Martín Bossi: "Making people laugh is an act of rebellion"

Time Out

2 days ago

Martín Bossi is at his best moment. At 50, after years of filling theaters with one-man shows where the stage was entirely his, he has returned to scripted theater with The Dinner Game and is smashing it: over 50,000 people have already seen it, and shows sell out every week. This time, he's not alone: he shares the stage with Mike Amigorena, Laurita Fernández, and a sharp cast that enjoys itself as much as the audience.
But beyond success and laughter, Bossi doesn't lose sight of what's essential: making humor, he says, 'is almost an act of rebellion in times of so much anguish.' In this conversation, he opens up, gets reflective, talks about egos, Sandro, and how a song by Charly Garcia can save his day. Oh, and he also explains why he felt at home filming the short Papota with Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso.
You might also be interested in: Don't miss the interview Julieta Nahír Calvo did with Martín Bossi for TOMÁ NOTA.
In The Dinner Game, you share the stage with a powerful cast and return to scripted theater. What attracts you today to doing this more classical kind of comedy, after years of solo shows where the stage was all yours?
I'm drawn to sharing with colleagues, to looking at myself — that is, observing myself through the eyes of others, building a story together. And especially in times of so much anguish, making people laugh is an act of rebellion.
We saw you in a short film alongside Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso, two artists of another generation and style. What attracted you to that project and what did you find in that crossover between theater and urban culture?
Precisely that, despite being from another generation, when we belong to the same tribe, we share a language. Time doesn't separate us; they speak the same language as me, they are from the same tribe, they're kids as crazy as I am, and I know that craziness because I still have it.
You've always been very linked to humor, but it's clear you use it for more than just making people laugh. What role does humor play in your life today? Does it still save you?
Actually, I still use humor because happiness is the interruption of pain. I think life is quite painful all the time, so humor is a way to interrupt that pain that is life, isn't it? I'm getting a bit philosophical.
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You are one of those artists who transform on stage, but offstage you don't show as much. Is it natural for you to separate the artistic from the personal, or is it something you've learned over the years?
I've learned it; I realized it's what I need, and I had a couple of mentors, Graciela Borges and Sandro, who advised me early on and taught me how to manage it.
You've spent many years on stage in very different formats. If someone asked you what you've learned about yourself throughout this journey, what would you answer without thinking too much?
Oh! You got me. What have I learned in all these years? I've learned to manage my ego, to discover a bit who I really am. I think neither therapy, nor Freud, nor anyone else could have made me know myself as much. In fact, you can't step into someone else's skin if you don't know yourself. It taught me a lot.
PING PONG
Vermouth, beer, signature cocktail, or wine: Beer
Favorite character you've played? Alberto Olmedo
An activity that lifts your spirits: Doing sports
Av. del Libertador or Av. Corrientes? Av. Corrientes
Subway, bus, or car with trusted driver? Bus
A restaurant you always go back to: 'Los chicos,' a pizzeria in Lomas de Zamora.
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