Carbonell Awards to Honor Director Ali Tallman with Inaugural Christine Dolen Award

Gary Schweikhart, board president of the Carbonell Awards, South Florida's Theater & Arts Honors, today announced the recipient of the second of nine Special Awards that will be presented at the 49th annual Carbonell Awards Ceremony on Monday, November 16, at 7:30 pm at FAU's University Theatre in Boca Raton 33431.

“While we will be honoring specific people and productions in 20 competitive categories from approximately 100 shows presented between September 2025 and August 2026, the Carbonell board of directors has unanimously voted to also bestow a new Special Award,” said Schweikhart.

The Christine Dolen Award

Named after the award-winning theater critic for the Miami Herald for more than 35 years and dean of the Carbonell judges, this new Special Award honors the outstanding debut of a Carbonell-eligible performer, playwright, producer, director, or designer.

Ali Tallman

The insightful Resident Dramaturg at GableStage since 2024, Ali Tallman is also an experienced assistant director, choreographer, and New City Players company member who—after testing her skills on a self-produced play in New Mexico and at LakeHouseRanchDotPNG—directed her first major, fully professional production this season: The 39 Steps at New City Players. Zoetic Stage's Stuart Meltzer hailed her “creative, bold story-telling and full realization of artistic concepts (that) demanded attention,” calling Tallman “a director to watch and a future leader in American Theatre.” Tim Davis, Producing Artistic Director at New City Players, praised her “inventive, exhilarating, and hilarious production… No doubt Ali is only at the beginning of a long and profound directing career in our community.” 

Following The 39 Steps, Tallman directed this season with Orchestra Miami, the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival, and City Theatre's City Reads series. In addition to the GableStage season, Ali also provided dramaturgy for The South Florida Theatre League and Miami-Dade County's Playwrights Development Program and FIU's Greenhouse Program. This summer, she will be attending the La MaMa Umbria International Symposium for Directors/Theatre-Makers and will later direct Amy Herzog's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People for New City Players. Tallman is also a founding member of the review board of the Florida Intimacy Professionals Collective, a Carbonell judge, and a board member/dance instructor for Swing Out, South Florida.

Previously Announced Carbonell Special Awards 2026

The George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts
Stuart Meltzer, Founding Artistic Director of Zoetic Stage.

Still to be Announced

• The Jan McArt Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Small Theatre – July 28
• The Vinnette Carroll Award for Advancing Diversity, Equality & Inclusion in South Florida Theatre – August 4
• The Charlie Cinnamon Award for Outstanding Support of the Arts & the Carbonell Awards – August 11
• The Ruth Foreman Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Development of South Florida Theatre – August 18
• The Bill Hindman Award for Outstanding Career Achievement – August 25
• The Howard Kleinberg Award for Significant Contributions to the Health & Development of the Arts in South Florida – September 1
• The Bill von Maurer Award for Total Programming Excellence – September 8
• 2026 Carbonell Award Finalists in 20 Competitive Categories – September 15

All the 2026 Special Award recipients were nominated by members of South Florida's theatre community with the Carbonell Board of Directors making the final selection. The 120 Carbonell Award Finalists will be based on accumulated scores from the nonprofit organization's pool of nearly 50 experienced and diverse volunteer judges—with seven judges from various counties assigned to each show. During the 2025-2026 season, Carbonell judges evaluated approximately 100 professional productions at more than 30 theatres throughout Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties.

This season's Carbonell Awards will be presented on November 16 at a glittery ceremony that is South Florida's version of Broadway's Tony Awards. Hundreds of actors, musicians, performers, writers, directors, back-stage technicians, producers, critics, designers, specialty artists, and diehard theater fans are expected to attend. The event is being produced and directed by Andrew Kato, Producing Artistic Director/Chief Executive of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, with FAU's 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 excellence and diversity of our theater artists, providing scholarships, and building audience appreciation and civic pride by highlighting achievements of our theater community. More than 30 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 various Special Awards.