World Theatre Day 2021 & Theatre Man Award

This day is celebrated worldwide. This is a festivity for all who can see the value and importance of the theatre art, and acts as a wake-up-call for governments, politicians and institutions which have not yet recognised its value to the people and to the individual and have not yet realised its potential for economic growth.

At the Vakhtangov Theatre we have a very special tradition for the World Theatre Day celebration. The tradition is young, yet important for us. It was invented in 2015 by our artistic leader Rimas Tuminas. He established a theatre award ‘Theatre Man’ for the members of the Vakhtangov Theatre team.

Each employee of the Vakhatngov Theatre receives a voting paper. And each employee can be nominated: actor, director, stage hands, light designer, sound engineer,  stage manager, costumer, accountant… everyone. The election is held every 2 years. So, in 2021 we’ve been holding the ‘Theatre Man’ Award ceremony for the 4th time.

The symbol of the ‘Theatre Man’ Award is a golden brooch with enamel and diamonds in a shape of a lilac branch. The lilac was Eugene Vakhtangov’s, the establisher of our theatre, favourite flower. The Award is designed by our chief painter Maxim Obrezkov.

The ‘Theatre Man’ Award 2021 ceremony was lead by Pr. Dmitry Trubochkin. The artistic leader Rimas Tuminas and the general manager Kirill Krok congratulated the laureates:

• Zinaida Sokolova, make-up designer. A brilliant and modest designer who have already worked at the Vakhtangov Theatre for 63 (!) years;
• Natalia Menshikova, assistant director. Eugene Vakhtangov once said: “The assistant director is the captain of the ship”. Natalia Menshikova is the captain and the soul of numerous productions of the Vakhtangov Theatre;
• Anton Prokhorov, deputy manager of the Vakhtangov theatre for repertoire and public relations. The youngest laureate of the ‘Theatre Man’ Award. Anton Prokhorov makes the principal connection between the Theatre and the Spectator, he knows everything about the theatre history and does everything possible and impossible for making the future of the Vakhtangov Theatre even greater than it’s past.
• Anatoly Menschikov, a wonderful actor, the distinguished artist of the Russian Federation. 44 years at the Vakhtangov theatre, more than 100 roles. We call him ‘our own theatre encyclopedia’ because he makes his own notes about the Vakhtangov Theatre as La Grange did many centuries ago for Moliere company.