This article is about an event that I produced for The Lilly Awards Foundation, of which I am the Administrative Director.
I get a nice shout-out in the last line. 🙂
(l-r) Tessa LaNeve, me, Georgia Stitt, Amanda Green, and Marsha Norman at the afterparty for the 7th Annual Lilly Awards at Signature Theatre.
by Shari Lifland | May 25, 2016
In the 1960s a cigarette manufacturer tried to woo women customers with the somewhat condescending slogan: “You’ve come a long way, baby.” Decades later, in many industries—including the American theater—women still have a very long way to go. Currently only 22% of the plays and musicals produced in America are written by women. That’s why playwrights Julia Jordan, Marsha Norman, and Theresa Rebeck founded the Lilly Awards in 2010. The organization honors the contributions made to the American theater by women and also works to publicize and correct the issues that confront women artists, from the lack of childcare to the need for mentors and champions.
The 7th annual Lilly Awards celebration took place on May 23, 2016 at the Signature Theatre Center in New York. Ten women were honored, taking their places on stage among previous winners. The presenters were as illustrious as the honorees, including writer, activist, and feminist icon Gloria Steinem, along with Academy Award winner and 2016 Tony Award nominee Lupita Nyong’o and her costars from Broadway’s Eclipsed, and Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus.
Honorees included:
Irish activist group Waking the Feminists (First International Award)
Danai Gurira (Playwrighting)
Jessie Mueller (Acting)
Kate Whoriskey (Directing)
Genne Murphy (Leah Ryan Prize)
Martha Plimpton (Speaking Truth to Power)
Candis Jones (NY Women’s Foundation Directing Apprenticeship Award)
Rehana Lew Mirza (The Stacey Mindich “Go Write a Play” Award)
Kathy Najimy (Activism)
Mia Katigbak (Trailblazing)
…
Other Lilly Award presenters included Russell G. Jones, Cusi Cram, Rachel Chavkin, Neena Beeber, and Lloyd Suh. Producer Daryl Roth announced the creation of The Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award dedicated to Apprenticeship for Women in Tech or Design, which will begin next year. Emily Simoness spoke on behalf of the Space Camp at Ryder Farm, which provides family retreats for working mothers in the arts.
The Lilly Awards event was produced by Tessa LaNeve and Chelsea Marcantel and co-produced by Amanda Green.
For more information: www.thelillyawards.org
