[3] D'Amico, a friend of Nobel prize winner Luigi Pirandello and French theatre director Jacques Copeau, was appointed Special Commissioner for the reform of the drama school and led the academy for many years.
[5] Those who are admitted into the academy must attend it in order to access not only to the teaching program, but also entertainment, experimentation, and seminars carried out before the term starts, from July to September.
The prestige of the Academy includes the participation of important figures in the dramatic arts, who contribute to the lesson program, or in seminars, special courses and meetings.
[6] Some of the special events, such as the college summer theatre that began in 1983 in collaboration with the Fondazione Teatro di Pisa, have lasted over the years and are considered important points of reference.
[6] Other former alumni include Antoniano[verification needed], Manuela Arcuri, Mino Bellei, Carmelo Bene, Dirk van den Berg, Giuliana Berlinguer, Alessio Boni, Alberto Bonucci, Giulio Bosetti, Renato De Carmine, Ennio Fantastichini, Gabriele Ferzetti (expelled),[8] Scilla Gabel, Domiziana Giordano, Miguel Angel Landa, Roberto Pacini, Michele Placido, Luca Ronconi, Gian Maria Volonté and Lina Wertmüller.