The Play 'The Hoarder' Wins Golden Hedgehog Award for Best Production

The play "The Hoarder," written by and starring Sarah Segal and Lior Pinski, was named Production of the Year at the Golden Hedgehog Awards ceremony held Friday at the Beit Lehi Theater in Jaffa. The annual awards honor fringe, independent, and public space theater.

"The Hoarder," which also won awards for directing and playwriting, is based on a true story. It follows Sarah, who inherits an apartment in Jerusalem and finds herself in an urban nightmare, dealing with a hoarding neighbor, strong odors, cockroaches, and a bureaucratic struggle. Ten productions were shortlisted for this year's awards, competing in group categories like Production of the Year, Stage Language, and Group Work, alongside four solo performances vying for Best Solo Performance and Unique Stage Language.

Other notable winners included "Black Forest Alive," by and directed by Orin Lifshitz, which garnered four awards, including Stage Language, Group Work, Best Actress for Adili Lieberman, and Costume Design for Dina Konson. The play "Geva Can't Fall in Love," by Amir Zlotar and directed by Rom Reznik, also received significant recognition. Tom Hodorov won Best Actor for his role, with Tomer Barash taking home Best Supporting Actor, and Amir Zlotar winning for playwriting. This production tells the story of a young Tel Aviv man who moves to Berlin after a breakup and following the October 7th massacre and the Swords of Iron War, navigating romantic encounters while his Israeli identity and feelings for his ex pose challenges.

Elinor Weil was awarded Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Partners in Victory." The award for Best Solo Performance went to "A House in Gaza," by Daniel Engel, a performance art piece about the early days of the war. "The Chihuahua" by Jerome Harush and Daniel Zafrani won for public space theater, with a special mention for "Present Teller" by Avivit Shaked.

The Golden Hedgehog Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Sini Pather for his extensive theatrical contributions as an actor, playwright, director, teacher, and artistic director. His work was recognized for addressing social issues and unflinchingly exploring societal, identity, and political wounds. Additional awards were given for set design, lighting design, costume design, movement design, and music composition.