Bjørnar Lisether Teigen

Bjørnar Teigenwon The Hedda Award 2003 in the debut of the year category for Det tredje tegnet* (The Third Sign), a theatre production produced by Teatret Vårt (Our Theatre) in 2003, written and directed by Teigen.

The Hedda Jury gave the following reason:

"The Hedda Grant is new this year, and is given to an artist with a debut within one of the many different artistic disciplines of the theatre. It is meant to point towards the future, and to encourage further artistic efforts in the years to come. Paradoxically the first recipient of the Hedda Grant is an experienced theatre worker already.

Paradoxically, because the grant goes to a person making his debut. He is educated as an actor, but has made his debut as a playwright with a play for an age group the theatre rarely communicates directly with, those aged 11 to 14, and it is sad that such a distinct, dramatic universe as this debut work represents was not covered by national media. The winner has written a funny, poetic and philosophic play about young people on the threshold between childhood and youth.

The Hedda Grant of the year goes to Bjørnar Teigen for the play Det tredje tegnet* (The Third Sign), with its world premiere at Teatret Vårt (Our Theatre), directed by the playwright."

Sources:

Teatret Vårt (Our Theatre), annual report 2003, www.teatretvart.no, 06.11.2012, http://www.teatretvart.no/bunnmeny/organisasjon/arsmelding

Sceneweb on The Hedda Award 2003, www.sceneweb.no, 24.10.2012, http://www.sceneweb.no/en/awarding/23886/The_Hedda_Award_2003-2003

*Not yet translated into English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.

• The Hedda Award 2003 - Debut of the year