After receiving the award, the ballet dancer, classical dance teacher, ballet master Regīna Kaupuža, actors Vita Vārpiņa, Ģirts Krūmiņš, director Elmārs Seņkovs shared their thoughts with the Latvian Radio program “Kultūras rondo”.
Regīna Kaupuža
Photo: Publicity image
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Regīna Kaupuža received the Helena Tangijeva-Birzniece Award for Merit in Cultural Work, Contribution to the Art of Latvian Ballet and the Upbringing of Young Ballet Artists.
Ingvilda Strautmane: How do you feel this time?
Regīna KaupužaA: This time is a challenge for everyone. The word “challenge” is in vogue for us now, but time is really a challenge. For me, too, from all points of view – both working with artists, students, students, and thinking about my own ideas.
On the one hand, I would say that [laiks] is like such a crazy litmus paper. This is indeed a time-consuming time for students – a test, but at the same time, if we talk about me,
at this very time we are with Gunta [Bāliņu] we decided to write and arrange a book about Irēna Strodi, who is our teacher.
Probably if it weren’t for this “covid”, it would still run. Since I was not allowed to run and the only place I could move was flat, I moved my hand and the thoughts that had arisen long ago were sorted out. That’s how Gunt and I came up with this summer.
If any of the older generations had deserved the Helena Tangiev-Birzniece Award, it was Irēna Strode. In fact, she did no less after Tangiev-Birzniece, she was no less a great personality. She worked in both school and theater, she also staged and these were very contemporary and necessary productions.
Vita Vārpiņa in the play “Doctor”
Photo: Mārcis Baltskars
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Daile Theater actress Vita Vārpiņa was awarded the Lilita Bērziņa Award for her outstanding performance during the last seasons and her artistically high-quality work over many years.
Vita Vārpiņa: It seems to me that the prizes always come unexpectedly, at least for me. The moment you are presented with this prize, then you start thinking about what. I, as such a typical Latvian woman, at the moment when Ojārs Rubenis called me and said: “Vita, this year you have been awarded Lilita Bērziņa prize, ”I replied,“ Me? About what?” That’s also, I think, understandable, because the season is what it is – we were closed most of the year, just like all the other theaters, although
the process in theaters is quite intense, at least in Daile Theater we create performances, only without spectators. This is because do not let water into the pool.
Most of those roles and performances have not been seen by anyone. We look forward to August, when all this will be shown to the public. I’m in a lucky shirt to some extent because Robert Aika’s “Doctor”, staged by Gatis Šmits, experienced its premiere and several other performances until mid – November, when the theaters closed.
To have such a role, audience recognition and awards in such a season – I’m really in a T-shirt!
Ingvilda Strautmane: How will the audience resume playing? For example, the show “Doctor”.
Vita Vārpiņa: Honestly, it scares me. Of course, I don’t take a copy every night and I don’t flip through – that’s not the case. It seems to me that the performances that experienced the audience are encoded somewhere in us. I hope so. Of course, I have to repeat the text and everything else, but in some file on my computer it is. I am very much counting on it. What worries me more are the really interesting performances that have been made, but did not get in the way of the audience. Then there is the feeling – are they born? How to resuscitate it?
Ingvilda Strautmane: Is there a feeling now that something is changing for the better?
Vita Vārpiņa: Afraid to talk about it a bit more. On the one hand – yes, now in June there will be some performances at the Daile Theater, tickets are being bought, there are people who want to see the performances. At the same time – we do not already know what this “kovid” wave may be like in the autumn. I am extremely afraid that again, somewhere in November, part of the public will not be vaccinated or there will be some kind of mutation and it will be the same again. On the one hand, we cannot whine – we are not hungry, we still work, albeit without an audience.
However, this is a time of your creative life that is not that long, and it takes time. Last season is empty. So I thank you all the more for this award, for what I was given.
Ģirts Krūmiņš in the play “Oblomovs”
Photo: Publicity image
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The actor of the New Riga Theater Ģirts Krūmiņš received the Harijs Liepiņš Award for brilliant acting during previous seasons.
Ģirts Krūmiņš: This award is such an essence for this inexplicable profession – an actor. It includes joys and sorrows, very interesting lives, despair, search and travel.
The prize is like a crown for everything. It is very important to me. By the way, it is a very beautiful prize!
Ingvilda Strautmane: In an interview I read that have you done almost everything in the acting profession? Is it true?
Ģirts KrūmiņšA: No, that’s not what I said. I said that there are no challenges in theater right now that would be important to me. Right now.
Ingvilda Strautmane: But there will be!
Ģirts Krūmiņš: You never know. But there are life challenges that are also very exciting!
Elmars Senkovs
Photo: Artis Dzērve
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Director Elmārs Seņkovs was awarded the Eduards Smiļģis Prize for significant, bright innovative directing during previous seasons and for his contribution to the popularization of Latvian theater in Latvia and in the world.
Elmars Senkovs: It is important for us to maintain tolerance and patience, not to become sharp, categorical. It is clear that the only solution for us to overcome this time is to get vaccinated. I am completely in favor of vaccination, but I am against the law completely restricting it. I also feel this from students who cannot participate in the festival just because they have not been vaccinated. People can find various other solutions. We are all already about security. As a theater, we must not cut off the cut-off of who goes to the theater and who doesn’t. I took it very painfully.
At the same time, I am very moved.
This award is probably the most significant I have received in Latvia. I very much appreciate it, because it is given by your colleagues. It is not awarded every year, it is very special and expensive.
It was a great honor for me to be presented by Viesturs Kairišs, whom I have great respect for as a director. His wish to be brave and still be born is important to me. It really seems like it’s too early for me to receive this award. It might seem like it to everyone. Yesterday I transferred my range of performances – I have made 42 performances. If I have this award for 42 performances, then I accept it. Of course, the right path is yet to come. The question is, what is the theater of the future? Smilģis asked. I think we all think about it. This award will make me think more about it.
Ingvilda Strautmane: Are there any versions of what the theater of the future will look like?
Elmars Senkovs: The theater of the future will be what we will be. It is important not to lose humanity. And the main thing is that the theater does not become elitist. Theater must be very close to today’s viewer, because it is the only one that gives the right, possibly answers, critical thinking or asks a question.
Theater is a joke. Theater is the one who always told the truth in the court. He is not taken seriously, but everyone listens to him.
It is important not to forget that whatever the power, the social situation, the theater has the right to say completely paradoxical things and at this point we, as spectators, can draw our own conclusions from it. Theater is the one that has to re-evaluate values every time – our values, which may no longer exist. I am absolutely convinced that we are living in a very interesting and difficult time.
The Jēkabs Duburs Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Research and Teaching of Drama Theory, History and Analysis for Countless Generations of Students has been presented to a literary critic and critic, Professor Emeritus of the Latvian Academy of Culture and Honorary Doctor Gunārs Bībers.
Bieber himself was not present at the ceremony, but his words of thanks were solemnly handed over by his granddaughter.
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