Teatro Sotto le Stelle Preview - Vito Molaro Award

A winter amateur theatre festival in Baiano

The Teatro Sotto le Stelle Preview - Vito Molaro Award is the theatre season that fills the Teatro Colosseo in Baiano—a town in the Mandamento Baianese area of the Avellino province, in Campania—from January to April. The festival is promoted by the MELA social promotion association with the patronage of the Municipality of Baiano, featuring a dozen performances by amateur companies invited from various Italian regions.

The core philosophy, frequently emphasized by president Riccardo D'Avanzo, is to offer a cultural experience through theatre and to foster human, social, and artistic exchange between groups arriving from diverse territories. The Colosseo stage has hosted groups such as the Compagnia dei Mercanti from Salerno, the Gruppo Teatrale La Torre from Melissa (Crotone), and the Compagnia Teatro Nuovo from Canosa di Puglia.

The Vito Molaro Award

The accolade that gives the festival its name is dedicated to the memory of Vito Molaro, a young actor and association member who passed away prematurely in 2020. At the end of the season, a technical jury composed of directors, actors, and industry experts awards the prize for the best performance. Starting with the 2025 edition, awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Character Actor were introduced to further highlight the work of individual performers.

A preview looking toward the Avella summer

As the name suggests, the Baiano season is the winter preview of Teatro Sotto le Stelle, the summer festival held between June and July in the gardens of the Palazzo Baronale in Avella, just a few kilometres away. The two events form a single journey: in winter, indoors under the roof of the Colosseo; in summer, outdoors under the stars in one of the most evocative monumental settings in western Irpinia.

The MELA Association

Founded in 2005, the MELA Association is a social promotion organization active in the Baianese area through cultural and theatrical initiatives. In 2025, it celebrated its twentieth anniversary, a milestone marked by the festival's programme. Its resident company maintains a repertoire that focuses primarily on the great Neapolitan tradition, from Eduardo De Filippo to Eduardo Scarpetta, without neglecting contemporary comedies.

What to expect

• Brilliant and dialect comedies from the Neapolitan and Southern traditions.
• Amateur companies from Campania, Puglia, Calabria, and other regions.
• Performances scheduled on weekends, in the afternoon or evening.
• A technical jury evaluating the competing productions.
• Affordable prices, designed to make theatre accessible to families.

The Teatro Colosseo

The Teatro Colosseo is located on Via Guglielmo Marconi in the centre of Baiano and serves as the primary venue for the town's cultural life, hosting prose seasons, musical performances, and local association events throughout the year. Capacity is limited, so organizers recommend booking seats a few days in advance.

Popular and accessible theatre

One of the festival's hallmarks is its pricing policy: subscriptions and single tickets are kept intentionally low, with packages that allow audiences to follow the entire programme at a minimal cost. Some evenings have been offered with free admission, while others have been supported by the Teatro & Cultura bonus. The result is a loyal audience that fills the hall night after night, turning every performance into a local celebration.