2010 – 2011 Stage Awards for Children and Youth

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Orna Porat/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

The night belonged to Orna Porat, and one could not imagine a more fitting celebration of the Israel Prize laureate, actress and founder of the Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth and Assitej Israel. Orna’s Magic, an Orna Porat Theater production written by Hagit Rechavi-Nikolayevsky in tribute to Orna Porat, and directed by Rafi Niv, won 9 awards at the ceremony for the 2010 – 2011 Stage Awards for Children and Youth, including Best Author, Best Director and Best Children’s Play.

The entire Orna’s Magic team came up to accept the award for Best Children’s Play, and Orna Porat said, “I have a special love for schools. When I was ten years old our principal took us to see a play at the large opera house of Cologne. I was enchanted. Everyone spoke in hushed tones and the mood was festive. When the red curtain opened I knew: I will be an actress. This is my life.”

Orna Porat with Micky Yerushalmi and Ran Gwetta, General Director of the Orna Porat Theater/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

The feisty grand lady of Israeli theatre then undercut her own drama with humor, saying, “Then I came to Israel where I could continue to act, but not in the kibbutz of the Shomer HaTzair. They said I could have half a day off each month for acting. Acting is something you live every day, hour by hour. So I couldn’t join the kibbutz.” Porat praised the new generation leading the theater she founded – Artistic Directors, Yaki Mechrez (former) and Gil Chernovitch (current) and General Director Ran Gwetta, and gave special thanks to Micky Yerushalmi for renaming the children’s theater in her honor, on the occasion of the theater’s 40th anniversary last year.

Minister of Culture and Sport Limor Livnat/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

The 2010 – 2011 Stage Awards for Children and Youth were presented on August 22, 2011 at the Givatayim Theatre. The ceremony was written and directed by Dana Dvorin, with musical direction and arrangements by Amir Peri and Ben Zaidman. Israeli Minister of Culture and Sport Limor Livnat commended all those engaged creating quality theatre for young audiences, and Israel Assitej President Razi Amitai delivered his greetings. Host Yuval Stunis opened with a sweetly magical children’s song – “If I Could be a Magician” and accompanied by the cheerful energies of real children onstage, Stunis set the tone for a fun, light-hearted evening. A zippy pace and comic scenes introduced each award, making sure that the audience had a good time.

Yuval Stunis and kids performing at the Stage Awards for Children/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Awards were presented in the following categories:

Ella Kolsenik/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Puppet and Prop Design: Einat Schlesinger and Ella Kolsenik for Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth and Inbal Dance Theatre.

Ziv Volshin/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Lighting Design: Ziv Volshin for Orna’s Magic, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Sasha Lisensky/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Set Design: Sasha Lisensky for Orna’s Magic, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Adam Keller and Liron Gat/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Costume Design: Liron Gat and Adam Keller for Something Wonderful is Going to Happen, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Orna Porat Theater Artistic Director Gil Tchernovitz and General Director Ran Gwetta/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Choreography: Galia Fradkin for Something Wonderful is Going to Happen, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Ran Bagno/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Composition/Arrangements: Ran Bagno for Orna’s Magic, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Emmanuel Hanoun/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Emmanuel Hanoun for Orna’s Magic, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Shir Mirom/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Merav Shirom for Orna’s Magic, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Shir Shinar/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Best Actor: Shir Shinar for The World According to Alon, the Israeli Children and Youth Social Theatre and the Haifa International Children’s Theatre Festival.

Noa Biron/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Best Actress: Noa Biron for Orna’s Magic, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Hagit Rechavi-Nikolayevsky/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Best Author (play or adaptation): Hagit Rechavi-Nikolayevsky for Orna’s Magic, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Rafi Niv/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Best Director: Rafi Niv for Orna’s Magic, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Howard Rypp and cast of Nephesh Theater's Hana's Suitcase/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Best Interdisciplinary Play: Hana’s Suitcase, Nephesh Theatre.

 

The team that created Orna's Magic/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Best Play for Children:  Orna’s Magic, Orna Porat Theater for Children and Youth.

Rafi Niv, director of Double Ora/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Best Play for Youth: Double Ora (Ora Hakfoola) based on Erich Kästner’s classic, Holon Mediatheque and National Theatre for Children and Youth.

Itamar Gourvitch and Dana Dvorin/Photo: Elizur Reuveni

Itamar Gourvitch is the Director of the Stage Awards for Children and Youth, members of the Board of the Directors are: Avigail Shemer, Hanoch Reim, Anat Messner and Ran Guetta. Galit Bersky coordinated the judges panel, whose members are: Orly Adiri, Bracha Zemach, Gideon Shirin, Yoav Liphshitz, Michal Bloomenfeld, Nira Paz, Ravid Davra, Rimona Lapin and Rani Sa’ar, with Arieh Hanan as supervisor of the voting process. The ceremony was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Sport, the Israeli Council for Culture and Art, Givatayim Theatre and Sal Tarbut Artzi.