With barely two weeks before the fifth annual Gegeen Muza (Saint Muse) ceremony, it seems the psychological play Sarnii Tsagaan Tsus is the favorite to sweep the awards pool at Mongolian theater’s night of nights. The ceremony, held at the State Drama Theater on March 27, will name winners in eight categories – best play, best musical, best direction of a play, best playwright, best original score, best performances by a leading actor and actress, best performance by a featured actor and actress, and best costume design.

Critics and fans have agreed the big favorite in many play categories is Sarnii Tsagaan Tsus (The White Blood of the Moon), a blockbuster hit that broke early from the gate and has never let up since its January release.

It is the odds-on favorite to win three big categories – best play, best playwright and best score.

Assigned the difficult job of choosing the winners is a group of theatre professionals headed by People’s Artist N.Suvd. Although Sarnai Tsagaan Tsus has frontrunner status in many categories, there is fierce competition in others that will ensure the night continues its annual ritual of nail-biting and backslapping.

In two other major categories for plays, the races are too close to call. There are eight nominees for best actress and six for best actor. O.Enkhtuul and B.Erdenetsetseg are the two favorites for best actress, and although they both played queens in semi-historical productions, they were two very different performances. Enkhtuul was from Sarnii Tsagaan Tsus and Erdenetsetseg from the musical Kharts Khatan.Erdenetsetseg had a stellar year, with three nominations in two best performance categories. Aside from her role in Kharts Khatan, she’s been nominated for best actress as Mascha in the play Manaid Amidarya (Let’s Live in My Home) and best supporting actress as the Queen mother in Ukhekhees Omno, Torokhoos Khoino (Before Die and After Born).

This year’s newly-added category of best musical has only three nominees - Kharts Khatan, Gegeerekhui Ariusakhui by B.Monkhdorj and Ikh Khaanii Khatad by G.Demberelsambuu.In the best costume design category, young designer L.Sarankhookhoo will surely be an almost unanimous choice for his wild and imaginative creations in Sarnii Tsagaan Tsus.

D.Ganbaatar also deserves acknowledgement in the best original score field for his work in a psychological family drama Manuukhai, which has also earned nominations in best costume design and two other major fields – best play and best playwright.The two front-runners for best direction of a play are Ch.Naidandorj, the actor-director who gave the Sarnii Tsagaan Tsus life during its run at the State Drama Theater, and B.Monkhdorj, who directed the two musicals Gegeerakhui Ariusakhui and Kharts Kharan. Two other worthy directors, N.Purevdorj (Before Die and After Born) and N.Demberelsambuu (musical Ikh Khaanii Khatad), are long shots.

On the musical side, Monkhdorj is again expected to win easily for directing Kharts Khatan.

The first two acting awards — featured actor and actress in a play — will reportedly round out the show’s first hour. Those polled were the most unequivocal about who would win featured actor: Ts.Tuvshinkhuu in a play about HIV/Aids, Let’s Live in My Home. Tuvshinkhuu is the hometown favorite despite some fine performances by the other nominees, including two best-known actors (People’s Artist P.Tserendagva and State Merit Artist S.Damdin, both for Nameless Star) and two lesser-known actors (G.Battomor nominated for Before Die and After Born and D.Battomor, from Wanna Be Your Lover). The race for featured actress in a play is less interesting, if only because the front-runner is the always dependable Erdenetsetseg.The nominees were selected from over 120 playmakers and actors.

by Ts.Lkhagvasuren
THE UB POST

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