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The Joe A. Callaway Award
AEA Announces 2011 Callaway Award Recipients:
Danai Gurira, Derek Smith Receive Equity’s Classic Theatre Award
Danai Gurira and Derek Smith have been selected to receive the 2011 Joe A. Callaway Award presented by the Actors’ Equity Foundation. The announcement was made by Arne Gundersen, President of the Foundation.
Lorenzo Pisoni and Danai Gurira in Measure for Measure
Joan Marcus
Ms. Gurira was recognized for her performance as Isabella in Shakespeare’s MEASURE FOR MEASURE presented by the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park.
Mr. Smith received the award for his performance as Dog in the Red Bull Theater production of THE WITCH OF EDMONTON.
Ms. Gurira has also appeared on Broadway in JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE and Off-Broadway she appeared in, and was co-creator of, IN THE CONTINUUM. Awards include an Obie, Helen Hayes (Best New Play: ECLIPSED), NAACP, and John Gassner Outer Critics. She is both a Hodder Fellow and an NEA Grant Fellow.
Derek Smith
Mr. Smith’s Broadway credits include: THE GREEN BIRD (Tony nomination), THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, TIMON OF ATHENS, JACKIE: AN AMERICAN LIFE, RING ‘ROUND THE MOON, GETTING AND SPENDING, and several years as Scar in THE LION KING. He has received Drama League and LA Ovation awards for SYLVIA, the 2000 Derwent Award for his appearance in KING JOHN, and an Obie for THE GREEN BIRD.
The award was established by Equity member Joe A. Callaway to encourage participation in the classics and non-profit theatre and honors the best performance in a professional production of a classic play (one written prior to 1920) in the New York metropolitan area. It includes a $1,000 check plus an engraved plaque for each recipient, which will be presented at Equity’s Eastern Regional Membership Meeting at 2 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012 at the Equity offices, 165 West 46th Street, New York City.
The Judges Panel includes: Joe Dziemianowicz, Daily News; Adam Feldman, Time Out NY; Harry Haun, Playbill; and David Rosenberg, Back Stage.
Previous recipients of the Callaway Award include Kate Burton, Frank Langella, Laura Linney, Liev Schreiber and, in 2010, Lily Rabe and Matthew Rauch.
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