In the presence of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulidis, the awarding ceremony of the THOK Theater Awards for the year 2023 was held on the evening of Thursday, March 28, at the THOK Theatre, with the awarding of three creators of the theater.
The THOK Grand Prize was awarded to the actor Stavros Lourathe Creator of the Year Award to the director Pari Erotokritos and the New Artist of the Year Award for musical performer Anastasia Dimitriadou (Nama Dama).
The emotion-charged ceremony was watched and enthusiastically applauded by distinguished guests, politicians, artists, people of letters and the arts, representatives of the media, including: the representative of the General Secretary of the K.E. of AKEL George Loukaidis, the representative of the President of K.S. of EDEK Maria Vasiliadouthe Minister of the Interior Konstantinos Ioannouthe Member of Parliament Christiana Erotokritouthe Deputy Minister to the President Irini Pikithe Deputy Minister of Culture Vasiliki Kassianidouthe Mayor of Strovolos Andreas Papacharalambousthe Director General of RIK Thanasis Tsokos.
In his greeting, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulidis, said, among other things: “(…) It is an indisputable fact that theater has a great impact on society as a whole and can shape values, perceptions and life attitudes. And, yes, through theater a revolution can start. We all carry within us indelible impressions and experiences from theatrical performances, images and experiences that trouble us, move us, sometimes relax us, impress us and I dare say that in many cases they have defined us. The theater has always been – and as a Government we will ensure this, our main goal in relation to the theatre, that it remains – our second school. Tonight the Cyprus Theater Organization (THOK), the pillar of our country’s theatrical creation, honors and awards three renowned artists who left their mark and stood out with their creations and acting skills.(…)”
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of THOK, Pantelis Voutouris, noted in his own greeting: “(…) Banks, education, state institutions and power mechanisms exist because they serve specific practices and our daily needs. But why do we need the theater? To which needs of modern man does the fictitious heterocosm of the theater respond? The question may seem reasonable to some. But let’s look at the issue differently, inverting it: what would our world be like if man had evolved to be content only with what satisfied his practical and material needs? What would man be without dreams and their labyrinths, without art and myths, without theater? How would it then differ from the machines he creates? The hypothesis of a society without art is written by a modern thinker, Ernst Fischer, in his book Art and humanityis terrifying in itself.(…)”
Award ceremony
THOK Grand Prize
The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, addressed a greeting and presented the THOK Grand Prize to Stavros Louras.
Award Rationale
The THOK Grand Prize is awarded to the actor Stavros Loura. A charismatic and giving artist, with an undeniable comedic temperament, who manages to combine realism in a balanced way, giving his dramatic roles genuine sincerity and sensitivity, Stavros Louras has unwaveringly served the Cypriot theater for fifty years. With kindness, dedication and conscientiousness, he has so far carved out an enviable career on the stage with numerous important performances.
Stavros Louras stood out with his stage acumen in both comedic and dramatic roles through an admittedly impressive theatrical career, which proves his wide range of interpretations and the wealth of his collaborations.
During the period in question he stood out for his performance as Alfred Ill in the show The visit of the old lady by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, directed by Neophytos Taliotis and produced by THOK. Ill’s existential anguish was rendered with exquisite interiority, a sense of measure and a particularly sensitive tone, managing to condense all the significant pauses, silences and tensions of a tragic hero on his way to death.
Creator of the Year Award
The Deputy Minister of Culture, Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou, presented the Creator of the Year Award to Paris Erotokritos.
Award Rationale
The Creator of the Year Award goes to director Pari Erotokritou, for his work on the projects Rabid cat by Tennessee Williams (produced by THOK) and Krapp’s last tape by Samuel Beckett (Fresh Target Theater Ensemble production). A versatile artist, Paris Erotokritou has proven to be an excellent orchestrator of a multi-voiced and meaningful theater: shaper of large or small spaces, which encompass the dreamy and the real, the paradox and the truth; creator of visual compositions and perfect visual as well as soundscapes that assimilate the technological possibilities both on the stage and on the cinema screen, thus highlighting the interpretive skill of the actors. Paris Erotokritos’ directorial vision is restless, uncompromising and full of surprises, offering viewers a new perspective on the theatrical act.
New Creator of the Year Award
The President of the Board of Directors of THOK Pantelis Voutouris addressed a greeting and awarded the New Creator of the Year Award to Anastasia Dimitriadou (Nama Dama).
Award Rationale
The New Artist of the Year Award goes to music performer Anastasia Dimitriadou (Nama Dama). For the current year, the creator stood out for her on-stage musical performances in THOK productions Rabid cat by Tennessee Williams, directed by Pari Erotokritos and Lysistrata by Aristophanes, directed by Marios Mettis. Anastasia Dimitriadou proved to be an excellent musical interlocutor of the overall action and the actors in the two productions, taking over the musical teaching, but also enriching both her vocal abilities and her stage presence the musical culture of her Mad cat and her pop dynamic Lysistrates.
Ceremony contributors
- Editing / Selection of texts: Maria Kyriakou and Fotis Nikolaou
- Costume editing: Konstantina Andreou
- Music: Panos Bartzis
- Choreography: Fotis Nikolaou
- On stage: Actors Dimitris Antoniou, Andria Zeniou, Michalis Kazakas, Andreas Koutsoubas, Loukia Pieridou Dancers Anna Nikolaou, Yiannis Economidis, Katerina Tylliridou
- Video Production / Editing: Volume Films
- Lighting design: George Koukoumas
- Motion design: Anastasia Melantinou
- Projector Operation: Yagos Hatzigiannis
- Graphics: Katerina Tseva
- Pronunciation: Marina Argyridou
- Makeup: George Vavanos
- Hair: Sotiris Foiniris
- Stage Address: Achilles Achilles
- Coordination / Organization: Maria Efstathiou, Andris Diamantidou
Jury Committee of the THOK Theater Awards for the year 2023
Chairman
- Antigone Papaphilippou, former President D.S. THOK
Members
- Silver Sunday, Theatricalist THOK
- Andri Evmidou, dramatist, THEpotter
- Maria Kavkaridou, dramatist, Philitologist
- George Papageorgiou, Composer
