Equality Florida's 2015 Suncoast Celebration Honors Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards Today

Asolo Repertory Theatre's Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards will be honored today, November 21 at Equality Florida's annual Suncoast Celebration.

Mr. Edwards will receive Equality Florida's highest honor, the Voice for Equality Award, for his instrumental work with the theatre's innovative OUT@AsoloRep program, Sarasota's premier cultural event connecting local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities with fantastic theatre.

American lawyer and civil rights activist Mary Bonauto will also be honored at the event, receiving the Equality Florida Lifetime Achievement Award for her incredible contributions to the LGBT equality movement, including winning the case that brought marriage to Massachusetts in 2004, making that state the first in the U.S. to legalize the freedom to marry. In 2015, Ms. Bonauto argued the marriage case that won the freedom to marry throughout the country before the U.S. Supreme Court with Obergefell v. Hodges.

The annual Suncoast Celebration will also feature live musical entertainment, hors d'oeurves, an open bar and a State of the State address by Equality Florida co-founder and Deputy Director Stratton Pollitzer.

The Suncoast Celebration will take place on Saturday, November 21 at 5pm at The Roof of the Palm Avenue Parking Garage, 1289 N. Palm Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236. Advance tickets: $125. At the door: $150. Tickets are available by visiting www.eqfl.org/suncoastcelebration. For more information about Equality Florida, call 813-870-EQFL (3735) or visit www.eqfl.org.

MICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS is in his tenth season as Producing Artistic Director of Asolo Repertory Theatre. He was previously the Associate Artistic Director of Syracuse Stage and served as Artistic Director of Shakespeare Santa Cruz. A Garland Award and DramaLogue Award winning director, Mr. Edwards has directed at Cleveland Play House; Indiana Repertory Theatre; Geva Theatre; Syracuse Stage; The Shakespeare Theatre; San Jose Rep; Opera San Jose; the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; the Old Globe in San Diego; Virginia Stage Company; the Virginia Opera; the State Theatre of South Australia; Opera Australia; Victoria State Opera; and the Metropolitan Opera. In previous seasons for Asolo Rep, Mr. Edwards has directed Our Betters; The Grapes of Wrath; Clybourne Park; My Brilliant Divorce; Hamlet, Prince of Cuba; Las Meninas; La Bête; The Last Five Years; The Life of Galileo; Perfect Mendacity; The Winter's Tale; Equus; A Tale of Two Cities; Darwin in Malibu; Nobody Don't Like Yogi; Amadeus; The Smell of the Kill; and pieces in the annual Unplugged festival of new plays, including the world premiere reading of John Guare's Eddie in the Andes.

Equality Florida Institute is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. For more information, visit www.eqfl.org.