DBS Life! Theatre Awards

The DBS Life! Theatre Awards was inaugurated in 2001. It was originally organised by Life!, the arts and entertainment section of the Strait Times to acknowledge the contributions of theatre productions in Singapore. First announced on 4 January 2000, the award sought to honour the best stage productions, actors, actresses, directors and playwrights from Singapore. It is the only local public platform that honours outstanding work in theatre.

Criteria
The period of judging was from 1 January to 31 December 2000. Full-length plays, musicals and/or monologues by Singapore-based theatre companies were considered. For the Life! Theatre Awards 2000, 37 plays were submitted for consideration and thereafter five for each categories were shortlisted by a panel of 13 judges. The results were then compiled by auditors, Price-WaterhouseCoopers.

Nominations and winners
The award ceremony was held at Fullerton Hotel on 26 February 2001. The guest of honour was the Minister of Information and the Arts, Mr. Lee Yock Suan and emceed by SPH Mediaworks artistes, Adrian Pang and Karen Tan.

Play of the Year
Eleemosynary (luna-id productions)
Hopper's Women (Action Theatre)
Oleanna (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
Titoudao (Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble) (Winner)
Wit (Action Theatre)

Best Actor
Bruce San: Safe in These Arms (Glass Theatre)
Lee Weng Kee: A Tinted Edge (Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble)
Lim Kay Siu: Oleanna ( Singapore Repertory Theatre) (Winner)
Ramesh Panicker : A Perfect Ganesh (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
Wong Kwang Han: Urban Conversation 1- Do Yo Feel My hate (Aporia Society)

Best Actress
Adelina Ong: Postcards From Perspective (Livid Room Productions)
Amber Simon: Eleemosynary (luna-id productions)
Pamela Oei: Hopper's Women (Action Theatre)
Pamela Oei: Titoudao (Toy Factory Theatre) (Winner)
Sheila Wyatt: Eleemosynary (luna-id productions)

Best Supporting Actor
Benjamin Ng: Titoudao (Toy Factory Assemble) (Winner)
John Widelock : Wit (Action Theatre)
Keagan Kang: Wit (Action Theatre)
Lim Yu-Beng: Mee Pok Man-The Play (Fiction Farm)
Samuel Chong: Madam What's Next (The ETCeteras)

Best Supporting Actress
Chermaine Ong: Mee Pok Man-The Play (Fiction Farm)
Deborah Png: Wit (Action Theatre)
Loke Loo Pin: Mee Pok Man-the Play (Fiction Farm)
Pamela Oei: Mee Pok Man-the Play (Fiction Farm) (Winner)
Shirley Smith: Wit (Action Theatre)

Best Ensemble Acting
Asian Boys Vol. 1 (The Necessary Stage) (Winner)
Equus (Asia in Theatre Research Centre)
Talk (The Necessary Stage)
Under the Last Dust (The Necessary Stage)
Untitled Women Number One (The Necessary Stage)

Best Original Script
Alfian Sa'at: Asian Boys Vol. 1 (The Necessary stage)
Goh Boon Teck: Titoudao (Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble ) (Winner)
Jean Tay and Cindy Koh: Hopper's Women (Action Theatre)
Wang Meiyin: Postcards From Persephone (Livid room Productions)
Wong Kwang Han and David Gill: Urban Conversation 1-Do you Feel My Hate (Aporia Society)

Best Production Design
Hopper's Women (Action Theatre)
Oleanna (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
A Tinted Edge (Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble)
Titoudao (Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble) (Winner)
White Sails Over Blue Blue Sea (Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble)



Author
Peter Pak



References 
And the nominees are... (2001, January 31). The Straits Times, Life!, pp. 1, 6, 7.

Homegrown play sweeps 5 awards. (2001, February 27). The Straits Times, Home, p. 6.

Life! Salutes best in theatre. (2001, January 22). The Straits Times, Home, p. 3.

Life! To honour theatre's best. (2000, January 4). The Straits Times, Home, p. 5. 

Results are in. Now for the big event. (2001, February 6). The Straits Times, Life!, p. 7.

Titoudao hits high note. (2001, February 27). The Straits Times, p. 1.



The information in this article is valid as at 2001 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Arts>>Performing Arts>>Theatre
Arts--Awards--Singapore
Theatre--Singapore
Drama--Singapore
Arts>>Theatre



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