It’s the stage name of Luisita Barzizza (Sanremo 1929). The daughter of the orchestra director Pippo Barzizza, she was launched in the theatre world by Macario at the end of her upper secondary studies. Macario asked Isa’s father to let her debut in one of his revues. He agreed on condition that she was always followed by a housekeeper and debuted with “Follie d’Amleto” (1947). Having an attractive body and a self-confident irony, she soon became one of the darlings of the light theatre during the years after the war. His second sponsor was Totò, who taught her all the secrets of the art: from the direct relationship with the public, to the right times for laughing, from mimicry to the use of the space on the stage. With Totò she made, the first of 11 films, her film debut with “I due orfanelli” (1947), as well as
thirty more films with the best Italian comic actors. After working with Garinei and Giovannini, on January, 3, 1954, first day of the official programs, the Italian RAI channel broadcasted “Osteria della posta” by Goldoni where she was the lead actress. In 1957, only 28 years old, she interrupted her career after the death of her husband. In the early ‘60s she founded a dubbing society. She returned to theatre in the early ‘90s, in plays by Gigi Proietti, Mario Monicelli and Michele Placido. In 1995 she took part in the Spoleto Festival with “L’ultimo yankee” by Arthur Miller. During the same period she also worked again in the cinema and on TV by appearing in some of the Rai channel fiction series. Among the recent commitments, “Una sconfinata giovinezza” by Pupi Avati and the TV series “L’isola” by Alberto Negrini (2010).
