Programs, Events & Awards

PROGRAMS, EVENTS, & AWARDS
The League of Professional Theatre Women’s many programs support our goal of promoting visibility and increasing opportunity for women in Professional Theatre. For details on specific programs and when they occur please check out our event calendar.
LPTW honors national and international theatre women through a variety of award programs. Events highlight and celebrate the important contributions that emerging practitioners and distinguished theatre women are making to the industry and to the world at large through their artistry, civic action and leadership.

PROGRAMS & MEMBER ACTIVITIES
Most LPTW Programs are offered live and virtual.

Oral History
Originally founded and produced by Betty Corwin, this ongoing program in partnership with the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts chronicles and documents the contributions of significant theatre women across all disciplines who represent a broad array of ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds. These live Interviews are followed by an audience Q&A and added to the Library’s Theatre on Film and Tape Archive. Click Here to View Past Oral History Interviews

Julia’s Reading Room
Founded by Gail Kriegel and Maxine Kern, named for Julia Miles (LPTW pioneer), this monthly program provides LPTW playwrights, librettists, directors, actors, and producers the opportunity to present readings of works in progress to members and guests in a public forum.

Professional Seminars
Experienced guest panelists lead seminars for members and guests focusing on a wide range of topics relevant to having a successful theatre career. Attendees can seek additional information via a moderated Q&A.

Heritage Program
LPTW is deeply invested in reclaiming the heritage of women in Theatre and making it visible, studied and celebrated. Through extensive research, Heritage projects reclaim the stories and achievements of important women who have largely been erased from history, from the canon, from the curriculum. Women Stage the World is an annual parade through the Broadway Theatre District that builds awareness of this history and educates today’s theatre goers on the need for gender parity in the industry.

Book Nook
Coming soon: An online catalog of published books, plays, libretti, etc., written by League members available to the public on our website. Discounted prices for LPTW members.

MEMBERS ONLY

Discipline Roundtables
Monthly meetings of members working in specific disciplines (playwrights, directors, performers, producers, etc.). These meetings provide opportunities for members within and across disciplines to connect with fellow theatremakers, share and exchange ideas and information, network, collaborate, and develop new skill sets.

Mentorships
LPTW Mentorships offer career counseling, technical assistance, and moral support to members upon request. Utilizing the vast reservoir of expertise and experience within our membership, this one-on-one approach strengthens goals, develops strategies, and builds relationships.

Travel
LPTW members periodically take group trips around the globe to attend productions, tour theatres, and gain educational and cultural insights into the industry worldwide.
Inquiries to Mary Miko [email protected]

Informal Member Gatherings
Members4Members (formerly Green Rooms on Zoom): members and invited guests discuss timely topics (i.e., industry regulations, EDIA, ageism, technology).
Coffee Hours: Experienced LPTW members help members navigate resources and opportunities, and answer questions on programs and policies.
Members Night Out: A casual networking opportunity for members and guests to connect in a public venue.

AWARDS
LPTW hosts three major ceremonies presenting awards across a variety of disciplines, for services to the field and other achievements in the field.

Theatre Women Awards
This event celebrates women in the field chosen to receive awards for their exemplary work and dedication. The ceremony gathers women of all backgrounds and their supporters as we award the following:

Josephine Abady Award: Given to honor the memory of Josephine Abady, to a mid-career director, producer, or creative director of cultural diversity who has worked in the professional theater for at least five years.
Lee Reynolds Award: Given in honor of Lee Reynolds, an award-winning producer who mentored and developed writing talent. This award is given annually to a woman (or women) active in any aspect of theatre whose work in the theatre has helped to illuminate the possibilities for social, cultural, or political change.
Lucille Lortel Grant: Given to an aspiring artist who shows creative promise, and deserving of recognition and encouragement.
Ruth Morley Design Award: Given in honor of leading designer Ruth Morley, costume designer (Annie Hall, Inherit the Wind, Deathtrap) and former board member, this award is given to a woman for outstanding work in the field of theatrical design.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Given to a woman for outstanding achievements over the course of her career.
LPTW Special Award for Meritorious Service: Given on occasion to a woman who has demonstrated extraordinary service to the LPTW Community or theatre community, generally.

The LPTW Rachel Crothers Leadership Award®: The LPTW Rachel Crothers Leadership Award® is given to a theatre woman who has made significant contributions to the American theatre while distinguishing herself in service for a cause that betters society and country. The 2023 award will be presented during the 40th Anniversary Theatre Women Awards on March 27.

LPTW Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award: The League of Professional Theatre Women's (LPTW) Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award Program was named to celebrate Rosamond Gilder and Martha Coigney, who charted an enduring course that facilitates communication among theatre artists across the globe.

Presented every three years, this Award acknowledges the exceptional work of theatre women around the world, promotes expanded visibility and new opportunities for the Awardee and her sister nominees, fosters connections and networking with LPTW members and local cultural institutions, and recognizes the contributions that an international theatre artist has made to her culture and the lives of her audiences. Past recipients include Odile Gakire Katese of Rwanda (2011), Patricia Ariza of Colombia (2014), Adelheid Roosen of the Netherlands (2017) and Hanane Hajj Ali of Lebanon (2020). The Gilder/Coigney Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Franca Valeri in 2020.

Click Here To View All Previous Awards and Awardees in the LPTW Archives

Announcements

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Sneak Preview: Fall 2023 Events & Programming
Member Projects & News: September 2023

In Memoriam: Mari Lyn Henry

Mari Lyn Henry, actor and author, acting coach and casting director, teacher, theater historian, and long-time member of the League of Professional Theatre Women, passed away June 24 in New York City after a long illness. She was 81 years old.

In 2019, the League of Professional Theatre Women presented Ms. Henry with the League's Special Theatre Woman Award.

The League and its members will miss Mari Lyn Henry deeply, and like hundreds of other women in the performing arts, we will continue to benefit from her insightful writing and teaching for years to come.

A memorial celebrating Ms. Henry’s life and career will take place November 6, 2023.

Please read the entire obituary by Alexis Greene here.

Only as Strong as the Woman (Writer) Next to Me!

The League of Professional Theatre Women stands alongside the WGA as they demand fair wages and take action to ensure more protections for artists. We encourage LPTW members to join the WGA on the picket lines or on social media this month as the strike continues.