Whether they were painstakingly-made plays or those which joined the festival just for fun, all were deemed eligible for awards with some qualifying under vague categories like “for the play with studies in poetic play”.

A participant at the festival held by the Performance Arts Agency under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the HCMC culture department, meritorious artist Thanh Loc, said all artists from the north to the south had joined the event expecting fair play.

“But, it’s a pity that we got juries and organizers not interested in fair play,” he said.

A professional board of jurors should honor deserving people with clear achievements. Convincing awards will not only make winners proud of their work, but also inspire others to higher standards.

However, this festival had failed to do so in its over-eagerness to hand out awards to all and sundry, he added.

By Quang Thi