Friday, November 21, 2025, at 8:30 p.m., the Cinema Theater Chiasso will welcome one of the most intense and multifaceted interpreters of the Italian scene: Monica guerritore. With The evening of the premiere, show written and directed by the actress herself and produced by Lumina MGR, the Ticino theatre will become the venue for an intimate story, a confrontation with herself and with the audience, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of her debut on the stage.
The event is part of the theatre's season ticket season and is taking place thanks to the Department of Cultural Activities of the Municipality of Chiasso , with the support of the Republic and Canton of Ticino – Swisslos Fund and AGE SA.
Fifty years on stage in one breath
"A woman does not die if somewhere else another woman catches her breath," wrote Hélène Cixous . It is with this thought that Monica Guerritore creates a theatrical and human journey that intertwines past and present, memory and rebirth.
During the show, the artist relives episodes, successes, failures and curiosities of half a century of career: from her first steps at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan , directed by Giorgio Strehler in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard , up to the most complex and iconic roles – Madame Bovary , Joan of Arc , Oriana Fallaci , Carmen.
But Opening Night isn't just a reenactment of characters: it's a heart-to-heart with the audience. Guerritore alternates monologues, songs, and music, offering spectators the opportunity to request moments they remember or cherish most. The result is a unique theatrical experience, where memory and improvisation meet.
Between confession and reflection
" On opening night, I made a mistake ," Guerritore writes in her biography. A mistake that becomes a symbol of creative imperfection, of the courage to expose oneself, and of the constant search for truth on stage. The show is also a reflection on the actor's craft, on vulnerability, and on the power of the female narrative.
The common thread of the evening is the desire to give voice to the women the actress has played throughout her career: Emma Bovary , Carmen , Giovanna , Anna Magnani – the latter the protagonist of the film Anna , directed by Guerritore and recently presented at the Rome Film Fest.
The theatre as a space for sharing
With La sera della prima , Monica Guerritore not only retraces her own history, but also restores the Chiasso theater to its most authentic role: a place of encounter and exchange. It's a "self-auction," as she calls it, where the artist offers the audience fragments of life and stage, brimming with irony and emotion.
Chiasso, a long-time hub for Mendrisiotto's theatrical culture, confirms its position as a crossroads of experiences and languages, hosting an event that unites introspection and spectacle, memory and passion.
Information
I Tickets for The evening of the premiere they're available in four categories (from CHF/Euro 20.– to 38.–) with special rates for groups (minimum 10 people).
Pre-sales are active on www.ticketcorner.ch and at Ticketcorner sales points (complete list on https://www.ticketcorner.ch/help/outlets/), as well as theTourist Organization of Mendrisiotto and Lower Ceresio (Infopoint Railway Station, Mendrisio).
The ticket office of Cinema Theater Chiasso (tel. +41 58 122 42 72, e-mail: cassa.teatro@chiasso.ch) is open from Wednesday to Friday, 17.00pm–19.30pm, and on Saturdays from 10.00am to 12.00pm and from 17.00pm to 19.30pm.
More information about www.centroculturalechiasso.ch.
