Committee Members: Elsa Rael & Sheilah Rae
To honor the memory of member Josephine Abady, The League of Professional Theatre Women will present an award to an emerging director and/or producer, inclusive of all women of color, or the creative director and/or producer of a work of cultural diversity who has worked professionally in the theater for a period of at least five years. The applicant may have worked under AEA jurisdiction, regional, off-Broadway, Broadway and LORT theatres.
Please submit resume, including press materials, two letters of reference from professional mentors or advisors. Send to the current LPTW Awards Chair:
Ms. Elsa Rael
400 W. 43rd St. #3-A
New York, NY 10036
The deadline each year is November 15.
2006 RECIPIENT:
DEBRA ANN BYRD | Founder & Producing Artistic Director | Take Wing And Soar Productions, Inc.
In 2006 Debra Ann Byrd received the Josephine Abady Award, which honors the memory of League member and director Josephine Abady. The League honored Debra for her work in supporting grass roots theatre for women, youth, and classical actors of color. She is the Founder and Chief Executive of Take Wing and Soar Productions; a theatrical production company led by women and is a Producing Associate at the National Black Theatre. A graduate of Marymount College with a BFA in Acting, she is a member of Actors’ Equity, the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society and the American Scholars National Honor Society. She is the recipient of many awards including The Women’s Forum Educational Award, The Zonta Club of NY Dorothy L. Stickney Award) MMC’s Gold Cross Award and Gold Medal for Academic Excellence in Acting Award, and The Women in Excellence Award.
The first recipient in 2005 was Evelyn Collins, founder and director of the Harlem Ensemble Company.DEBRA ANN BYRD | Founder & Producing Artistic Director | Take Wing And Soar Productions, Inc.
In 2006 Debra Ann Byrd received the Josephine Abady Award, which honors the memory of League member and director Josephine Abady. The League honored Debra for her work in supporting grass roots theatre for women, youth, and classical actors of color. She is the Founder and Chief Executive of Take Wing and Soar Productions; a theatrical production company led by women and is a Producing Associate at the National Black Theatre. A graduate of Marymount College with a BFA in Acting, she is a member of Actors’ Equity, the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society and the American Scholars National Honor Society. She is the recipient of many awards including The Women’s Forum Educational Award, The Zonta Club of NY Dorothy L. Stickney Award) MMC’s Gold Cross Award and Gold Medal for Academic Excellence in Acting Award, and The Women in Excellence Award.