The Ruth Foreman Award

Begun in 2000, named after pioneer theater director and producer Ruth Foreman, to recognize contributions to South Florida theater development by an individual or group, for singular achievement and/or career contributions.

2000: THE VINNETTE CARROLL REPERTORY COMPANY-Vinnette Carroll, founder & artistic director; Tony Thompson, managing director and Jerry Campbell, company manager, for significant contributions to the development of South Florida’s regional theater community.

2001: JAN McART and BOB BOGDANOFF- McArt, an award-winning actress, is the founder/producer of The Royal Palm Dinner Theatre, Bogdanoff, who died earlier this year, was the theater’s resident director for over 20 years. Like Foreman herself, they provided professional development opportunities for more than a generation of South Florida resident performers, designers and other creative artists.

2002: THE M ENSEMBLE COMPANY-Founded in 1971 by T.G. Cooper and run for nearly three decades by Pat Williams and Shirley Richardson, The M Ensemble is Florida’s oldest Black theater company. It has consistently provided a cultural showcase for the Black experience and for the development of regional artists.

2003: DOROTHY WILLIS-President and producer of Tamarac’s White-Willis Theatre company (renamed the Tamarac Theatre of the Performing Arts). The troupe began in the early 1980’s as the Wo/Man’s Showcase, a grass roots company that gave starts to numerous performers and designers who went on to regional, national and international acclaim.

2004: LAWRENCE E. STEIN - chairman of the board, and Barbara Stein, executive producer, of the Actors’ Playhouse.

2007: Michael Hall

Caldwell Theatre Company’s Artistic and Managing Director Michael Hall is a previous George Abbott Award recipient and is recognized for the 2007 opening of the 30,000 square-foot Count de Hoernle Theatre which provides the region’s oldest continuously operating resident professional company with a new home offering 333 seats, a proscenium stage and leading technology. Hall co-founded the Boca Raton-based company 33 years ago with Frank Bennett and has won six Best Director Carbonell Awards.   The Ruth Foreman Award honors those in the South Florida theater community who have made significant contributions to the development of theater.