The Argentine writer and director Lola Arias won the Ibsen International Theater Prize on Wednesday. The silver prize is awarded by the Norwegian government and Its value is $254,000..
To select the winner, a jury of academics evaluates theatrical work around the world for two years and distinguishes a person for his impeccable work and contribution to the art. And this year the great honor went to an Argentinian.
A couple of years ago Lola Arias is based in Berlin, and with great joy he shared the news through his social networks and provided the details of the prestigious award. “This year I received beautiful and unexpected news: the Norwegian government awarded me the Ibsen Prize, an international prize for my entire career as an artist,” the actress wrote.
“The day I was informed, the president of the jury, Ingrid Lorentzen, came to see me with a gift: the first edition of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, in Norwegian. And she told me that for two years, a jury of academics and experts evaluate theater artists from all over the world and who this year decided to award it to me,” Lola said on her Instagram account.
“I didn’t even know the prize existed because it was something out of my reach. For many weeks it seemed unreal… And it still feels like a dream,” added the writer in her emotional post. “This award gives me the strength to continue and gives me hope, which is the first thing we need in this time of struggle”, she concluded.
The jury’s applause
“This award gives me the strength to continue,” Lola Arias wrote on her Instagram account when she announced the news. When awarding the Ibsen Prize, the jury noted that over the course of her 25-year career, Lola Arias has produced works that question “who makes theater and why”, addressing issues such as intellectual property, ethics and the process of artistic creation.
“Encompassing short stories, dance, film, installations, compositions, poetry and theatre, Arias’ work is deeply rooted in the context in which it was made and is firmly transnational in its focus and impact,” they said in the awards document. the distinction goes to the Argentine actress.
The jury particularly highlights his contribution to the documentary theater genre, creating pieces with the people whose lives and experiences are presented on stage, as well as the “ethical dimension” of his production. According to the ruling, the Argentine actress, 47, does not “run away” from tackling “difficult material”. Her work focuses on “what is unfashionable, what is silenced, what is erased, and what is marginalized.”
Among his dramatic production, the jury highlights, among others, The year I was born (2012), in which young Chileans recreate their parents’ youth during the Pinochet dictatorship; The art of arriving (2015), on the integration of immigrants; AND Minefield (2016), where he tackles the Falklands War with a group of veterans of the conflict.
The jury of academics that awards the Ibsen Prize praised Lola Arias for her work in the ruling that awarded her the prestigious award. The Ibsen Prize was established in 2007 by the Norwegian government. His achievements include playwrights such as the English Peter Brookthe Norwegian Jon Fosse, the Austrian Peter Handke and the Australian company Back to Back Theatre, which won last year.
The award will be presented at a ceremony at the National Theater in Oslo on October 13.
Source: Clarin
