The League of Professional Theatre Women to Present 2020 Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award Virtually

The International Committee of The League of Professional Theatre Women (Mary Hodges and Shellen Lubin, Co-Presidents), an organization which has been championing women in the professional theatre for over three decades, will present a virtual presentation of the 2020 Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award on Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Along with the Award presentation there will be several virtual programs presented through February 22. All programs will be pre-recorded and streamed globally at 1pm EST.

"Current world conditions have dictated both the nature of this year's International Award as well as the schedule," said Award Chair, Joan D. Firestone. "COVID- 19 turned it into a virtual production, and the disaster in Beirut, home to our Award recipient, the Lebanese theatre artist Hanane Hajj Ali and to finalist Maya Zbib, motivated a postponement, providing time for both women to begin the healing process. We look forward to their restored well-being and an even greater Award program."

The schedule of events is as follows:

• February 16: LPTW Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award Ceremony

• February 17: Special video and an Interview with Awardee Hanane Hajj Ali

• February 18: Women On Stage and In The Streets: Three Leading Beirut Theatre Artists, presented by Lebanese American University

• February 19: Raising Social Awareness and Activating Change in Theatre

• February 20: Theatre Education: Teaching Beyond the Stage

• February 22: The Dynamic Alliance of Theatre and Technology

Honorees will include the Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award recipient Hanane Hajj Ali of Lebanonand and the Gilder/Coigney Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, the late Franca Valeri of Milan. Awardee Hanane Hajj Ali was chosen from a group of four finalists that also included: Iman Aoun (Palestine), Mallika Sarabhai (India), Maya Zbib (Lebanon) and Mihaela Drăgan (Romania), each of whom will all receive a special Certificate of Achievement.

Franca Valeri (International Lifetime Achievement Award) was born in Milan in 1920 and died in Rome on August 9, 2020, at the age of 100. Actor, playwright, screenwriter and director, she is affectionately remembered for creating La signorina Snob on the radio, a satirical portrait of a rich girl from Milan. During her extraordinary career, Ms. Valeri acted in more than 50 films, worked in Italian television, directed opera and founded a competition for young opera singers. Throughout her life she performed on the stage, notably in her own monologue, La Vedova di Socrate (Socrate's Widow) during the 2005-06 season. In May 2020 she received the David di Donatello Award (the Italian Oscar), honoring her career, and shortly before her passing she graciously accepted the LPTW Gilder/Coigney Lifetime Achievement Award.

The LPTW Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award was established in 2011 in honor of Rosamond Gilder and Martha Coigney, two legendary theatre women whose work on the international stage proved that theatre knows no international boundaries. Presented every three years, this Award acknowledges the exceptional work of theatre women around the world and recognizes the contributions that an international theatre artist has made to her culture and the lives of her audiences. Odile Gakire Katese of Rwanda was the inaugural recipient of the G/C Award in 2011, Patricia Ariza of Colombia received the award in 2014 and Adelheid Roosen of the Netherlands was honored in 2017.

This Award and attendant events are only possible through the generous support of LPTW members, friends of the League and others committed to the mission and activities associated with the LPTW Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award. As a 501(c)3 organization, all gifts and donations are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.