Theatrical pearl fishing during a pandemic. In which nominations were the hottest jury disputes?

Publicity (Kristaps Kalns) photo

Aija Kaukule, “Latvijas Avīze”, JSC “Latvijas Mediji”

Although the award ceremony of the 27th Latvian Theater Award “Players’ Night” will take place remotely tonight without the presence of the public due to the pandemic, it does not mean that the competition for the best players and performances is less fierce.

2019/2020. This year’s “Players’ Night” awards will be presented in 18 categories this year – the new 17 have been joined by one new one – “Event of the Year in the Digital Environment”. Looking at the theater family as a whole, the Latvian National Theater has a significant predominance this year (27 nominations), the closest followers are the New Riga Theater (14 nominations) and the Liepāja Theater (12 nominations). Meanwhile, among the performances in the leaders (nine nominations) there is the production of the Latvian National Theater “A Boy Who Saw in the Dark”, right next to the eight performances of the Liepaja Theater “Shakespeare”.

Undoubtedly it can be said that this has been not only the longest (extension for three summer months), but also the most unusual and confusing season in the history of our theater, in which many premieres did not reach the audience, but unexpected theatrical forms were born. .

“The season was divided into several parts – at the beginning of the traditional season, then in March, when the theaters tried to reorient to the new season, thinking about creating digital products, and during the summer, when the theater resumed with great caution and safety. In the summer, the open-air theater made a serious statement, where you can talk about many current things, which until now were more part of the entertainment genre, ”says Andra Rutkēviča, a theater critic and a representative of the“ Players’ Night ”award jury.

She also points out: “This season has clearly shown that theater is a full-time art.

At the same time, the theater offered new forms and solutions in the digital environment, there were interesting works, and this is likely to affect on-site theater in the future. And this season was marked by the entry of new theaters into our overall theater landscape, which is reflected in the “Players’ Night” nominations. “

Mission Impossible – Best Actor

The hottest discussions in the jury have traditionally unfolded, judging who will be raised this autumn in honor of the best actor and actress of the year. Two colleagues of the New Riga Theater – Andris Keišs and Ģirts Krūmiņš – compete for the title of the best actor, moreover, both for the roles of legendary theater directors (Eduards Smiļģis and Pēteris Pētersons) in Gatas Šmits’ performance “In Search of a Player”.

Both theater legends are mentioned in the footsteps of the new generation – National Theater actor Kārlis Reijers for the wonderfully easy-to-play son of a blind parent in this year’s most nominated show “This is where the night begins.”

“There were a lot of good acting works last season, but the nominations are really those that can be said to be excellent. The jury worked as pearl fishermen throughout the season, and these highlights are different, more visible either in the season or in a different context, ”reveals Andris Rutkēviča.

Speaking about the fiercest competition between the five, undoubtedly wonderful actresses nominated for the “Players’ Night” award (Maija Doveika, Esmeralda Ermale, Inese Kučinska, Marija Linarte, Ieva Segliņa), it should be thought that it will turn out between Inese Kučinska’s role in the – Richard III in Elmar Senenkov’s bloody theater cocktail “Shakespeare” – and the tragic “Empty Flower” Jerm, embodied in the May Doveika National Theater, which has become another pearl in the actress’ successful series of tragic roles.

Along with directors and directors

Perhaps the most unexpected surprise can be expected in the “Director of the Year” category. Eduards Liniņš, a representative of the jury, commentator and translator, also points out that the nominees are in very similar weight categories – everyone has managed to create one or more exciting, innovative and noteworthy theatrical works.

Will Valters Sīlis finally receive the honor of the best director after staying in the ranks several times (“The Boy Who Saw in the Dark”, “Finlandization”, “Looks Like You Will Die” (together with Kati Krolli), “Victory is a Moment”), who has already gained a significant majority of votes in the critics’ poll published by the website “Kroders.lv”? Perhaps, however, the title of Director of the Year will be regained by the heavyweights of the director already named “Players’ Night” – Elmar Senkov (“Shakespeare”, “Hunting”, “α SAPIENSI”, “Iran Conference”) or Vladislav Nastavshev (“Here the Night Begins”, “Five Songs by memory ”). But maybe the jury’s assessment will be in favor of one of the strong women’s voices – Ināra Sluck (“Empty Flower (Jerma)”) is repeatedly nominated for the Director of the Year, while Krista Burāne (“Immoral”) is a significant competitor with excellent fresh performances. in a populated area.

Independent theaters mention on their heels?

The representatives of the “Players’ Night” jury admit that last season may have given some advantages to non-governmental theaters and new theater associations, which are accustomed to everyday life in unstable and changing conditions, therefore the most interesting offers in the conditions of pandemic restrictions came from this theater field.

The names of non-state theaters are more than visible in almost all nomination categories, claiming to be significant competitors in the competition for prizes. It is next to Daile Theater “Elpa”, Liepaja Theater “Shakespeare” and National Theater “Empty Flower. (Jerma) ”also competes for the honor of the Great Form of the Year with the theater troupe“ Kvadrifrons ”and Valteris Sīlis’ exciting performance “Victory is a Moment” at the Valmiera Theater Festival, leaving many masterpieces such as Alvis Hermans and Mihailis Bari helicopter ‘.

“My brightest impression is the Valmiera Summer Theater Festival, which this year was extremely strong with the participation of very significant creative forces, very interesting productions. On the one hand – Valmiera Theater in itself cannot be proud of the nomination of large floods, but the theater has reason to be proud, because without it there would not be such a bright theatrical art event, ”says jury member Eduards Liniņš.

Digital theater has its own category

The restrictions of the pandemic in the spring and summer encouraged theaters and theater associations to create new forms of theater remotely, and various e-performances could be viewed and listened to on the web, forcing the jury to break their heads and start watching similar to the theatrical experience.

“The question was whether to evaluate artistic attempts or any communication between the theaters of the pandemic and the audience. In the end, we stuck to the fact that our task is to evaluate creative work, and for this purpose a separate nomination was adopted “Event of the Year in the Digital Environment”, “reveals a member of the jury. It includes everything that theaters tried to do outside the traditional format – “Quadrifron’s” audition “Roland’s Song”, online performances “24h” (“Quadrifron”), “Vol.1 Antiņš” (theater association “PERFOrācija”), and recorded performances (National Theater e-performance cycle “White Cube”), and Liepāja Theater miniseries cycle “Patakoļako”.

However, I would like to mention the production of the play “Iran Conference” by Ivan Viripayev, a collaboration between director Elmars Senkovs and actors from Riga, Liepaja and Valmiera theaters, for whom the digital form has really proved to be an advantage, not an obstacle to conveying an exciting and clever message.

“Players’ Night” ceremony – in Liepaja

* The “Players’ Night” ceremony will, as always, take place on the birthday of the patriarch of the Latvian Theater Eduards Smiļģis today, November 23, and this time – in the Liepāja Concert Hall “Lielais dzintars”. However, only nominees with “second parties” are invited to the ceremony in person.

* The audience will be able to follow the whole event live on Latvian Television and “Latvijas Radio 1” live (at 9.10 pm).

* The script of the “Players’ Night” ceremony was written by playwright Rasa Bugavičute-Pēce, but its director is Liepāja Theater actor Mārtiņš Kalita.

* The ceremony will honor the recipients of this year’s award “For a lifetime contribution to theater art” – director Māra Ķimele and actor Leonīds Lencs.

“Latvijas Avīze” forecasts: the brightest gamblers

* Annual big show – “Empty Flower (Jerma)” (Latvian National Theater, director Ināra Slucka).

* Performance of the small form of the year – “The boy who saw in the dark” (director Valters Sīlis).

* Director of the Year – Valters Sīlis (“The Boy Who Saw in the Dark”), “Finlandization” (Latvian National Theater), “Looks Like You Will Die” (with Kati Krolli) (Dirty Deal Teatro, Latvian New Theater Institute), ” Victory is a moment ”(Valmiera Summer Theater Festival).

* Actor of the Year – Igors Šelegovskis (Žils in the play “The Night Begins Here”, Gertrudes Street Theater).

* Actress of the Year – Inese Kučinska (Richard III in the play “Shakespeare”, Liepaja Theater).

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