Trained as an actor since he was a teenager, Calvani made his debut as a playwright in 2002 with Quasi, commissioned by the European Social Forum.

In the same year he also wrote and directed Penelope in Groznyj, performed first at Berlin's Kunsthaus Tacheles[1] and was the only European guest at Bali's international Ubud Writers and Readers Festival.

[2] In 2011 he won a residency at the Cité internationale des arts[3] of Paris and was invited by the Théâtre de la Ville[4] to represent Italy in an international writing project.

He created the project AdA (Author directing Author) with his friend and colleague Neil LaBute, for which he wrote Things of This World (Festival dei Due Mondi of Spoleto,[6] Fringe Festival Madrid,[7] La MaMa Theatre, New York),[8] The Second Time (Venice Biennale Teatro,[9] La MaMa Theatre New York),[8][10] and After the Dark (Sala Beckett Barcelone,[11] La MaMa Theatre New York).

[12] He is the founder and artistic director of Mixò, an international cultural center that brings together young actors and writers and promotes original works for stage and screen.