Woodie King, Jr. and New Federal Theatre to be Honored with 2013 Edwin Booth Award, 5/6

This year's Edwin Booth Award will be presented to the legendary theatre director and producer Woodie King, Jr., founding director of the pioneering African-American theatrical production and training institution New Federal Theatre. The New Federal Theater integrates minorities and women into the mainstream of the profession through artistic training and play production. Mr. King will be present to receive the award. The event takes place May 6th at the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center (MESTC) of The Graduate Center of City University of NY.

The Edwin Booth Award was established in 1983 by the Doctoral Theatre Students Association to honor a person, organization, or company in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the New York City/American Theatre and Performance Community. Recipients of the Booth Award are nominated and elected exclusively by students in the program. Named after the nineteenth century tragedian Edwin Booth, renowned for his intellectual curiosity, the award promotes integration of the professional and academic theatre communities. Past honorees include: The Royal Shakespeare Company ('83), Ellen Stewart ('84), Joseph Papp ('89), Arthur Miller ('92), Richard Foreman ('97), Tony Kushner ('02), Karen Finley ('08), The Living Theater ('09), and Charles Mee ('10).

Woodie King, Jr. founded the New Federal Theatre and the National Black Touring Circuit in New York City in 1970. Since then, King has produced shows both on and off-Broadway, and has directed performances across the country in venues like the New York Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland Playhouse, Center Stage of Baltimore and the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. His work has earned him numerous nominations and awards over the years, including a 1988 NAACP Image Award for his direction of Checkmates and 1993 Audelco Awards for Best Director and Best Play for his production of Robert Johnson: Trick The Devil. King has also received an Obie Award for Sustained Achievement. He holds honorary doctorates from the College of Wooster, Wayne State University, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice/CUNY. King has contributed to numerous journals and magazines including Black World,Variety and The Tulane Drama Review, and has written or edited ten books including Black Spirits: New Black Poets in America (Random House) and The Impact of Race: Theater and Culture (Applause Books).

For more information, visit www.newfederaltheatre.com.

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