UNITER Senate Awards and nominations for the UNITER Awards Gala 2023

According to the statute of the Romanian Theatre Union, the UNITER Senate - Board of Directors awards the "Ion Caramitru" Excellence Award, the Lifetime Achievement Awards and the Special Awards at the UNITER Awards Gala.

On the basis of the proposals received from the theatres and the proposals of the members of the UNITER Senate, the Senate decided at its meeting on 13 March 2023 on the following awards:

"Ion Caramitru" Excellence Award: INTERFERENCES INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, organized by the Hungarian State Theatre Cluj

Lifetime Achievement Award: IDA JARCSEK-GAZA

Lifetime Achievement Award: ALEXANDRU REPAN

Award for lifetime achievement in directing: LÁSZLÓ BOCSÁRDI

Award for lifetime achievement in set design: CARMENCITA BROJBOIU 

The "George Banu" Prize for the whole critical activity and theatre history: DORU MAREȘ

SPECIAL AWARDS

Special Award Romanian Television for the 30-year strategic partnership

Special award for outstanding contribution to the multicultural life of Timișoara:

National Theatre "Mihai Eminescu" Timișoara, Hungarian State Theatre "Csiky Gergely" Timișoara, German State Theatre, Theatre for Children and Youth "Merlin" Timișoara

Special award for creativity and resilience in independent theatre: AUĂLEU THEATRE

NOMINATIONS FOR THE UNITER 2023 GALA AWARDS

For the 31st edition of the UNITER Awards Gala, the nominations jury was made up of Doru Mareș (theatre critic), Maria Miu (set designer), Victor Scoradeț (theatre critic), Iris Spiridon (director) and Carmen Stanciu (teatrolog).

The shows that have entered the jury's attention are those that premiered between 1 January and 31 December 2022.

Photo from the show "Antonin Artaud. The Cenci Family", after Shelley and Stendhal, directed by Silviu Purcărete, scenography Dragoș Buhagiar, National Theatre "Vasile Alecsandri" Iasi

Nominations for the 2022 theatre year are as follows:

Best show

• "Antonin Artaud. The Cenci Family", after Shelley and Stendhal, directed by Silviu Purcărete, scenography Dragoș Buhagiar, National Theatre "Vasile Alecsandri" Iasi
• "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, directed by Declan Donnellan, scenography Nick Ormerod, "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre Craiova
• "Seaside Stories" by Marius Chivu, Lavinica Mitu, Dan Alexe, Simona Goșu, Tudor Ganea, Nicoleta Dabija, directed by Radu Afrim, script, sound universe, set design by Theodor Cristian Niculae, Constanta State Theatre

Best Director (Lucian Pintilie Award)

• Declan Donnellan for the direction of "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre Craiova
• Silviu Purcărete for directing the performance "Antonin Artaud. The Cenci Family", after Shelley and Stendhal, National Theatre "Vasile Alecsandri" Iasi
• Andri Zholdak for the direction of the performance "Woman of the Sea" by Henrik Ibsen, "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre Craiova

Best set design

• Dragos Buhagiar for the scenography of the performance "Antonin Artaud. The Cenci Family", after Shelley and Stendhal, directed by Silviu Purcărete, National Theatre "Vasile Alecsandri" Iasi
• Oana Micu for the scenography of the performance "Blasted" by Sarah Kane, directed by Bobi Pricop, "Andrei Mureșanu" Theatre, Sfântu Gheorghe
• Danilo Zholdak for the set of the performance "The Woman of the Sea" by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Andri Zholdak, National Theatre "Marin Sorescu" Craiova

Best Actor in a Leading Role

• Claudiu Bleonț for the role Harpagon from the performance "The Miser" by Molière, directed, scenic version, lighting design, musical illustration Felix Alexa, National Theatre "Marin Sorescu" Craiova
• Claudiu Mihail for the title role in "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, directed by Declan Donnellan, "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre Craiova
• Victor Rebengiuc for the title role in "The Father" by Florian Zeller, directed by Cristi Juncu, Bulandra Theatre Bucharest

Best Actress in a Leading Role

• Ada Lupu for the role Beatrice Cenci from the performance "Antonin Artaud. The Cenci Family", after Shelley and Stendhal, directed by Silviu Purcărete, National Theatre "Vasile Alecsandri" Iasi
• Éva Imre for the role Barbarian B from the performance "Young Barbarians", inspired by the lives of Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, based on a text by Miklós Vecsei H. and improvisations by the creative team, directed by Attila Vidnyánszky Jr., Hungarian State Theatre Cluj and the Castle Theatre in Gyula, Hungary
• Costinela Ungureanu for the role Ellida Wangel from the play "Woman of the Sea" by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Andri Zholdak, "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre Craiova

Best Supporting Actor

See Also

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• Dan Pughineanu for the role Marlene, host from the performance "Opera de trei parale", directed, choreographed, costumes by Răzvan Mazilu, Excelsior Theatre Bucharest
• Theodor Soptelea for the roles in "Seaside Stories" by Marius Chivu, Lavinica Mitu, Dan Alexe, Simona Goșu, Tudor Ganea, Nicoleta Dabija, directed by Radu Afrim, script, sound universe, Constanta State Theatre
• Vlad Udrescu for the role Creon from "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, directed by Declan Donnellan, "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre Craiova

         Photo from the show "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles, directed by Declan Donnellan, scenography Nick Ormerod, "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre Craiova

Best Supporting Actress

• Raluca Aprodu for the role Dora Dulebov from the play "The Righteous" by Albert Camus, directed by Mihai Măniuțiu, "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre in Bucharest
• Cendana Trifan for the role Daughter from the performance "Mother" by Marta Barceló, directed by Mariana Cămărășan, "Radu Stanca" National Theatre Sibiu

• Nina Udrescu for the roles in "Seaside Stories" by Marius Chivu, Lavinica Mitu, Dan Alexe, Simona Goșu, Tudor Ganea, Nicoleta Dabija, directed by Radu Afrim, script, sound universe, Constanta State Theatre

Theatre criticism

• Alina Epîngeac
• Claudiu Groza
• Irina Zlotea

Best Radio Drama Performance

• "Carnival", radio script by Alexa Visarion, based on I.L. Caragiale's play, a performance by Alexa Visarion, Romanian Broadcasting Society
• "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, radio dramatization and artistic direction Diana Mihailopol, Romanian Broadcasting Society
• "Văzduh" by George Gordon Byron, John M. Hull, Liviu Oros, concept and directed by Victor Olăhuț, Cultură'n Șură

Debut

• Irina Artenii for the role in the performance "Rafina", O2G Association, Bucharest
• Măriuca-Serena Bosnea for the role Catherine Sergeyevna Odinov, sister of Anna from the play "Parents and Children" by Brian Friel, dramatization based on Turgheniev's novel, directed by Vlad Massaci, "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre in Bucharest
• Theodor Cristian Niculae for the scenography of the performance "Seaside Stories" by Marius Chivu, Lavinica Mitu, Dan Alexe, Simona Goșu, Tudor Ganea, Nicoleta Dabija, direction, script, sound universe Radu Afrim, Constanta State Theatre

Photo from the show "Seaside Stories" by Marius Chivu, Lavinica Mitu, Dan Alexe, Simona Goșu, Tudor Ganea, Nicoleta Dabija, Director, script, sound universe Radu Afrim, scenography Theodor Cristian Niculae, Constanta State Theatre

The best Romanian dramatic text staged in absolute premiere*

• "Ierbar", written and directed by Radu Afrim, based on texts by Simona Popescu, National Theatre Târgu Mureș, Company - "Liviu Rebreanu"
• "Medea: Furies", text and direction Radu Popescu, Apropo Theatre Bucharest
• "Brabant", text and direction Leta Popescu, Dramatic Theatre "Fani Tardini" Galați

*In the context of the emergence of more and more drama competitions at national level, after 30 years of existence of the "Best Romanian Play of the Year" program, the UNITER Senate - Board of Directors of our union has decided to reformulate it by introducing a new award in the UNITER Awards Gala's list of nominations, namely the Award for "Best Romanian Dramatic Text staged as an Absolute Premiere", in the hope that in this way we will better value the new Romanian drama and support the staging of new texts.