Theatre Philadelphia Announces Virtual Celebration of Region's Theatre

Theatre Philadelphia has announced Theatre Philadelphia: A Celebration, the annual celebration of our region's theatre industry. This year, over 75 producers will be recognized for their work during the 2019-20 season, in addition to virtual and activism work.

The official 2019 - 2020 theatre season came to an abrupt end in March due to COVID-19. Since then, the Philadelphia theatre community has pivoted in the face of the most uncertain times.

"While this year's celebration won't look anything like our traditional fall gathering, what remains is an opportunity to recognize our amazing community's resilience and to virtually gather," says Theatre Philadelphia Executive Director LaNeshe Miller-White.

Theatre Philadelphia: A Celebration replaces the annual Barrymore Awards Ceremony and Celebration, which has offered nearly $1 million in cash awards to theatre organizations and individual artists since 1995.

During this year's celebration, Theatre Philadelphia will announce the Victory Award for Outstanding Theatre Education Program recipients, sponsored by the Victory Foundation. This award recognizes the diverse, rich, and impactful youth-focused education programs in the Philadelphia theatre community, and seeks to put arts education and the future of the field front and center. Recipients who will receive awards of $5,000 include After School Activities Partnerships, People's Light, Philly Young Playwrights, and Yes! And...Collaborative Arts.

Other traditional special cash awards have been redirected towards Theatre Philadelphia's Emergency Relief Program, which was launched in April to provide micro-grants to nearly 500 theatre workers who experienced income and opportunity loss due to COVID-19 and theatre closures.

The Celebration will begin at 7pm on Monday, November 16th as a 1 hour-long look back at the year of theatre in Philadelphia. The celebration will be hosted by local theatre makers Jenna Kuerzi and Newton Buchanan. Theatre Philadelphia's new executive director, LaNeshe Miller-White, will introduce the celebration. Following the video, there will be a series of breakout rooms where attendees can gather and interact for 2 hours.

The event is one-night only and requires a ticket for access. Tickets are $15 for General Admission and $100 for Honorary Committee, which includes a tax-deductible donation to Theatre Philadelphia. A Pay What You Can option is also available. For tickets, visit www.theatrephiladelphia.org.

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