Christine Baranski to be Honored by Shakespeare Theatre Company
In addition to the presentation of the awards, the Gala will feature a special performance from the Morgan State University Musical Theatre Department.
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Christine Baranski will be honored with Shakespeare Theatre Company's inaugural Michael Kahn Lifetime Achievement Award. Baranski joins previously announced honorees Wendell Pierce (Will Award) and Sudhakar and Alka Kesavan (Sea Change Award). The presentations will take place at STC’s annual Gala, All the World’s a Stage, on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC.
The Will Award: Wendell Pierce
Presenting The Will Award to Wendell Pierce will be iconic American trumpeter and composer, Wynton Marsalis. Pierce and Marsalis are long-time friends and musical collaborators, whose work together includes Pierce’s narration on Marsalis’s Jazz at Lincoln Center recording The Ever Fonky Lowdown, and Marsalis contributing to HBO’s Treme, featuring Pierce. Marsalis is an active promotor of classical and jazz music, the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, winner of nine Grammy Awards, and was creator of the first jazz composition to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
For more than three decades, the William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre (the Will Award) has been presented to an acclaimed artist who has made a significant contribution to classical theatre in America. Hugh Bonneville was honored at the 2025 event; other previous honorees include Indira Varma, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Patrick Stewart, Morgan Freeman, Kenneth Branagh, Dame Judi Dench, Phylicia Rashad, Lynn Redgrave, and Annette Benning.
The Michael Kahn Lifetime Achievement Award: Christine Baranski
In celebration of the company’s 40-year anniversary of producing world-class theatre, STC will present the inaugural Michael Kahn Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s gala to Christine Baranski. Recognizing the legacy of founding Artistic Director Michael Kahn, who led STC for 33 years, this award honors an artist who has made extraordinary contributions to the world of theatre, inspiring audiences and fellow artists alike. Mr. Kahn will be present at the event to introduce and present the eponymous award.
Known for her extensive work on stage, television, and film, Baranski was a student of Kahn’s at Juilliard, and long credits him for her classical training and early career opportunities on stage. In the following decades, she has performed onstage in classical, Shakespearean, contemporary, and musical roles. She is a Tony, Emmy, Drama Desk, and Helen Hayes Award-winner, among many other recognitions.
The Sea Change Award: Sudhakar and Alka Kesavan
Now in its third year, the Sea Change Award, to be presented to Sudhakar and Alka Kesavan, recognizes members of the community for outstanding leadership in protecting and developing the arts sector. Prolific supporters of the arts in the Washington region, the Kesavans have been invaluable supporters of STC for more than a decade, with Mr. Kesavan serving as a member of STC’s Board of Trustees. The Sea Change Award will be presented to the Kesavans by Anita Antenucci, Chair of the STC Board of Trustees.
Musical Performances
In addition to the presentation of the awards, the Gala will feature a special performance from the Morgan State University Musical Theatre Department, directed by Dr. Tyrone Stanley with music direction by Jae Anthonee.
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