Vita Awards

Awards for excellence arts.

Also referred to as AA Vita Awards, AA Mutual Life Vita Awards, the IGI Life Vita Awards, and the FNB Vita Awards

Founding and history

Founded by Philip Stein in 1983, with the help of AA Mutual Life managing director, Brian Benfield, the awards were sponsored by the AA Mutual Life insurance company and were intended to reward excellence in local artis, including theatre and dance. They were originally called AA Life Theatre Awards, but when Stein created Vita Promotions to fund a whole range of privately funded projects over a period of almost 20 years. These included the Vita Theatre Awards (both regional awards in the various provinces, and ultimately national awards); the Vita Art Prize and exhibition; the Vita Craft Now awards and exhibitions; the Market Laboratory Community Theatre Festival, the Windybrow Arts Festival and the FNB Dance Umbrella. The name of the sponsoring company would change intermittently over the years, thus giving us the later IGI Life Vita Awards and ultimately the FNB Vita Awards).

Between 1987 and 1997 the awards were managed by Nicola Danby

Aims and function

Current status

Impact on SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Winners

1994/1995

The 1994/1995 award-winners are testimony to a developing consensus between fundis, audiences and practitioners. Apparently, what is appreciated most are well-rendered versions of the tried and tested. Old chestnuts like Equus, Nongogo, Sophiatown and The Island were nominated for Play of the Year. Following the trend towards revivals, The Island took this main award.

Revivals of plays that were once controversial and officially challenging do perform a necessary function since we are able, in their restaging, to weigh up how far we’ve come in our theatre’s development. Today, one supposes, the nudity of Equus is no longer its spicy drawcard. Both Sophiatown and The Island give us ample reason to reflect on the historical moments portrayed, with appropriate hindsight — good did, after all, triumph over evil.

Simultaneously, we remember how the productions went all out to inspire audiences to do a little extra, in fighting apartheid. Whether this was protest theatre, or theatre of defiance, is no longer important. Like in museums, what is important is the preservation of memory, under hot lights, of an unhappy existence. By celebrating the revival, the award sponsor acknowledges the historical role of the play, which finally reaps its just rewards.

As a result, a production like Sophiatown received many Vita nominations, and its performers Ramolao Makhene and Daphne Hlomuka received awards in their supporting roles.

On the other hand, our colonial roots are warmly recollected. Acting English is, after all, also part of our historical repetoire. The contradiction here is that while we continue to trash apartheid, we revel in the ways of the old Empire. And so the “Pot Roast” team also got accolades, with

Director of the Year: Mark Graham for []Travels with my Aunt]] and []Hamlet]]

Performance of the Year: Michael Atkinson for King George in The Madness of George III.

Actress of the Year: Wilna Snyman for her performance in Sweet Sorrows.

The style of reviving nostalgic musical content is celebrated with awards being given to the

Musical Theatre Production of the Year: A Handful of Keys

Musical Theatre Performer of the Year: Ian von Memerty

the Tonight/FNB Award: Heel Against the Head

Playwright of the Year: Andrew Buckland

Production of a New South African Play: Capab/Jazzart’s Medea.

Best technicians: set designer Marthinus Basson, lighting designer Mannie Manim and costume designer Peter Cazalet.

the Moyra Fine Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatrical Life (awarded posthumously): Barney Simon.