Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award
February 15-22, 2021
The League of Professional Theatre Women's (LPTW) Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award Program was established in 2011 in honor of Rosamond Gilder and Martha Coigney, two legendary practitioners and diplomats whose work on the international stage proved that theatre knows no boundaries. Presented every three years, this award acknowledges the exceptional work of a non-U.S. theatre woman, promotes expanded visibility and new opportunities for the Awardee and her sister nominees, and fosters connections and networking with LPTW members and local cultural institutions.
The past year brings an expanded perspective to this fourth iteration of the G/C International Theatre Award Program, consistent with the critical issues and themes that increasingly challenge the world around us. In addition to recognizing a particular theatre artist, LPTW will present a week-long series of events designed to facilitate the Program's goals.
This year's Award Ceremony was hosted by Film and Television star Tamara Tunie, honoring Award-winner Hanane Hajj Ali from Lebanon. Finalists Iman Aoun (Palestine), Mallika Sarabhai (India), Maya Zbib (Lebanon) and Special Certificate Recipient Mihaela Drăgan (Romania) joined in a series of transformative conversations with U.S. counterparts.
It started on February 15, 2021 at 1:00pm EST (U.S.) with a 24-hour Countdown that presented performances and conversations in a quick tour around the world.
Hanane Hajj Ali
Iman Aoun
Mallika Sarabhai
Maya Zbib
Mihaela Drăgan
Hanane Hajj Ali will be featured in a series of special events showcasing her work. She will also have artistic and professional networking opportunities with New York theatres and artists.
The finalists included Iman Aoun (Palestine), Mallika Sarabhai (India), and Maya Zbib (Lebanon). Mihaela Drăgan (Romania) will receive a special certificate of achievement.
Hanane Hajj Ali, of Lebanon, was selected from a pool of 27 nominees from 18 different countries. Throughout her 40-year career, Ali has written, performed and directed acclaimed Arabic-language productions and also facilitated and supported hundreds of colleagues, students and communities in Lebanon and throughout the entire Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region. Jogging, her most recent solo piece, is a “partly autobiographical and taboo-breaking performance that tackles the Bermuda triangle of religion, sex, and politics” which has toured throughout the MENA region and Europe.
Nominees are evaluated on five criteria. They must have achieved artistic excellence, particularly in the exploration of new forms of theatrical expression; have received recognition of their work at home and abroad; demonstrate a commitment to the support of women through theatrical practice; have a body of work that inspires and educates US theatre practitioners with new ideas from abroad; and be able to leverage greater recognition and opportunity via receipt of the G/C Award.
- MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2021 - LPTW’s YouTube Channel 24hr Countdown
- TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021 - Gilder/Coigney International Theatre Award Ceremony hosted by Television and Film Star Tamara Tunie
- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 - LPTW's YouTube Channel How to Keep Creating While Everything Around You is Falling Apart: A Conversation with Hanane Hajj Ali
- THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021 - LPTW's YouTube Channel. Women On Stage and In The Streets: Three Leading Beiruti Theatremakers
- FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH, 2021 - LPTW's YouTube Channel. Raising Social Awareness and Activating Change Through Theatre
- SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 - LPTW's YouTube Channel Theatre Education: Reaching Beyond the Stage
- MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 - LPTW's YouTube Channel The Dynamic Alliance of Theatre and Technology
