Best Musical goes to to the Cameri for 'Yentl' and Best Entertainment to Hanoch Rosen, for his witty 'Speaks for Itself.'
By HELEN KAYE
The Jerusalem Khan and the Beersheba Theaters led the pack with five and four awards, respectively, in the 2009 Israel Theater Prizes Theater Awards that took place on Friday. Beit Lessin got Play of the Year for the second time with The Banality of Love, by Savyon Librecht.Best Musical went to the Cameri for Yentl and Best Entertainment to Hanoch Rosen, for his witty Speaks for Itself.The Khan’s often-nominated Arye Tcherner finally and deservedly won Best Actor for his Boniface Victor Felix in Udi Ben Moshe’s production of The American Princess. The play also garnered Best Revival and Best Lighting. Comedy of the year was Moliere’s The Scams of Scapin, also directed by Ben-Moshe. La Grande Magia won Yosef Bardanashvili Composer of the Year. Ido Ricklin’s magical The Count of Monte Cristo won Israeli Debut Play of the Year at Beersheba, plus Best Supporting Actor for Alon Ofir, and Best Set Design for Neta Haker. Yonit Tubi was acclaimed Best Actress in the title role of Piaf.Best Supporting Actress went to Neta Garty for Honey in the Cameri’s Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf.Playwright-director Yehoshua Sobol received a standing ovation when he was called to receive his Lifetime Achievement award.The ceremony at the Gesher Theater in Jaffa was directed by Moshe Beker and hosted by Galit Giat.