Today’s evening in Bucharest, this Monday April 27, 2009, was held in the studio n° 3 of the Romanian Television TVR, the XVIIth edition of the UNITER Awards Gala, one of the most important events for the country’s theatrical community, organised by the Romanian Association of Theatre Artists (UNITER-Uniunea Teatrală din România). The gala event was broadcasted live on TVR-1 from 09:10pm to 12:05am local time, and on Radio România Cultural (RRC) from 09:00pm.

By the end of the first half of the gala ceremony, at around 10:20pm, was awarded the Award for “Best Romanian Play of the Year 2008”, a contest which is held, with the sponsorship of the Unirea Medical Centre, under the ægis of the Royal House of Romania in order to stimulate the emergence of new plays and to maintain a diversified profile of the Romanian theatre repertoire and drama in general. Friendly invited to Bucharest by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Margarita and Prince Radu of Romania to present the Award at the ceremony, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Nicolas Petrovitch Njegosh handed over her trophy to the winner, Mrs. Antoaneta Zaharia, from the Odeon Theatre, Bucharest, rewarded for her text “Ziua perfectă” (The Perfect Day).

On the occasion, before an attendance of 180 persons — members of the jury and nominees, Crown Prince Nicolas declared that it was an honour and a great pleasure for him to come and visit Romania for the first time in order to attend such a prestigious cultural event, adding that he completely shared “the conviction of Crown Princess Margarita and Prince Radu that art and culture have been, and continue to be extremely important fields in our countries and in the whole of Central and Eastern Europe.” He concluded his address by pointing that he always supported cultural projects in which he found the expression of human spirituality and hope for the future, wishing the Romanian theatre an evolution worthy of its value and its artists and dramatists talents.

The Crown Prince of Montenegro — who is himself involved in France, among other things, in the cultural promotion of Balkan artists and authors through the Paris-based association he presides “Le Courrier des Balkans”, was all the more pleased to be in Bucharest and to support this Awards event when, at this time of world economic crisis, organisers had to reduce the ceremony budget by 50%. Traditionally, UNITER Awards Gala takes place before 1,200 guests in the Great Hall of the prestigious Bucharest National Theatre (TNB) instead of a 180-seat TV studio, and this major event in the Romanian cultural life is usually attended by numerous international guests. Together with His Royal Highness Prince Jean of Luxembourg, Crown Prince Nicolas was one of the rare foreigners present today’s evening in the attendance.

Sooner in the afternoon the same day, at the Elisabeth Palace [1], Crown Prince Nicolas participated with Prince Jean of Luxembourg, guest of honour, to a promotional event for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bucharest (CCIB), hosted by Crown Princess Margarita and Prince Radu, and attended by CCIB representatives, members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited in Bucharest and several Romanian businessmen.

The Romanian Association of Theatre Artists (UNITER) is a professional, apolitical, non-governmental and non-profit organisation, founded in February 1990 by the free association of artists from the theatre industry in Romania.
Every year from 1991 — upon the initiative and under the co-ordination of its President, Mr. Ion Caramitru, theatre actor and director, former Romanian Minister of Culture (1997-2000) — UNITER organises a Gala Awards competition to distinguish achievement in the theatre arts during the previous calendar year. Awards are given for “Debut”, “Best Actor” (Leading and Supporting Part), “Best Actress” (Leading and Supporting Part), “Best Scenography”, “Best Director”, “Best Show” and “Radio Theatre”. UNITER Senate also grants two Award for “Excellence” and “Lifelong Achievement” (Actress, Actor, Scenography, Director, Critic), and two Special Awards reward “Theatre Music” and “Choreography in Performing Arts”. There are finally a “Special Award of the President of UNITER” and a “Mecena Award”.
Broadcasted live on TV and radio through a long-time collaboration with the Romanian Television-National TV Theatre, the Department for Music and Entertainment, and the Romania Cultural Radio Station of the Romanian Broadcasting Company, the UNITER Awards Gala has become year over year one of the most important events of the Romanian theatrical world.

Winners of the UNITER Awards Gala 2008-2009
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 Award for Debut
Ioana Anastasia Anton for the part Ophelia from the show “Hamlet” staged at Metropolis Theatre, Bucharest
 Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Part
Valeria Seciu for the part Gloucester from the show “Lear” staged at Bulandra Theatre, Bucharest
 Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Part
Sorin Leoveanu for the part Lucio from the show “Măsură pentru măsură” (Measure for Measure) staged at “Marin Sorescu” National Theatre, Craiova
 Award for Best Actress in a Leading Part
Mariana Mihuţ for the leading part in the show “Lear” staged at Bulandra Theatre, Bucharest
 Award for Best Actor in a Leading Part
Victor Rebengiuc for the part Willy Loman from the show “Moartea unui comis voiajor” (Death of a Salesman) staged at Bulandra Theatre, Bucharest
 Award for Best Scenography
Velica Panduru for the scenery of the show “Boala familei M” (The M Family Disease) staged at “Mihai Eminescu” National Theatre, Timişoara
 Award for Best Director
Gábor Tompa for directing the show “Trei surori” (Three Sisters) at the Hungarian State Theatre, Cluj-Napoca
 Award for Best Show
Trei surori (Three Sisters), produced by the Hungarian State Theatre, Cluj-Napoca
 Award for Radio Theatre
Ionesco, cinci piese scurte (Ionesco, Five Short Plays) by Eugen Ionesco, directed by Alexandru Dabija, at the SRR (Romanian Radio Studio) Bucharest
UNITER Senate Award for Excellence
Olga Tudorache
 UNITER Senate Awards for Lifelong Achievement
Actress: Margareta Pogonat
Actor: Mitică Popescu
Scenography: Dan Nemţeanu
Director: Gelu Colceag
Critic: Alice Georgescu
 Special Price for Theatre Music
Vlaicu Golcea
 Special Award for Choreography in Performing Arts
Păstorel Ionescu
 Special Award of the President of UNITER
Ştefan Iordache (post mortem)
 Mecena Award
Carmen Palade Adamescu, President of Unirea Shopping Centre