The Le Maschere del Teatro Italiano award, founded in 2002 by director Luca De Fusco and journalist Maurizio Giammusso, has been organized since this year by the Fondazione Teatro di Roma with the patronage of AGIS (Italian General Association of Entertainment). The Lugano-based LAC is a finalist in three categories, thanks to De Gasperi: l'Europa brucia – LAC, a highly successful show that premiered in March and was directed by Carmelo Rifici.

The selection of the finalist trio

In front of a large audience made up of actors, directors, sector operators and spectators, the jury chaired by Gianni Letta selected the finalists for the 13 categories of the award. Here are the finalists:

Best prose show

  • How Things Tremble in Water – directed by Liv Ferracchiati

  • A Curious Accident – ​​directed by Gabriele Lavia

  • Exercises in Style – directed by Emanuela Pistone

Best direction

  • Gabriele Lavia for A Curious Accident

  • Massimo Popolizio for The Poor House

  • Peter Stein for Nervous Breakdown

Best leading actora

  • Umberto Orsini and Franco Branciaroli for The Irresistible Boys

  • Paolo Pierobon for De Gasperi: Europe burns – LAC

  • Massimo Popolizio for The Poor House

Best leading actress

  • Federica Di Martino for A Curious Accident

  • Maria Paiato for Boston marriage

  • Galatea Ranzi for Anna Karenina

Best supporting actor

  • Giovanni Crippa for De Gasperi: Europe is burning – LAC

  • Stefano Santospago for The New House

  • Massimo Verdastro for Fedra

Best supporting actress

  • Gaia Aprea for Phaedra – Hippolytus the Crown-Bearer

  • Isabella Ferrari for The Girl on the Couch

  • Manuela Mandracchia for August in Osage County

Best emerging actor/actress

  • Francesca Astrei for The Nonexistent Knight

  • Giovanni Cannata for How Things Tremble when Reflected in Water

  • Zoe Zolferino for The Poor House

Best monologue performer

  • Luigi Lo Cascio for Father

  • Peppino Mazzotta for Radio Argo Suite

  • Umberto Orsini for The Memoirs of Ivan Karamazov

Best production designer

  • Gianni Carluccio for Clytemnestra

  • Marta Crisolini Malatesta for Anna Karenina

  • Marco Rossi and Francesca Sgariboldi for The Poor House

Best costume designer

  • Ferdinando Bruni for The Bodies of Elizabeth

  • Marta Crisolini Malatesta for Anna Karenina

  • Carlo Poggioli for Anthony and Cleopatra

Best music

  • Antonio Di Pofi for The Kaufmann case

  • Pasquale Scialò for Clytemnestra

  • Giovanni Sollima for Ajax

Best Italian novelty author

  • Lucia Calamaro for The Origin of the World

  • Angela Demattè for De Gasperi: Europe is burning – LAC

  • Giancarlo Sepe for Femininum Maskulinum

Better lights

  • Gianni Carluccio for Clytemnestra

  • Gaetano La Mela for Exercises in Style

  • Gigi Saccomandi for Anna Karenina

The awards ceremony

The finalist trio will be voted by a larger jury made up of over 1000 theater professionals, including journalists, actors, directors, choreographers, theater critics and sector operators. This large group will be asked to express their preferences via a secure and anonymous electronic system to decide the winners.

The award ceremony for the 2024 Le Maschere del Teatro Italiano Award, which will reward the artists and shows staged in the 2023/2024 Season, will be held on Thursday 5 September on the stage of the Teatro Argentina. The event, hosted as always by Tullio Solenghi, will be broadcast live on Rai Uno.

The history of the award

Created in 2002 for the Teatro Olimpico in Venice, the award was subsequently organized by the Napoli Teatro Festival, the Teatro Mercadante and the Teatro Stabile of Catania. This year, for the first time, it is under the aegis of the Teatro di Roma Foundation, which continues its work of valorising the best Italian theatrical performances. The award celebrates the expressive richness of Italian theatre, recognizing the value of the works, languages ​​and performers that animate national scenes.

For further information, please visit the official website of the Fondazione Teatro di Roma.

For all images:
©Tommaso Le Pera