GAD – National Drama Festival

The Oldest Amateur Theatre Festival in Italy

The GAD – National Drama Festival is the most important and oldest Italian event dedicated to amateur theatre. Founded in 1948, in the aftermath of World War II, it marked the rebirth of cultural life in Pesaro and has been held uninterruptedly ever since, year after year, becoming a benchmark for the amateur theatre movement throughout the country. With almost eighty years of history, it is the longest-running festival dedicated to non-professional drama in Italy.

The Challenge of Amateur Theatre Companies

Every year, over two thousand amateur companies participate in the national selection, but only the best reach the final stage held in Pesaro. On the stage of the Teatro Rossini (and the Teatro Sperimentale), the competing groups present their productions, ranging from the great classics of Shakespeare and Pirandello to contemporary drama. A qualified jury, composed of actors, directors, and playwrights, awards the most coveted prizes, including the Golden Mask for the best performance and awards for direction and acting.

The Antonio Conti Award

Alongside the performance competition, the festival promotes the Antonio Conti Award, a playwriting competition now in its eighth edition, which highlights new theatrical texts and emerging playwrights. This initiative demonstrates the festival's commitment not only to staging but also to the creation and renewal of the theatrical repertoire.

An Autumn Event in the Heart of Pesaro

Organised by the Associazione Amici della Prosa APS with the support of the Municipality of Pesaro and the Marche Region, the GAD traditionally takes place in October, enlivening the city's theatre scene for about two weeks. The festival attracts a loyal and passionate audience, drawn by the quality of the amateur productions and the atmosphere of healthy competition that characterises each edition. For Pesaro, a UNESCO City of Music and Italian Capital of Culture 2024, the festival represents an identity-defining element of its cultural offerings.

A Living Tradition

In the 2025 edition, the first prize went to the play *Much Ado About Nothing* by William Shakespeare, staged by the Compagnia Filodrammatica Orenese of Vimercate. Edition after edition, the GAD continues to demonstrate the vitality and value of Italian non-professional theatre, offering spectators a unique overview of the talent of amateur companies from every region.