In the historic center, a few steps from the Pantheon, L.go Argentina and P.zza Venezia, in the ancient Rione Pigna, in the same Via di S. Stefano del Cacco where in 43 BC the Temple of Isis and Serapis was built, is located the ENNIO FLAIANO THEATER, originally called Teatro dei Fanciulli and later Teatro Arlecchino.

Inaugurated in November 1928 under the name Teatro dei Fanciulli by Cavalier Gioacchino Flamini, president of the Savoia club, it was run by his wife since 1934. The shows that were performed there were titled Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, The Shepherdess Princess.

In 1944 it changed its name to become the Arlecchino Theater, a meeting place for artists and intellectuals such as Anna Magnani, Valentina Cortese, Luchino Visconti, Vittorio Caprioli, Gianrico Tedeschi, Bice Valori, Monica Vitti, Valeria Moriconi, Gianni Agus and Raffaele Pisu. After a period of routine it will be Aldo Fabrizi who will give him new life and a new look.

In 1969 it became Teatro Ennio Flaiano (in homage to the writer from Pescara who represented here, together with other intellectuals of the time, his "pocket theater"). In 1990 the management of the theater passed from the theater of Rome to Theater and Society in the person of Pietro Mezzasoma who completely restructured it and managed it until 1996 when the artistic direction was entrusted to Maurizio Costanzo, in these years artists such as Valeria will alternate Moriconi, Anna Proclemer, Glauco Mauri, Ottavia Piccolo, Paolo Poli, Piera Degli Esposti, Sandro Massimini, Maurizio Micheli, Lucia Poli, Giorgio Albertazzi, Franco Graziosi, Leopoldo Mastelloni.

In 1997, he was taken over by Pro.s.i.t. by Gabriella Callea who entrusts the artistic direction to Rossana Siclari. In recent years, the theater has tried to identify its own path and physiognomy that stood out, even with its productions, adopting a series of courageous and innovative initiatives such as the project of the Piccola lirica (large famous works reduced to an hour and a half, represented with singers, live music, sets, costumes) rewarded by the great consensus of critics and the public. The private management, even if more problematic, allows a careful choice of hospitality, aimed above all at debuts and unconventional performances, with an eye to contemporary dramaturgy that turns with irony to the great classics or to original and universal situations.

Among those who have performed in recent seasons, we remember the humor of the Donati-Olesen Company, the inventions of Stefano Benni with Lucia Poli, generous with caustic portraits of women's literature of all times, the superstitious way of a musician like Sergio Cammariere, the poetry by Yves Lebreton, the Tofanesca mask by Pino Strabioli, the pure fun of the musical Nunsense of the Compagnia della Rancia by Saverio Marconi, the priceless grace of the actor Quince in the role of Marlene Dietrich and the same Ennio Flaiano played by Roberto Antonelli in the show- tribute Perhaps over time knowing each other worse, written by Gianna Volpi with Rosetta Flaiano, directed by Rossana Siclari and awarded in 2002 with an award from the President of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. From the 2018/2019 season to date, the artistic director is Antonello Avallone.