Actor Stefan Danailov Wins Askeer Award for Lifetime Contribution to Theatre

Sofia, May 25 (BTA) – Stefan Danailov, one of Bulgaria’s iconic
actors, won the 2015 Askeer Award for Lifetime Contribution to
the Art of Theatre. The Askeer Theatre Awards were presented for
the 25th time on Sunday, which was the Day of Bulgarian
Education and Culture and Slav Letters.

“I have always loved the audience and have received a lot of love back. I believe in Bulgaria and I believe that Bulgarian theatre will exist in spite of everything”, says Stefan Danailov. He speaks about receiving both his “Askeers” at difficult moments. The first- in the early 90s, when he was going through a political and artistic crisis and the second, now, as a man who from a complete optimist was turning into a man who asks himself “more serious” questions. “I believe that this Askeer will also help me”
– Stefan Danailov (actor and pedagogue) Winner of the “Askeer” 2015 award for Lifetime Contribution to Bulgarian Theatre.

The award ceremony was held at the Bulgarska Armia Theatre in
Sofia under the patronage of Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov
and Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev.

The Best Production Award went to “The House of Anger,” staged
in Vuzrazhdane Theatre. The play is based on Federico Garcia
Lorca’s “The House of Bernarda Alba” and is directed by Diana
Dobreva. “The House of Anger” was also distinguished in the Best
Supporting Actress category, in which the award was shared
between Donka Avramova-Bocheva, Nikolina Yancheva, Filipa
Baldeva, Lilyana Shomova, Yana Kouzova and Zhana Rasheva, all of
them appearing in that play.

Tedi Moskov earned the Askeer Award for Best Director for the
play “As You Want Me” by Luigi Pirandello, staged in the Ivan
Vazov National Theatre. The production also won the awards for
Set Design (conferred on Chavdar Gyuzelev and Ivan Moskov) and
Costumes (Svila Velichkova).

Ilka Zafirova got the Best Leading Actress Award for her part in
Nicholas Wright’s play “Mrs. Klein,” directed by Stilian
Petrov.

Gerassim “Gero” Georgiev was named Best Leading Actor for his
role in “Family Album,” written and directed by Malin Krustev
and staged in the Nikolai Binev Youth Theatre. The play itself
was named Best Contemporary Bulgarian Play.

Stefan Mavrodiev won the Best Supporting Actor Award for his
appearance in the eccentric drama “Fuddy Meers,” written by
David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Ivailo Hristov and staged in
the Nikolai Binev Youth Theatre.

The Rising Star Award was conferred on Radina Doumanyan for her
part in Sarah Ruhl’s play “The Clean House,” directed by Ivan
Ouroumov and staged in Plovdiv Theatre.

The Best Music Award went to Hristo Namliev for his contribution
to Jean Anouilh’s “Antigone,” directed by Ivan Dobchev and
co-produced by Sofia Theatre and the Apollonia Foundation, and
also for the music he wrote for “Momo,” based on the novel by
Michael Ende, directed by Vesselka Kouncheva and staged in the
Nikolai Binev Youth Theatre.

The winners in the 12 categories of the Askeer Theatre Awards
were selected by a large community of theatre makers and other
cultural figures, including actors, directors, set designers,
composers, playwrights, critics, writers, scholars and cultural
scientists. LI/VE