Actors' Equity Association Honors Lin-Manuel Miranda with Rosetta LeNoire Award

Actors' Equity Association, the labor union for professional stage actors and stage managers, just presented the 2018 Rosetta LeNoire Award to Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Presented by Equity's National Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Committee, the award honors an individual, theatre or producing organization with an exemplary record in the hiring or promotion of people of color, women and actors with disabilities through diverse and inclusive casting.

The Rosetta LeNoire Award was established by Actors' Equity Association's Council on December 13, 1988 in order to recognize those who adhere to the union's policy regarding non-traditional casting and increasing diversity within the theatre, but were also unrecognized for their efforts in this arena. In addition, Council felt that by holding up as a positive example those theatres and/or producers that do create diverse and inclusive casting opportunities, it would serve as an incentive for other theatres to also make strides in this area. Previous recipients include Joseph Haj and the Guthrie Theater, Ten Thousand Things Theater, Mia Katigbak and the National Asian-American Theatre Company (NAATCO), Deaf West Theatre, Ellen Stewart of La Mama E.T.C. and Joe Papp and the New York Shakespeare Festival.

The award was named in honor of the actress Rosetta LeNoire, who was also the first recipient, not only because of her body of work in the theatre - and her work with the then-titled Actors' Equity Association's Ethnic Minorities Committee - but also for founding the Amas Repertory Theatre Company, an organization dedicated to maintaining an "interracial company" of actors. In addition to her film and television work, Ms. LeNoire made her Broadway debut in Mike Todd's 1939 production of Hot Mikado and went on to appear in other hits such as Anna Lucasta, Blues for Mr. Charlie, The Sunshine Boys and Mister Johnson.

Actors' Equity Association, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its Members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org #EquityWorks

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