Rachel Walshe Receives DePaul's Foundation Prize for Emerging Artists

The Theatre School at DePaul University is pleased to announce that Rachel Walshe is the inaugural recipient of The Claire Rosen and Samuel Edes Foundation Prize for Emerging Artists. The award is a cash prize of $30,000 granted to a recent alumnus or alumna from DePaul University in Music or Theatre. The prize's intended purpose is to advance the award recipient's professional career by giving them the freedom to engage in their intended artistic pursuits.

"I am honored and thrilled to be the inaugural recipient of the Edes Prize at DePaul University," says Rachel Walshe, a recent graduate of the Masters of Fine Arts in Directing program. "I will be committing my year to addressing the current inequities experienced by women theatre artists in a variety of ways. I am so grateful for this opportunity, for the Edes Foundation Prize, and for The Theatre School's ongoing support of my career." Walshe's application outlined her plans to become the Visiting Artistic Director of the Perishable Theatre in Rhode Island, where she hopes to sharpen the focus of the company's mission and promote the work of female theatre artists. She will also interview a series of female artistic directors to stimulate a conversation about the inequities faced by women in theatre. Finally, she plans to produce a play that illustrates her point of view based on these experiences and others. She will produce and direct Carson Kreitzer's 1:23 in a national co-production between Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and Perishable Theatre. The Edes Foundation Prize for Emerging Artists will provide the essential financial support for these endeavors at a critical point in her career.

In 2010, The Edes Foundation Board established the Claire Rosen and Samuel Edes Foundation Prize for Emerging Artists at four institutions in the Chicago area. At DePaul University, the Edes Foundation Prize will alternate each year between artists from The Theatre School and the School of Music. Walshe joins alumni artists Leigh-Ann Pahapill (University of Chicago), Ryan Muncy (Northwestern University), and Nadar Assor (School of the Art Institute of Chicago) as the inaugural recipients of this prestigious award. "We applaud The Claire and Samuel Edes Foundation for their support of young artists at a pivotal time in their careers," says John Culbert, Dean of The Theatre School, "and we congratulate all of the 2010 recipients. Rachel Walshe is a gifted director, and we look forward to seeing her artistic visions actualized with the support of this award."