Theater Awards: What They Mean and Why We Give Them
Friday 7/18/25, doors open at 5:00pm ET, interview starts at 5:30. Come early so we can meet you!
Community Gathering on Zoom - register with the bright red reservation box to receive the Zoom link. These gatherings are a service for the theater community and are offered free for TRU members; we ask that non-members help keep us running by buying a ticket, making a
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In the room: Bob Blume, an executive producer of the Drama Desk Awards from 1999-2018; Peter Breger of the OB Alliance Awards; Cat Parker of New York Independent Theater Awards; Bevin Ross, executive director of The Drama League; Charles Wright, co-president of the Drama Desk. The unique identity and purpose of different theater awards, the complex and probably exhausting process of managing and administering an annual awards ceremony and how it functions in stimulating the development of our theater culture. Come learn the history of some of our current theater awards and why each was created, the philosophies behind each, and their differences in terms of esthetics (if there are differences). What do they look for? What do they value? You will learn about eligibility, of course, and how the awards are run and produced. Should art even be competitive? Are awards healthy acknowledgments that offer artists something to aspire to? Isn't this inevitably subjective, or are there ever objective criteria to consider when choosing nominees and winners?
Panelists
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ROBERT R. BLUME
is a veteran producer of Television, Film, Theatre and Concerts, who was an Executive Producer of the Annual DRAMA DESK AWARDS (the “Golden Globes” of theatre) from 1999 until 2018, with many of the shows on PBS and/or Livestream. He is also a noted talent manager with a prestigious client list. He has produced and talent managed under the aegis of his company, Step Forward Entertainment, whose main office is in New York with satellite offices in Los Angeles and Florida. In TV, Mr. Blume has had productions on PBS, RAI (Italy) and streamed live variety shows in addition to his theatrical producer resume, which include two Broadway productions, two Los Angeles productions, two international tours and productions in Canada, Italy and Monte Carlo. Mr. Blume as a talent manager oversees his clients in association with longtime Agent and Manager, Jacque Pederson-Schrimscher. Their clients work regularly in TV, Film and Theatre. www.stepforwardentertainment.com He is proud to have been a 20-year Tony voter as a member of THE BROADWAY LEAGUE and is currently in his 25th year as a DRAMA DESK AWARDS voting member. He also served as an Advisory Board Member of the DUKE ELLINGTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS and is a consultant to BROADWAY CHINA production company created to bring arts from America to China. However, he is most proud of his commitment to bring awareness to today’s mental health problem affecting our country by serving as President of a New York State 501 c3 not for profit which uses the Arts to spotlight mental health issues.
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PETER BREGER
is an entertainment attorney, theatrical general manager, and producer who has represented theatre and independent film producers and investors, commercial and non-profit theatres, writers, directors, performers, talent agents and managers for over twenty-five years. He is a Tony-Nominated producer of Broadway, Off-Broadway and Regional Theatre. He owned and operated The Actors’ Playhouse in Greenwich Village, New York, for 12 years. He is the President of the Off-Broadway Alliance, a non-profit organization of Off-Broadway producers, general managers, theatrical artistic and executive directors, theatre-owners and operators, and publicity and marketing firms.
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CAT PARKER
is a theatre producer and director, originally based in NYC but now living in New Jersey. Cat is the founder of Articulate Theatre Company, a CTI Producing graduate, member of the Indie Theatre Hall of Fame and a Planet Connection's outstanding director award winner. She has worked with the New York Independent Theatre Awards since 2019.
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BEVIN ROSS
is the Executive Director of The Drama League of New York, with a mission to advance American theater by providing lifelong resources for directors. Founded in 1916, The Drama League is one of the nation’s oldest arts service organizations in America and home of The Drama League Awards, the oldest theatrical honors in America. With nearly 20 years of experience in the New York City arts sector, Bevin is a seasoned nonprofit leader who has held multiple leadership roles at prominent cultural institutions in NYC including the New York Academy of Sciences, where she drove a multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign for their 200th Anniversary; She also led Performance Space New York’s multimillion-dollar capital campaign to renovate their home in the East Village and led fundraising initiatives for special programs at WNET/Channel Thirteen, including the award-winning documentary series Women, War and Peace produced by Abigail Disney. Bevin holds a Master’s in Arts Administration & Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a dual B.A. in Theater and Spanish from Washington University in St. Louis. She has focused her career on supporting living artists through strategic fundraising, advocacy, and visionary leadership.
