍

MACCARINELLI: Yes, but it’s also the story of a great love—actually, of two loves: one lived, the other merely imagined.

The title, L’amore non lo vede nessuno, comes from Saint Augustine, correct? And in the text, another concept is expressed: “One can love others without loving God, but one cannot love God without loving others.”

‍GRASSO: The title is taken from one of Augustine’s sermons. Before becoming a bishop and saint, Augustine lived a dissolute life. He knew carnal, profane love before surrendering to divine love. The second phrase is spoken by the enigmatic protagonist, P., after life-shaking events prompt a radical reassessment of his existence.

Would you describe the love portrayed in the novel as toxic? You’ve said that the novelist’s fortune lies in being able to depict characters without defending them—even villains.

‍GRASSO: Toxic, manipulative love is indeed one of the novel’s key elements. The protagonist claims to be the victim of a pathological narcissist—but since this is almost a mystery, the truth will only be revealed at the end of the play.

Were the casting choices—Stefania Rocca and Massimo Venturiello—made collaboratively, or were they the director’s suggestion?

‍GRASSO: Given my rapport with Piero, of course we discussed it together. But ultimately, casting decisions rest with the director and producers, as is right. I’m very pleased with the choices. I can share that I had always envisioned Franca Penone for the role of Eugenia, and I’m delighted she’s part of the cast again.

‍MACCARINELLI: Actors are typically chosen by the director in agreement with the producers. Naturally, the author is involved, and Giovanni was a close partner throughout the preproduction process. Personally, it’s a joy to reunite with Massimo Venturiello after many years, to work more closely with Stefania Rocca, and to collaborate again with Franca Penone after Il caso Kaufmann.

Was the set design entirely your responsibility, or did the author participate in that too?

‍GRASSO: I stay out of that—I completely trust the director’s choices.

‍MACCARINELLI: The set was entirely my design and creation. Returning to San Simone in Spoleto, where I staged Divina Commedia: La prima giornata in 2021, is a great honor. I was assisted in the spatial design by Fabiana Di Marco.

Maccarinelli, you’re known for championing contemporary drama beyond the classical repertoire. Where does this passion for unproduced or unpublished texts come from? Do you think your fellow directors invest too little in promoting new works—perhaps preferring the safety of staging famous titles?

‍MACCARINELLI: I see myself as a suffragette for contemporary writers—and I’m an omnivorous reader of novels. From the start of my career in the early 1980s, I’ve favored modern plays, as I believe they are the best way to keep audiences engaged and emotionally invested. I’ve directed Euripides, O’Neill, Ibsen, D’Annunzio… but nothing gives me more joy than discovering new works that shine both in quality and at the box office. Sadly, few directors and producers seem truly committed to contemporary dramaturgy.

Italian theatres are often fuller than cinemas. But what would help theatre resonate even more deeply with audiences today?

‍GRASSO: That’s a tough one. Funding, of course, is always needed. So is reopening the many theatres that have been shut down. But that’s not enough. Theatre has always been a space of collective wonder—and also a mirror for society to reflect on itself. Today, that mirror is fogged by lives consumed in trivial, solipsistic pursuits. It’s not just that theatre must open up to society, telling stories of human greatness and depravity—it’s also that society must rediscover why theatre matters, and return to it.

‍MACCARINELLI: Our stages need a new law that liberalizes the market and better defines the roles of public and private sectors. But that’s a utopia. It won’t happen—partly because of us theatre-makers, too.

Grasso, what does it mean to you to debut at the Spoleto Festival?

‍GRASSO: It’s a dream come true. I won’t go on too long, but as a child, puppets and marionettes were my favorite toys. Theatre has always been a passion. Seeing one’s work come to life on Italy’s most prestigious stages is priceless. Spoleto is a truly extraordinary milestone.What are your hopes for the audience’s reaction at this historic festival?GRASSO: My aim was to tell a story in which no one is truly guilty, but no one is entirely innocent either. From that comes the need to forgive, in order to be forgiven. If the audience enjoys the beauty of the production but also reflects on this theme, I’ll feel the mission is accomplished.

‍MACCARINELLI: Naturally, we hope for attention, appreciation, and enthusiastic response.