The Bill Hindman Award

Begun in 2000, named after pioneer South Florida actor Bill HIndman, for significant, long-term contributions to the region’s cultural life, and onstage career achievement, by performing artists based in South Florida.

2000: HAROLD BERGMAN and JIMMY GAMONET DE LOS HEROS-To Bergman, pioneer and Carbonell Award-winning South Florida actor, and los Heros, resident choreographer at Miami City Ballet for 15 years, both  for contributions to the region’s artistic development.

2001: KENNETH N. KURTZ-Scenic and lighting designer, technical director and teacher at the University of Miami Theater Department since 1964. A multiple Carbonell Award nominee, he has designed at professional theaters including the Coconut Grove Playhouse, Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre, Hirschfeld Theatre and Acme Acting Company.

2002: RANDOLPH DELLAGO-The Delray Beach Playhouse is both a landmark South Florida community theater, and a crucial link in the region’s theatrical chain largely through the work of Randy Dellago as its artistic director for over 20 years.

2003: DAVID KWIAT-professor in the theater division at the New World School of the Arts and a four-time Carbonell Award nominee for his many area stage appearances, Kwait has performed at the Guthrie Theatre and the Actors Theatre of St. Paul as well as the GableStage, New Theatre, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Actor’s Playhouse, New World Repertory Company and City Theatre.

2004: MEREDITH LASHER - actress, costume designer, producer and co-founder of several theater companies.

2007: Rafael de Acha - The recipient of the award recognizing significant long-term contributions to the region’s cultural life, Rafael de Acha founded the New Theatre in Coral Gables with his wife Kimberly Daniel and served as its artistic director for two decades. In that time, the New Theatre produced classics, modern drama by new and established playwrights and new works including the commissioning and staging of the premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz.  De Acha is launching a new venture, Theater by the Book, dedicated to staged readings of American and English classics and musicals later this month in Coral Gables.