Choosing the nominees for theatre prizes is no easy task. The a press meeting that took place at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, March 28, 2011, Chairman of the Theatre Prize Association Itamar Gourvitch, Chairman of the Selection Committee, Ret. Judge Shelly Timen and member of the judging panel, Accountant Alex Hillman announced the nominees and explained the process. Those voting on the plays – an academy of 40 members elected for this purpose – have been seeing 4 plays a week from January, 2010 through December, 2010, to ensure that all voting members will see at least 90% of the plays eligible for nomination.
“The Theatre Prize is a long-standing tradition,” said Timen, “perhaps for that very reason; we are making changes, trying to find ways to arrive at results that are more fair and accurate.” Timen noted that “there’s a lot of emotion in the theatre world” as he described the changes that have been made in the process, after drawing conclusions from the outcome of changes initiated last year.
One dramatic difference from last year is that the prize for Best Play of the Year has been reinstated. Introducing an extra measure of suspense, the plays nominated will not be revealed, and the winner will be announced at the Theatre Prize Awards ceremony to be held on May 13, 2011. The ceremony will take place at Gesher Theatre, in the presence of Minister of Culture Limor Livnat and Mayor of Tel Aviv Ron Huldai. Actor Oded Teomi will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s ceremony.
The committee appointed to oversee the viewing process, voting and counting of ballots includes: Chairman of the committee Judge, ret. Shelly Timen; Shmuel Omer; Yaron Sadan; Yeki Hartal; Prof. David Alexander and Zvia Hoberman. The committee elected an academy of 40 members – theatre professionals and theatre enthusiasts – who were to select nominees in 19 categories.
The plays nominated for the 2010 Theatre Prizes are:
Best Original Israeli Play
Ghetto – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
The Artistocrats – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Grocery Store – Co-produced by Beit Lessin Theatre and the Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Rochale is Getting Married – Beit Lessin Theatre
Best Play in Translation/Adaptation
A Few Good Men – Beit Lessin Theatre
The Cherry Orchard – Khan Theatre
Every Good Boy Deserves Favor – Haifa Municipal Theatre
The Caucasian Chalk Circle – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Six Characters in Search of an Author – Gesher Theatre
Best Comedy
Le Malade Imaginaire – Beer Sheva Theatre
Twelfth Night – Khan Theatre
Servant of Two Masters – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Play it Again Sam – Beer Sheva Theatre
Best Entertainment
Shining Stars – Yiddishpiel Theatre
Carlebach is Alive! – Yiddishpiel Theatre
Best Actor in Leading Role
Dror Keren as Truffaldino in Servant of Two Masters – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Mordi Gershon as Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee in A Few Good Men – Beit Lessin Theatre
Moshe Ivgy as Vasily Pozdnyshev in Kruetzer Sonata – Gesher Theatre
Norman Issa as Ivanov in Every Good Boy Deserves Favor – Haifa Municipal Theatre
Sasson Gabai as Shloimeh in Rochale is Getting Married – Beit Lessin Theatre
Best Actress in Leading Role
Leora Rivlin as Ranevskaya in The Cherry Orchard – Khan Theatre
Liz Ravian in “Hochacha” – The Library Theatre, Beit Zvi School of the Performing Arts
Netta Gerty as Grusha in The Caucasian Chalk Circle – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Tiki Dayan as Leitsche in Grocery Store – Co-produced by Beit Lessin Theatre and The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Amir Kraif as Beralde in Le Malade Imaginaire – Beer Sheva Theatre
Erez Shafrir as Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night – Khan Theatre
Yehoyachin Friedlander as Feste in Twelfth Night – Khan Theatre
Yehezkel Lazarov as Rudi Bukstein in The Aristocrats – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Dvora Kedar as the mother of Holdonke, Barbuba the Whore, in Morris Shimmel – Co-produced by the Haifa Municipal Theatre and Habima National Theatre
Elena Yerlova as Vera in The Aristocrats – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Hanni Firstenberg as the doll in Ghetto – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Maya Dagan as Leah in Rochale is Getting Married – Beit Lessin Theatre
Director of the Year
Udi Ben Moshe – Twelfth Night – Khan Theatre
Udi Ben Moshe – The Caucasian Chalk Circle – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Moni Moshonov – Servant of Two Masters – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Omri Nitzan – Ghetto – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Playwright of the Year
Hillel Mittelpunkt – A Railroad to Damascus – Habima National Theatre
Savyon Liebrecht – Rochale is Getting Married – Beit Lessin Theatre
Edna Mazya – The Aristocrats – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Shlomi Moskowitz – Kochav Yair – Habima National Theatre
Translator of the Year
Eli Bijaoui – Play it Again Sam – Beer Sheva Theatre
Dori Parnes – Every Good Boy Deserves Favor – Haifa Municipal Theatre
Roy Chen – Kreutzer Sonata – Gesher Theatre
Roy Chen – Revizor – Gesher Theatre
Best Set Design
Michael Kremenko – Kreutzer Sonata – Gesher Theatre
Miki Ben Cnaan – Twelfth Night – Khan Theatre
Frieda Klafholtz – The Caucasian Chalk Circle – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Roni Toren – Ghetto – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Best Costume Design
Orna Smorgonsky – Ghetto – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Ofra Confino – The Caucasian Chalk Circle – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Ofra Confino – Servant of Two Masters – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Polina Adamov – Twelfth Night – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Best Lighting Design
Avi Yona (Bambi) – Six Characters in Search of an Author – Gesher Theatre
Ori Morag – Spring Awakening – Beit Lessin Theatre
Yaakov Salib – Woyzeck – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Felice Ross – Ghetto – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Best Composer of Music for the Theatre
Andre Previn – Every Good Boy Deserves Favor – Haifa Municipal Theatre
Yossi Ben Nun – Ghetto – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Josef Bardanashvili – Twelfth Night – Khan Theatre
Keren Peles – The Caucasian Chalk Circle – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Best Choreography
Iris Livne – Le Malade Imaginaire – Beer Sheva Theatre
Gilad Kimchi – Spring Awakening – Beit Lessin Theatre
Oz Morag – Ghetto – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Zachi Patish – Servant of Two Masters – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Most Promising Actor of the Year
Oren Cohen as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Beer Sheva Theatre
Ariel Wolf as Orsino in Twelfth Night – Khan Theatre
Yuval Banai as Madame Pace in Six Characters in Search of an Author – Gesher Theatre
Ido Bartel as Melchior in Spring Awakening – Beit Lessin Theatre
Shlomi Avraham in several roles in The Caucasian Chalk Circle – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Most Promising Actress of the Year
Anna Dubrovitsky as Julia in Kochav Yair, Habima National Theatre
Dina Sanderson as Debbie Ben Cnaan in The Aristocrats – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Merav Shirom in several roles in Play it Again Sam – Beer Sheva Theatre
Ninet Tayeb as Wendela in Spring Awakening – Beit Lessin Theatre
Ruthie Asarsay as Marie in Woyzeck – The Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv
Check them out (if you haven’t already done so) and see how your opinion compares with the judges!
