The Carbonell Awards Welcomes Two New Members to Board of Directors

The Carbonell Awards, South Florida’s Theatre & Arts Honors, today announced two new members to the nonprofit organization’s Board of Directors: Jacob Aronin and Alexa Kuve.

As Director of Education for the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Jacob Aroninoversees a comprehensive portfolio of arts education initiatives serving learners of all ages, including the nation's largest free arts-in-education program. In partnership with Broward County Public Schools, the Broward Center's award-winning Student Enrichment Through the Arts (SEAS) program provides more than 100,000 free student matinee tickets each year and has served more than 3.8 million students since its inception. Aronin leads the Center's expansive education programs connecting students, educators and families with transformative arts experiences through workshops, master classes and performing arts instruction for children, teens and adults. Before joining the Broward Center in 2022, Aronin spent more than two decades with Broward County Public Schools, as a drama and English language arts teacher before being appointed Gifted Education Coordinator for the district. A native of New York, his diverse background also includes work as a theatre educator, college administrator, talent agent, casting assistant, actor, playwright and television writer. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and a Master of Arts in Educational Theatre from Adelphi University.

The recipient of last year’s Ruth Foreman Award, Alexa Kuve is the founder, executive producer and artistic director of Arca Images, a nonprofit artistic production organization based in Miami since 2001. Under her visionary leadership, Arca Images has produced more than 100 theatrical works, including world premieres by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz and other internationally acclaimed artists. The company’s productions have been staged in Spain, France, and Mexico, showcasing its global reach and cultural impact. As an actress, her television career includes performances in well-known productions for networks such as Telemundo, and she has delivered powerful performances on stage in celebrated plays by authors such as Ionesco, Lorca, and more. Kuve holds a Master’s in Spanish, is a Doctoral Candidate in Philology, and serves as an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University, inspiring future generations of artists and scholars.

‘With our historic 50th annual ceremony coming in 2027, the Carbonell Awards is excited about the deep commitment to theatrical excellence and cultural diversity that our two new members are bringing to the Board,” said Schweikhart.

With these additions the current Carbonell Board of Directors includes:

Broward:

Jacob Aronin (Broward Center for the Performing Arts)
Terry Colli (retired diplomat & Board secretary)
Don Walters, P.A. (attorney & Board treasurer)
Zaylin Yates (Broward County Cultural Division & Brévo Theatre)

Miami-Dade:

Dale Edwards (Arsht Center for the Performing Arts)
Ricardo Gonzalez III (Carbonell Sculptures)
Alexa Kuve (Arca Images)
Javier Siut (South Florida Cultural Consortium & Board VP)

Palm Beach County:

Debbie Calabria (Cultural Council for Palm Beach County)
Bill Nix (retired Cultural Council VP of Marketing & Gov’t Affairs)
Bernie Pino (Kravis Center for the Performing Arts)
Gary Schweikhart (PR-BS & Board President)
Avery Sommers (Broadway, cabaret, movie &TV star)
Ellen Wedner (retired theater & film festival producer)

‘We still have two open seats—one from Broward County and one from Miami-Dade—and hope to strengthen and diversify our working Board by adding more theater-loving professionals, such as a lawyer, accountant, fundraiser, and website specialist. If anyone is interested, he/she/they should contact me directly at gary@pr-bs.net,” said Schweikhart.

The 49th annual Carbonell Awards Ceremony will be held on Monday, November 16, 2026, at FAU’s University Theatre in Boca Raton, at which honors will be presented in 20 competitive categories, along with up to nine Special Awards including the previously announced George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts to Stuart Meltzer, the founding artistic director of Zoetic Stage.

Hundreds of actors, musicians, performers, writers, directors, back-stage technicians, producers, reviewers, designers, specialty artists, and diehard theater fans are expected to attend this year’s Carbonell Awards, a glittery, entertainment-packed event that is South Florida’s version of Broadway’s Tony Awards®. The event is being produced and directed by Andrew Kato, Producing Artistic Director/Chief Executive of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, with the award-winning Caryl Fantel serving as Music Director and Eloisa M. Ferrer as Coordinating Producer. Tickets for the ceremony and after party are only $45 and will go on public sale in mid-October.

About The Carbonell Awards

The Carbonell Awards fosters the artistic growth of professional theater in South Florida by celebrating the diversity of our theater artists, providing educational scholarships, and building audience appreciation and civic pride by highlighting achievements of our theater community. More than 20 professional theater companies in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties participate in the awards process every year. The Carbonell Awards also celebrate the accomplishments of local artistic leaders by presenting several Special Awards.

Along with New York’s Drama Desk and Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Awards, the Carbonell Awards are among the nation’s senior regional arts awards and predate others, including Washington, D.C.’s Helen Hayes Awards. The Carbonell Awards are named after Manuel Carbonell, an internationally renowned sculptor, who designed the original solid bronze and marble award in 1976, the signature trophy that is given annually to Carbonell Award winners. Over nearly a half-century, the Carbonell family has donated more than $250,000 in awards. For more information, please visit www.carbonellawards.org.