The Joe A. Callaway Award Equity Foundation Presents Classic, Shakespeare Awards Three acting awards were presented by the Equity Foundation at the Eastern Regional Membership Meeting on January 8, 2010. Foundation President Arne Gundersen was on hand to talk about the Foundation, and Councillor Francis Jue emceed the presentation. Kate Forbes and John Douglas Thompson received the Joe A. Callaway Award honoring the best performance by a female and male actor in a professional production of a classic play (one written prior to 1920) in the New York metropolitan area. Ms. Forbes was recognized for her performance in the Theatre for a New Audience production of OTHELLO. Mr. Thompson was cited for his performances both in OTHELLO and in the title role of THE EMPEROR JONES presented by The Irish Repertory Theatre. Ms. Forbes was unable to attend the meeting. Nevertheless, Jeffrey Horowitz, Artistic Director of Theatre for a New Audience, spoke on her behalf. He was pleased to do so because as a young actor he had studied the classics in England and always had a dream of supporting the classics in the United States. Ms. Forbes, he said, has “a magnificent gift of language.” Although she is from the South, her voice “has a natural musicality” to it. Mr. Horowitz called her “an extraordinary artist,” and said TFNA was “fortunate to have had her with us.” In a letter, Ms. Forbes said she was “deeply grateful” for the award. Andre De Shields, John Douglas Thompson Equity Councillor André De Shields presented John Douglas Thompson’s award. He noted that “it takes more than a chocolate veneer to be Othello, it takes tremendous truth, nobility and innocence,” all traits, Mr. De Shields said, possessed by Mr. Thompson. He called Mr. Thompson’s performance in THE EMPEROR JONES, “incandescent.” Mr. Thompson said he came late to acting and had started out as a computer salesperson. But he saw a production of August Wilson’s JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE and fell in love “with this noble profession.” He said that the award meant he had “arrived” as an actor. He thanked his fellow cast members, saying “I can’t do my work without the work of others.”

Award pages: Bayfield Callaway Derwent Eisenberg Jordan LeNoire Quinn Robeson Seff Sturtevant Arizona Theatre Service ACCA Diversity on Broadway Established by Equity member Joe A. Callaway in 1989 to encourage participation in the classics and non-profit theatre.

Recipients of the Joe A. Callaway Award are:

Year	Recipient	Role	Play	Production
1989	Alfre Woodard	Paulina	THE WINTER'S TALE	New York Shakespeare Festival
	Victor Garber	Richard Dudgeon	THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE	Circle in the Square
1990	Phillip Bosco	Harpagon	THE MISER	Circle in the Square
	Mary Alice	Margaret	RICHARD III	New York Shakespeare Festival
1991	Campbell Scott	Pericles	PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE	New York Shakespeare Festival
	Mary Beth Hurt	Emilia	OTHELLO	New York Shakespeare Festival
1992	Jake Weber	Orlando	AS YOU LIKE IT	New York Shakespeare Festival
	Maryann Plunkett	Masha Kaja Marcelle Paillardin	THE SEAGULL MASTER BUILDER A LITTLE HOTEL ON THE SIDE	National Actors Theatre
1993	Robert Sean Leonard	Marchbanks	CANDIDA	Roundabout
	Maryann Plunkett	Joan of Arc	SAINT JOAN	National Actors Theatre
1994	Robert Stattel	Titus Andronicus	TITUS ANDRONICUS	Theatre for a New Audience
	Laura Linney	Thea Elvsted	HEDDA GABLER	Roundabout Theatre
1995	Brian Bedford	Sganarelle	THE MOLIERE COMEDIES	Roundabout
	Lila Robins	Portia	THE MERCHANT OF VENICE	New York Shakespeare Festival
1996	Frank Langella	The Captain	THE FATHER	Roundabout
	Kathleen Chalfant	Mistress Quickly Queen of France	THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR HENRY V	New York Shakespeare Festival
1997	Max Wright	Pavel Lebedev	IVANOV	Vivian Beaumont
	Helen Carey	Lady Gay Spanker	LONDON ASSURANCE	Roundabout
1998	Liev Schreiber	Iachimo / Jupiter	CYMBELINE	New York Shakespeare Festival
	Zoe Wanamaker	Electra	ELECTRA	Barrymore Theatre
1999	Anne Dudek	Iphigenia	IPHIGENIA	Theater for a New Audience
	No male choice
2000	Byron Jennings	Henry Trebell	WASTE	Theatre for a New Audience
	Myra Carter	Eleanor	KING JOHN	Theatre for a New Audience
2001	Larry Pine	The Doctor	THE SEAGULL	Shakespeare in the Park
	Kate Burton	Hedda Gabler	HEDDA GABLER	Ambassador Theatre
2002	Evan Robertson	Claudio	MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING	Pearl Theatre
	Celeste Ciulla	Miss Kate Hardcastle	SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER	Pearl Theatre
2003	Earl Hindman	Julius Caesar	JULIUS CAESAR	Theatre For A New Audience
	Kathryn Meisle	Elmire	TARTUFFE	Roundabout Theatre
	Carol Schultz	Mrs. Malaprop	THE RIVALS	Pearl Theatre Co.
2004	Joanne Camp	Toinette	THE IMAGINARY INVALID	Pearl Theatre Company
	Robert Hock	Argan	THE IMAGINARY INVALID	Pearl Theatre Company
2005	Elizabeth Marvel	Hedda Gabler	HEDDA GABLER	NY Theatre Workshop
	Sean McNall	Mr. Paris	THE GENTLEMAN DANCING-MASTER	Pearl Theatre Company
2006	Lily Rabe	Ellie Dunn	HEARTBREAK HOUSE	Roundabout Theatre Co.
	Michael Stuhlbarg		THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE	Atlantic Theatre Co.
2007	Lauren Ambrose	Juliet	ROMEO AND JULIET	The Public Theatre
	Byron Jennings	Bastien André	IS HE DEAD?
2008	Kathryn Meisle		WOMEN BEWARE WOMEN	Red Bull Theatre
	Everett Quinton		WOMEN BEWARE WOMEN	Red Bull Theatre
2009	Kate Forbes		OTHELLO	New Audience
	John Douglas Thompson		OTHELLO / THE EMPEROR JONES	New Audience / The Irish Repertory Theatre