Moni Ovadia (Italy), actor

Moni Ovadia was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria to a Jewish family that moved to Milan in his early childhood. There he graduated in political science, and debuted in the theater world under Roberto Leydi as singer and musician in the band Almanacco Popolare. In 1972 he founded Gruppo Folk Internazionale, playing mainly songs and music from the Balkans.

Ovadia debuted as a theater actor in 1984. In 1990 he created the Theatre Orchestra and produced “Oylem Goylem,” which he successfully toured in Italy, France, Germany, and the USA. Oylem Goylem (Yiddish for “The world is dumb”) skillfully melted satire and klezmer music sung by Ovadia himself.

In 2005 the spectacle was broadcast by RAI, Italy state TV. In 1995, Ovadia wrote “Dybbuk, about the Shoah,” considered one of the most important Italian theatrical shows of the period. In the same year he produced “Taibele e il suo demone” and “Diario ironico dall'esilio,” written with Roberto Andò. His following spectacles include “Ballata di fine millennio” (1996), “Pallida madre, tenera sorella” (1996), “Il caso Kafka” (“The Kafka File,” 1997, with Andò), “Trieste, ebrei e dintorni” (1998), “Mame, mamele, mamma, mamà...” (1998), “Joss Rakover si rivolge a Dio” (1999), “il banchiere errante” (2001), and “L'armata a cavallo” (2003). He has been an outspoken opponent of what he regards as growing racism in Italian society. He received an award from the University of Pavia in October 2007; in his acceptance speech he denounced the treatment of immigrants, especially Roma.

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