Mattarella praises the theater, "saddened by the closures."

(by Francesca Chiri) A "regret" for having to witness the closure of some stages and a "recognition" for the theater world as a whole, which "remains a point of reference for our country" and which contributes to the enrichment of "cultural depth" also from a social perspective. The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, joins in applauding the Italian theatre community on the day in which authors, actors, directors and professionals in the sector are awarded the 2025 Le Maschere del Teatro Italiano Awards. Thirteen awards in as many categories include, among others, the award for best prose performance to King Lear, directed by Gabriele Lavia, awards for Giuliana De Sio, best leading actress, Fabrizio Gifuni for best monologue interpreter and a slew of accolades for Sarabanda, which stands out in no less than five categories: best direction to Roberto Andò, best supporting actor to Elia Schilton, best music to Pasquale Scialò and awards for best set design and best lighting to Gianni Carluccio, for a production created in synergy between the Teatro di Napoli, the Teatro Nazionale di Genova and Biondo di Palermo. A trio of awards went to Ho paura torero, produced by the Piccolo Teatro di Milano: the show won Best Actor for Lino Guanciale, Best Supporting Actress for Sara Putignano, and Best Costume Designer for Gianluca Sbicca. The awards for last season's best artists and performances were presented on the stage of the Teatro Argentina in Rome, but this morning a delegation of finalists, Special Prize winners, and the jury, led by President Gianni Letta, were received by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. The artistic director of the Teatro di Roma, Luca De Fusco, addressed him, emphasizing the need for greater public support for the sector, because theater, like oral tradition, "is perpetuated only by doing it." The president of the Teatro di Roma, Francesco Sciliano, also called for measures to bring young people closer to theater and culture, "the only salvation against barbarism," during the presentation of the candidates to the Quirinale. The awards ceremony took place at the Teatro Argentina in Rome, hosted by Teresa Saponangelo, with Claudia Gerin singing in Franco Califano's "La nevicata del '56." The jury, composed of approximately 1,000 professionals and, for the first time, season ticket holders from major national theaters, also awarded Mersila Sokoli as Best Emerging Actor/Actress for "War and Peace" (produced by Teatro di Roma, Biondo di Palermo, and Stabile di Catania) and Kepler-452, composed of Enrico Baraldi and Nicola Borghesi, as Best New Italian Author for "A Place of Safety" (produced by Emilia Romagna Teatro, Metastasio di Prato, CSS Teatro stabile di innovazione del Friuli Venezia Giulia, Théâtre des 13 vents CDN Montpellier).