Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps Receives James Irvine Leadership Award

Sheldon Epps, of the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, CA, is congratulated by Governor Schwarzenegger and The Irvine Foundation's President and CEO James E. Canales, right, as a recipient of one of The James Irvine Foundation's six 2007 Leadership Awards during a visit to the governor's Cabinet room at the state capitol in Sacramento on Monday, July 16, 2007.
Photo by John Decker



From Brian:

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful and yet most wonderful. - William Shakespeare - As You Like It

Only the great line from Shakespeare can capture our feelings as we proudly announce that Sheldon Epps is a 2007 recipient of the James Irvine Leadership Award. This honor, which includes an $125,000 grant to the theatre, is given each year to just a handful of Californians who have made a leading and meaningful impact on the lives of Californians.

I know that we are all proud of Sheldon, but he and I want you to know this award is also an acknowledgment of all our efforts -- the dedication and tireless hours that each of you put in as a member of the Playhouse family as well as the great work and generosity of our Board of Directors in support of the vision and direction of our theatre.

Congratulations to Sheldon (and to all of us!)

Brian

From the James Irvine Foundation:

The Pasadena Playhouse is officially California’s state theater, but poor attendance has threatened to close its doors more than once in its long history. Up until the last decade, when the theater did put on performances, often there would be no people of color — and few under 60 — in the audience. Enter Sheldon Epps in 1997, one of the few African-American artistic directors of a major regional theater in the country. His commitment to diversity and the production of an eclectic range of high-quality performances has led to the Playhouse’s remarkable renaissance. Today it is recognized nationally for its commitment to theatrical diversity, artistic excellence, and box-office success. The Playhouse offers a broad range of high-quality productions, draws a younger and multiethnic audience and conducts programs to expose disadvantaged youth to live theater, while maintaining steady growth in subscriptions and ticket sales.

More on Sheldon and the award here.