Yentl wins 4 Green Room Awards

KADIMAH Yiddish Theatre won an incredible four Green Room Awards last night for their 2022 production of Yentl at the Arts Centre Melbourne.

Jana Zvedeniuk, in the title role, won the Green Room Award for Outstanding Performance, tying with Eryn Jean Norvill in Sydney Theatre Company’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Yentl took out the award for Outstanding Writing for the script by Gary Abrahams, Elise Hearst and Galit Klas, based on Isaac Bashevis Singer’s original Yiddish short story.

“Kadimah Yiddish Theatre has punched well above its weight to achieve a wonderful result, coming up against larger theatre companies,’’ said Kadimah CEO Rachel Chrapot. “We are so proud of the dedicated cast, crew and creatives who have produced thought-provoking and engaging bilingual theatre.’’

Dann Barber’s set design and Rachel Burke’s lighting design beat fellow nominees from Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse, Sydney Theatre Company and Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre in the Theatre Companies Design Awards categories.

KYT’s Yentl was nominated for a total of nine Green Room Awards, including Best Production, Outstanding Direction (Gary Abrahams), Outstanding Performance (Evelyn Krape), Outstanding Sound Design (Russell Goldsmith) and Outstanding Costume Design (Dann Barber).

Last night’s ceremony was the 40th anniversary of The Green Room Awards, Melbourne’s premier peerpresented performing arts industry awards, recognising excellence in opera, dance, cabaret, musical theatre and both independent and mainstage theatre.

Accepting the Award on behalf of Zvedeniuk who was overseas, director Gary Abrahams noted the timing with Reconciliation Week.

“We at Kadimah stand beside our Indigenous and First Nations contemporaries, because we understand what it is to be nearly eradicated, and to have to work really hard for a nearly-extinct language and culture to thrive once again,” he said. “We (Kadimah) are 110 years old and we look forward to continuing to make work in this extraordinary city.”