Alumna Barbara Whitman ’05 Establishes Barbara Whitman Award Through Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation

Alumna Barbara Whitman ’05 partners with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDFC) to establish the Barbara Whitman Award. This award is an unrestricted cash prize of $10,000 that will be presented annually to a female, trans or non-binary early-career director. In a recent statement, Whitman said, "When I read SDC + SDCF's Next Stage report, I was surprised to find out how few awards are given to directors. It seemed only natural for me to establish an award so I could help female, trans or non-binary early-career directors, especially during these particularly difficult times." 

Nominations for the Barbara Whitman Award are being accepted through March 15, 2021. To meet the qualifications, nominees must have directed at least three productions, and must augment their directing work with non-artistic sources of income. Nominees must be nominated by a theatre industry professional. The Award winner will be chosen by a panel of industry professionals including Christopher Burney, Mia Katigbak, Dan Knechtges, Leigh Silverman, and Tamilla Woodard. The winner of the inaugural Barbara Whitman Award will be announced in April.

Whitman has continuously supported programs for early career theatre professionals by offering employment, educational, and financial opportunities. In 2020, Whitman established The Sweet Factory Fellowship, a mentorship program for New York City high school students interested in producing and managing Broadway productions. Each fellow is a paid employee who works with industry leaders in the position. 

Whitman is a Tony award-winning producer who made her Broadway debut producing A Raisin in the Sun. She produced the 2020 Pulitzer Prize winning musical A Strange Loop, which marks the first time a musical produced solely Off Broadway has won the award. Other Broadway credits include Red, 33 Variations, Mary Stuart, Legally Blonde, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hands on a Hardbody, 1984, Angels In America, Burn This, Fun Home, and Oh Hello. Her Broadway musical Diana was filmed live on stage and will stream on Netflix later this year.