Geva Theatre Center to Honor Garth Fagan, 3/19

Garth Fagan, founder and artistic director of the award-winning and internationally-acclaimed Garth Fagan Dance and the Tony Award-winning choreographer of The Lion King, will be honored with the 2012 Essie Calhoun Diversity in the Arts Award at a benefit celebrating community engagement and diversity in the arts at Geva Theatre Center on Monday, March 19^th.

Geva Theatre Center created the award in 2011, which was named in honor of Essie Calhoun, Retired Chief Diversity Officer, Director of Community Affairs, Vice President of Eastman Kodak Company and Chair of the 2011 United Way of Greater Rochester Campaign. Ms. Calhoun was the first recipient of this award, which is given annually to a person or organization that promotes and encourages diversity in the arts. 

The evening of celebration begins with a benefit reading of Spare Change by Mia McCollough, formatted like Geva’s nationally-recognized series, The Hornets’ Nest, in which instigators lead a post-show discussion with the audience of the provocative issues presented in the play. Spare Change is an exploration of what it means to help one another, and how race, class, privilege and idealism complicate matters.  Instigators for the discussion include Playwright Mia McCullough, Chief Operating Officer of Wilson Commencement Park Wanda Acevedo, former President and CEO of Catholic Family Center Carolyn Portanova, and Rochester Police Chief James M. Sheppard. City of Rochester Council President Lovely Warren will facilitate the discussion. 

During the evening, Geva will present Mr. Fagan with the 2012 Essie Calhoun Diversity in the Arts Award.  This award recognizes that art allows for the expression of truths and beliefs and helps us gain an understanding of one another and our world. It further acknowledges that a mixture of cultures stimulates creativity, the sharing of ideas, and the building of a common collective future, which has always been close to Ms. Calhoun’s heart.

Geva’s Artistic Director Mark Cuddy remarked, “When this award was first bestowed on Essie Calhoun a year ago, we pledged to annually recognize someone in Rochester who not only made a difference in our community through diversity in the arts, but a person of both high quality and high character – just like Essie. Garth Fagan is our unanimous choice for being an artist of fearless excellence and passionate commitment to the ideals of inclusion.”

“Garth Fagan is an icon of the Rochester community,” Geva’s Executive Director, Tom Parrish commented, “His commitment to diversity in dance and theatre has made an impact locally, nationally and internationally.”

Tickets for this very special event are $50 and include a reception at 6pm followed by the reading of Spare Change, the post-show discussion and the presentation of 2012 Essie Calhoun Diversity in the Arts Award. Proceeds will benefit Geva’s nationally recognized community engagement programs.  To reserve tickets phone the Box Office: (585) 232-Geva (4382) or reserve online at www.gevatheatre.org. 

Garth Fagan Dance is now celebrating its 40th Anniversary season. In addition to the Tony Award for his work on The Lion King, Mr. Fagan also received the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Astaire Award, Laurence Olivier Award, Ovation Award, and Helpmann Award for his work on the Broadway musical. Fagan’s distinguished work in the theatre also includes directing and choreographing the Duke Ellington street opera, Queenie Pie, at the Kennedy Center (1986) and the opening production of New York Shakespeare Festival's Shakespeare Marathon: A Midsummer Night's Dream (1988). In the world of concert dance, Fagan choreographs primarily for Garth Fagan Dance. His recent work,Mudan 175/39, was named by The New York Times as the third of the top six dance-watching moments of 2009. Fagan has also produced commissions for a number of leading companies, including Footprints Dressed in Red, for the Dance Theatre of Harlem; Scene Seen for the debut of the Jamison Project; Jukebox for Alvin for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater;Never No Lament for the José Limon Company; and Ellington Elation, for the New York City Ballet in honor of Duke Ellington’s centenary and New York City Ballet’s 50th anniversary. 

The Essie Calhoun Diversity in the Arts Award is designed by local artist Nancy Gong, one of America’s foremost glass artists. Ms. Gong combines the traditional techniques of staiNed Glass craftsmen and stone carvers with her own style of creating texture and painting to craft pieces which are coveted by collectors from all over the world. The Essie Calhoun Diversity in the Arts Award is a stunning, circular piece of glass, with hues of sunset pink graduated to champagne and carved on one end with a diversity quilt pattern.