SDCF Reveals Recipient and Finalists for 2025 Barbara Whitman Award

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation revealed the recipient and four finalists for the 2025 Barbara Whitman Award. Established by theatrical producer Barbara Whitman in 2021, this award recognizes a woman, trans, or non-binary director who has developed a clear and distinctive artistic voice and demonstrated unique vision in their theatrical work. This award is meant to heighten visibility for a director & their work in the field as well as support the work of the director with an unrestricted award of $10,000.
 
Autumn Angelettie has been chosen to receive the 2025 Barbara Whitman Award. Angelettie said of her selection, “I am a director driven by a core question first posed by June Jordan, ‘…as a Black feminist, I must ask myself: Where is the love? How is my own lifework serving to end these tyrannies, these corrosions of sacred possibility?’ The cultivation of art to build a better world is my lifework, and it is an extraordinary honor for my voice and artistry to be recognized in this way. Words can hardly encapsulate my gratitude to Barbara Whitman, SDCF, the award committee, and Shanara Gabrielle, Artistic Director of Theater Alliance, for the nomination. At a time where the theatre, and our world, face critical dangers, this award is an affirmation and a humbling investment in my practice that I intend to honor through continuing the work toward cultural transformation.”
 
Dmitri Victor Barcomi, Fran de Leon, Emily Lyon, and Caitlin Ryan O’Connell were all recognized as finalists for the award. All finalists will receive a $1,000 unrestricted award.
 
Angelettie was selected for this honor through a multi-round committee process. The first-round committee included Chris Burney, Luis Castro, Melissa Crespo, cara hinh, Leigh Silverman, and Tamilla Woodard. The second-round committee included Rebecca Aparicio, Barbara Whitman, Benita de Wit, Tamilla Woodard.
 
Says Whitman, "It was another extraordinary year of applicants for this Award and on behalf of the committee, I am thrilled that Autumn has been selected as this year’s awardee. She is joined by four wonderful finalists who are all worth knowing.  I’m excited to see where their careers take them.”