Lee Reynolds Award 2006 - Gigi Bolt

Ms. Bolt's work in theatre has helped illuminate the possibilities for social, cultural, or political change. Her outstanding career in the field clearly demonstrates her passion for the arts. Ms. Bolt served as Interim Executive Director of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the American not-for-profit theatre. The Director of Theater and Musical Theater at the National Endowment for the Arts from 1995 till 2006, Ms. Bolt advised the agency on policy related to the fields and was responsible for the review of applications from 500 theaters and musical theaters across the country. Prior to joining the Endowment, she served as Program Associate and then as Director of the Theater Program at the New York State Council on the Arts. Her tenure at the Council was preceded by work as an actor in theaters around the country, including five seasons as a member of the company of the Cleveland Play House. She serves on the Board of Directors of Theatre Communications Group and of the American Arts Alliance. She is the recipient of a Chairman’s Distinguished Service Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the La Mama E.T.C. Silver Bell Award, and both an Alumni Honor Citation and Alumni Merit Award from the University of Kansas where she serves on the Professional Advisory Board for Theatre and Film.