E.G.O.: The Art of Being Happy Amidst the Fear of Death

From Friday, March 22, to Sunday, March 24, at the Sannazaro Lorenzo Balducci theater in E.g.o. (extreme game over) written by Riccardo Pechini and Mariano Lamberti, who also directs. After the significant public response of Allegro non troppo (sold out in almost 30 cities) and the consecration with the subsequent Fake (Christmas show at the Off off theatre in Rome), Lorenzo Balducci returns to close an ideal trilogy of shows that, while using the classic biting and provocative register of stand-up comedy, have always dealt with challenging and socioculturally relevant themes. E.g.o. The Art of Being Happy, is no exception, in fact, it tackles an even more uncomfortable subject. The greatest and most fascinating mystery that has always united the entire human race: death. E.g.o. is indeed the acronym for extreme game over. Given the premises, it may seem daring that the title also includes the word happiness, yet it is precisely on this paradox that the show wants to reflect. Since removing the finiteness of our existence ultimately leads us to lead unhappy lives. Taking inspiration from the famous phrase by Ungaretti 'I hope that death catches me alive', E.g.o. reviews the tragicomic strategies with which we flee from the thought of our departure (which is not only articulated as fear of physical death but also Freudianly as fear of change, aging, loneliness, and abandonment). And here then are the new frontiers of cosmetic surgery. In China, surgeries to 'westernize' almond-shaped eyes are all the rage, in America, those to resemble a particular star or even a cartoon character. Not to mention what happens, especially in Italy, below the belt, with rejuvenations, plumpings, or various elongations. Because the fear of death is also and above all a business that bills billions. Pharmaceutical industries, now fully-fledged 'dealers' of eternal youth, know something about it. Or the funeral agencies that organize processions and funerals for our dearly departed pets, or the timeless mediums, those pleasant evergreens capable of letting us message our deceased with plenty of facial emoticons during the trance. Yet, according to some religions (in particular Buddhism), incorporating the awareness of death into daily life ensures living fully realized and happy lives. Exactly the opposite of what happens in our society, not coincidentally plagued by that existential void from which addictions, sexual compulsions (aided by apps increasingly aimed at satisfying a consumerism of bodies), and that craving for fame, power, and success that emblematically unites old politicians and very young TikTok users arise. Like in other shows, there will be forays into philosophy and literature, reviewing, always in a fun way, the most original 'scientific' theories on what awaits us in the afterlife, the most bizarre experiments or, on the contrary, the most fascinating rites of some Italian popular traditions concerning the cult of the dead. The show, written like the previous ones by Riccardo Pechini and Mariano Lamberti (who also directs this time), finds in Lorenzo Balducci an ideal interpreter, capable with his great talent as a performer to entertain while dealing with important themes, effortlessly moving from Heidegger and Hillman to a lipsynch of Paola and Chiara.