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| 1st prize winner of the International Playwriting Competition of ITI - UNESCO |
The Diamond Stars had a staged reading in Stadttheater Bremerhaven in June 2012, (click here for: Festival Odyssee: Heimat)
The Diamond Stars had a staged reading in Det Norske Teatret Oslo in May 2012, click here
1st Prize, International Playwriting Competition 2010 by International Theatre Institute of UNESCO, click here
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| Rehearsals for a staged reading in Oslo |
International Playwright's Forum
of the International Theatre Institute ITI /UNESCO
presents the
COMPETITION 2010
«REFUGEES / EXILE / IDENTITY / MIGRATION»
International Playwright’s Forum is proudly announcing:
Winners of the International Playwriting Competition 2010
1st prize: „The Diamond Stars“ by Maya van den Heuvel-Arad (Netherlands)
2nd prize: “Maxine” by Philip St John (Ireland)
3rd prize: “Unravellling Myths” by Kathleen Desmond (Ireland)
From the Report of the Jury about The Diamond Stars:
"strong dialogues and characters mark this play. The story is accurate and touching. It is both realistic in its themes and poetic. It shows the absurdity of our world and the heavy contrast between African immigrants who have lost their status and the European bureaucrats."
"strong dialogues and characters mark this play. The story is accurate and touching. It is both realistic in its themes and poetic. It shows the absurdity of our world and the heavy contrast between African immigrants who have lost their status and the European bureaucrats."
Since 2002 the International Playwrights’ Forum organizes a biennial Competition for international Playwrights.
For this year’s competition 163 plays from 43 countries were submitted in one of the UNESCO languages English or French.
The Jury Alice Hubball (Actress, Belgium), Fray Paolo Casuaro (Playwright, Philippines) and Ursula Werdenberg (Dramaturg/Secretary General of the International Theatre Institute ITI Switzerland) have selected three plays that emerged by the quality of their dramatic writing and language and by their touching way of telling a story.
1st prize: „The Diamond Stars“ by Maya van den Heuvel-Arad (Netherlands)
Seifu and Amadu two young refugees from Sierra Leone end up as immigrants in Amsterdam. Both thought they would start a new life in a foreign country, but discover that their past will always follow them. By coincidence they meet again. Their personal fate in Africa has melded them together. The two men are suddenly fighting together while hanging from a skyscraper cleaning windows…
Strong dialogues and characters mark this play. The story is accurate and touching. It is both realistic in its themes and poetic. It shows the absurdity of our world and the heavy contrast between African immigrants who have lost their status and the European bureaucrats.
Seifu and Amadu, two young refugees from Sierra Leone, end up as immigrants in
Amsterdam. By coincidence they meet again. Their personal fate in Africa has
melded them together. The two men are suddenly fighting each other while hanging
from a skyscraper cleaning windows…
Right from the play’s dramatic opening scene, Maya van den Heuvel-Arad develops
a sensitive, powerful and exciting story with an impressive sense of precision and
dramaturgy. She lets the audience witness this “re-encounter” of two people who
share a difficult history that is slowly revealed.
The story of Seifu and Amadu is very touching. Two people, who used to be close
friends, finish up as immigrants in Holland. The civil war in Sierra Leone has turned
them into enemies – into perpetrator and victim. Both believe they can start a new life
in a foreign country, but the past has traveled with them and they are forced to face
the truth.
Strong, dense dialogues and finely-defined, complex protagonists characterise the
twelve scenes. The story is believable and extremely well researched. A play that is
set in the harsh reality of every-day life still leaves space for poetic moments.
This play, whose quality of language is superb, will certainly be met with enthusiasm by any director or actor.
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| Staged Reading in Oslo, Det Norske Teater, May 2012 |
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| Panel after staged reading Stadttheater Bremerhaven, June 2011   |
