|
|
Barry Kornhauser holding Charlotte B. Chorpenning Award. Click image for larger options. |
August 26, 2009 (Lancaster, PA) -- Fulton Playwright-in-Residence and Associate Director Barry Kornhauser has added another prestigious accolade to his growing list of national honors. Earlier this month in New York City, Kornhauser received the Charlotte B. Chorpenning Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a playwright for young audiences by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE). The Chorpenning "honors a nationally known writer of outstanding plays for children. The award recognizes a body of distinguished work." It is named in honor ground-breaking children's playwright Charlotte B. Chorpenning of the famed Goodman Theater in Chicago, one of the pioneering leaders in the field.
The award was presented at a ceremony on Sunday, August 9 at the joint 2009 AATE/ATHE (Association for Theatre in Higher Education) Conference at the Marriott Marquis on Times Square in New York City. The actual award is an engraved silver cup made by Tiffany.
"For decades, Barry has been building a reputation nationally and internationally as a leading American playwright," says Fulton Artistic Director Marc Robin. "We at the Fulton are immensely proud of Barry and all his accomplishments."
In his letter of support for the honor, Children's Theatre Company Artistic Director Peter Brosius wrote "Barry is endlessly imaginative and humane...one of those rare writers who brings never-ending effort, relentless attention to detail, and an incredible sense of collaboration without losing track of the story arc and the truth of a character's journey. He brings a warmth and a deep humanity and grace into every encounter he has. His work honors his collaborators and honors the spirit and intelligence of the theatre. Barry is a truly gifted artist that we feel blessed to know and thrilled to work with. He brings out our best and creates work that is new, surprising and filled with humanity."
Artistic Director David Saar, of Arizona's Childsplay Theatre noted that the Chorpenning Cup "is first and foremost a recognition of writers who possess that special spark of creativity and understanding of the power of words to change the lives of young people and their families. Barry does indeed have that gift, and it manifest itself in each and every theatrical project that he has created. ...His plays are marked by a singular artistic vision and his great, good humor. He is one of the funniest men on this planet! Linked to this is heart. He has a keen understanding of the human condition and a strong desire to communicate these sometimes conflicting visions of it to our young people. ...Our body of work is made richer and deeper with the inclusion of each of his artistic adventures."
AATE President-Elect Daniel Kalin, along with Honolulu Theatre for Youth Artistic Director Eric Johnson, commented in their joint letter that "Barry's numerous awards and amazing body of theatrical literature speak for themselves and his heart-capturing abilities as a writer," but added how his process conveys "something bordering on missionary zeal. Barry regularly works 18 hours days, volunteers countless hours on top of his busy writing, teaching, and producing schedule, and always has time to sit down with a young person in need of mentoring. ...By recognizing a playwright like Barry we would be rewarding a dedicated innovator and encourage the world of TYA to continue to grow and expand."
At the ceremony, Kornhauser thanked his own family and also his Fulton Theatre family, remarking that the Lancaster landmark has been his artistic home for almost 30 years, and adding that it is there "where most of his plays began... and where most of them have ended." His works, many of which originated at the Fulton, have been performed around the world and at such Tony-Award winning stages as The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington DC and Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis, as well as at the San Diego Theatre of the World Festival, the Provincetown Playhouse New Play Festival, the Smithsonian, and at both the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' "New Visions/New Voices" and "One Theatre World" events.
Kornhauser's other honors have included the Helen Hayes Outstanding Play Award, the Ivey Award for Playwriting, AATE Distinguished Play Award, Bonderman Playwriting Prize, TYA/USA "Best Plays of the Decade" Commendation, Pennsylvania's Educational Theatre Award and "Best Practices" Honor, and fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. In 2008, Kornhauser was the United States nominee for the ASSITEJ International Award for Artistic Excellence, and the Fulton's Youtheatre program, which he founded, was honored at the White House with the "Coming Up Taller" Award, recognizing it as one of the top arts-education initiatives in the nation.
The AATE honors "exceptional individuals as well as organizations for the high quality work they perform in the field of theatre with and for young audiences. Recipients represent the best of our field and inspire others with the outstanding work, commitment, and dedication that make us proud to count them among our colleagues and allies."
