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The husband-wife team of Lawrence E. and Barbara Stein are the 2004 honorees for the Ruth Foreman Award, for their development of The Actors' Playhouse into an officially-designated Major Cultural Institution from humble beginnings in Kendall in the late 80s. The award is for pioneering efforts in the development of regional theater. Barbara is the most visible as the executive producer, and chairman of the board Lawrence has been a quiet force in the company's ascendance.

Broward Center president Mark Nerenhausen receives the Howard Kleinberg Award, for special contributions to the health and development of the arts and artistic expression in the region. For the past several years, Nerenhausen has quietly guided the center into a pivotal role of nurturing the region’s resident arts organizations through box office and marketing assistance, and other behind-the-scenes support.

The Bill Hindman Award, for South Florida theater artists for special contributions, goes to costume designer and actress Meredith Lasher. In addition to her work at several regional theaters, she’s on the theater dept. faculty at Miami-Dade College’s north campus, and has twice founded or cofounded small, focused theater companies to fill gaps in the local theater network. The first was Trap Door Theatre in the late 90s, for local college theater students and grads. The latest is the Women’s Theatre Project, to develop dramatic literature by and for women.

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.

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.

Howard Kleinberg Award

Begun in 2000, named after Howard Kleinberg, long-time Editor of The Miami News, historian and author of numerous articles and books on the social and cultural history of Miami and South Florida. Awarded as special recognition for contributions to the health and development of the arts in South Florida.

2000: GABLESTAGE, MIAMI LIGHT PROJECT, GRUPO CULTURAL TEATRO LA MA TEODORA, concert promoter DEBBIE O’HANIAN, HUGO CANCIO and the AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION—For opposition to Miami-Dade County's ordinance banning performances by Cuban artists, and the “Cuba Affidavit” requiring arts groups to sign allegiance to the policy, that led to the law and the policy being struck down.

2001: RHODA LEVITT—Levitt is the former chair of the Florida Arts Council, member of the Miami City Ballet's Board of Trustees, secretary of the Greater Miami Performing Arts Center Foundation, member of the Southern Arts Federation, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and numerous arts organization boards. Levitt's ideas and energy have shaped the local, state and regional cultural fabric.

2002: JAY H. HARRIS—In additiona to his own activities as a producer both locally and nationally, Mr. Harris has been a donor, sponsor and board member for numerous South Florida arts organ-izations. He is set apart by his dedication to supporting the region's smaller, and smallest, theaters in their efforts to grow.

2003: ELIZABETH BOONE—Artistic and executive director of the Miami Light Project, for fostering development of new artistic voices and styles throughout the region’s multicultural community. In addition to producing the annual Here And Now Festival, the company developed Teo Castellanos’ one-man show “On 2^nd Avenue,” winner of a Scotsman Fringe First award at the recent 2003 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland