Moises Kaufman Receives Arena Stage's American Artist Award Tonight

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater will present the American Artist Award to Tony and Emmy Award-nominated director and playwright Moisés Kaufman. The award will be presented tonight, November 10, 2016 as part of the opening night celebration for the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel, directed by Artistic Director Molly Smith.

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., the evening will include a cocktail reception in the Bank of America Lower Lobby, seated dinner in the Molly Smith Study, 8:00 p.m. opening night performance of Carousel in the Fichandler Stage and post-show dessert reception in the Grand Lobby. The seated dinner will feature the presentation of the American Artist Award to Kaufman.

"Moisés is one of the most iconic theater artists working in the industry today, and his contributions to the American theater scene are immeasurable, both politically and through making theater," shares Smith. "His work is profound and provocative, continuously pushing boundaries and sparking national conversations. Arena Stage premiered 33 Variations before it moved to Broadway, and our audiences have also experienced his pioneering playmaking with The Laramie Project, which helped spark our country's first federal hate crimes legislation, with the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act."

The American Artist Award recognizes artists of the highest caliber, honoring their work and significant contributions to American theater. Past awardees include Sheldon Harnick, Kathleen Turner, Leslie Uggams, Edward Albee, James Earl Jones, Robert "Bob" Alexander, August Wilson and Arena Stage co-founder Zelda Fichandler.

"Molly Smith is one of our great theater visionaries," says Kaufman. "Arena Stage has been a home for me and Tectonic Theater for many years now, and I've developed much of my work there. Also, Arena has housed some of the most important artists in American theater, so I'm incredibly moved to get this recognition."

Named the best musical of the 20th century by Time magazine, Carousel follows Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan through their journey of love, loss and redemption and soars with unforgettable songs including "If I Loved You," "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" and "You'll Never Walk Alone." The 27-member cast features Nicholas Rodriguez (Arena's My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!) as Billy Bigelow, Betsy Morgan (Broadway's The King and I, LES MISERABLES) as Julie Jordan, E. Faye Butler (Arena's Pullman Porter Blues, Oklahoma!) as Mrs. Mullin, Ann Arvia (Arena's Fiddler on the Roof) as Nettie Fowler and Kate Rockwell (Broadway's Rock of Ages, Bring It On: The Musical) as Carrie Pipperidge. Featuring Musical Direction by Paul Sportelli and Choreography by Parker Esse, Carousel runs October 28-December 24, 2016.

For sponsorship opportunities (tables begin at $5,000 for a half-table), contact Maria Corso at 202-600-4025 or email mcorso@arenastage.org. Table sponsorships benefit Arena Stage's artistic and educational programs.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Director Edgar Dobie, is a national center dedicated to American voices and artists. Arena Stage produces plays of all that is passionate, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit, and presents diverse and ground-breaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Arena Stage is committed to commissioning and developing new plays, and impacts the lives of over 10,000 students annually through its work in community engagement. Now in its seventh decade, Arena Stage serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000. For more, visit arenastage.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride