The 21st Theatre Union Awards Gala

Recently, the Grand Hall of the National Theatre in Iasi hosted the 21st Romanian Theatre Union Awards Gala.

Luana Pleşea, 27.05.2013, 15:01

Recently, the Grand Hall of the National Theatre in Iasi hosted the 21st edition of the Romanian Theatre Union Awards Gala. This was the second time the Gala travelled away from Bucharest, after going to Sibiu in 2007, which that year was designated European Capital of Culture.

Considered the oldest and most beautiful of its kind in the country, the building currently housing the National Theatre was built between 1894 and 1896 based on plans drawn by the Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer, who built similar constructions in Vienna, Prague, Odessa and Zurich. After getting a much-needed facelift, the building was re-inaugurated in June 2012, without much change in architecture. Hanging in the middle of the hall is a chandelier with 109 light bulbs made of Vienna crystal, with 1,418 electric lights around the ceiling illuminating the Rococo paradise allegories, nymphs and cherubs painted by Alexandru Goltz. It is the beauty of this hall that convinced the chairman of the Theatre Union to host the awards gala here. His stated intention was to show support for the city’s application to become European Capital of Culture in 2021. If the city of Iasi wins the bid, the National Theatre would play an important role in the project.

Actor Constantin Chiriac, the director of the National Theatre in Sibiu and the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, talked about this ambition as he was presenting the most coveted award of the gala, the best theatre play award, to Silviu Purcarete for his Gulliver’s Travels:

“Many years ago I was going to my very first theatre play here, at the Iasi National Theatre, as a student at the Costache Negruzzi High School. Today I come to salute Iasi for its application for European Capital of Culture in the name of Sibiu, which enjoyed this title in 2007. I wish you a lot of success. Gulliver’s Travels was staged at the Edinburgh festival thanks to the great success enjoyed there by Purcarete’s Faust in 2009. Last year, Silviu Purcarete received in Edinburgh what is likely the most important award in Europe, the Herald Angel. Thanks to the success which confirms today’s award, the National Theatre in Sibiu will be present at the Edinburgh festival with a show of its own choosing, which is a first in the history of the festival. At the same time, we are invited next year to the Avignon Theatre Festival in the official section. We are proud to work with such outstanding directors.”

The play Two Lottery Tickets, staged by Alexandru Dabija at the National Theatre in Bucharest won two awards: for best director and for best stage design. The play Hedda Gabler, staged by Andrei Serban at the Hungarian State Theatre in Cluj Napoca, reaped three awards: best leading actress, best supporting actress, and best actor.

While Radu Afrim did not win the best director award, where he was nominated for his staging of The Ordeal at the Bucharest National Theatre, one of his actresses, Silvia Török did receive an award: the best stage debut award for her role in Afrim’s Girl in the Goldfish Bowl staged at the German State Theatre in Timisoara. Silvia Török told us about her character, Iris:

“Iris is an 11 year-old girl who is very special. The character developed as we worked on the play. This is a very dear character to me thanks to Radu Afrim, who helped me give it shape and gain a certain concept about this little girl, who I now play lovingly. I think I was lucky. In my opinion, the entire play deserved an award. I got very emotional, because I was there with the colleagues in my theatre school class, my sister, and Radu Afrim, who stood by me. It was very emotional to stand on that stage and represent this entirety, which was very rich and very difficult.”

Another very important award of the evening was for best leading actor, won by George Costin for this role as the major in the play ‘The Tot Family’, staged by director Victor Ioan Frunza at the Nicolae Balcescu Cultural Centre in Bucharest.

The highlight of the evening was the Lifetime Achievement Award. In the female category the award was granted to Leni Pinţea Homeag, for her 45 year-long career at the Craiova National Theatre. Here is her reaction:

“For me, every award I got along my career was a joy, but also motivation for what was ahead of me. I always felt obliged to do more, and do better. However, I think that the most valuable awards are those won when you gain recognition after five, ten, fifteen years. I love this award. I am honoured by this distinction. I dedicate this award to the directors who trusted me, offering me so many challenging roles. I remember Silviu Purcarete, because it was my longest period of collaboration with someone, with five grand plays and ten years of international tours. I dedicate this award to theatre, which has been with me when no one else was.”

The National Theatre Bucharest also received an excellence award for its exceptional 2012 programme dedicated to the playwright I.L. Caragiale.