Estonian Theater Awards announced on ETV show
Friday is Theater Day in Estonia. Due to the coronavirus emergency situation the prize giving gala due to be held at Tartu's Vanemuine Theater was canceled; instead, the theater held a remote awards program in conjunction with ERR and the Estonian Theater Union (Eesti Teatriliit), which was broadcast by ETV on Thursday.
On Saturday, ERR radio channel Vikerraadio is to broadcast a show featuring Madis Kolk, Valle-Sten Maiste and Meelis Oidsalu, who will discuss this year's awards.
According to ERR's Culture portal, the panelists think the awards in their current form are both too costly and unable to keep up with the sheer output of the Estonian theater scene.
They therefore found that it would be best to dispense with the seven-member jury system used at present, and hand out prize money to the creative community instead, using new categories.
This year's awards included best director to Priit Pedajas for "Põud ja vihm Põlva kihelkonnan nelätõistkümnendämä aasta suvõl" and "Linnade põletamine" (both shown at the Estonian Drama Theater in Tallinn), Kristjan Suits (best stage and costume designer), Teele Pärn (best actor-woman) and Karol Kuntsel (best actor-man).
Readers with Estonian can catch the Vikerraadio broadcast at 2.05 p.m. on Saturday.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte