Pasadena Playhouse's Epps Receives Irvine Foundation Award

The recipients of the 2007 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards were announced today. The six recipients, representing five organizations, were awarded $125,000 per organization for successfully tackling pressing state issues that many considered intractable. The goal of the awards program, now in its second year, is to recognize and celebrate individuals who have demonstrated ingenuity, dedication, and collaboration — and to encourage other leaders to adopt similar approaches and solutions.
 
Gov. Schwarzenegger lauded this year's recipients, who have made significant impacts on issues ranging from education in low-performing schools to the role of theater in building community to global warming, air quality, and flood control. 
 
"The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award recipients are model citizens for their exceptional work to improve their communities and California," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "These Californians have demonstrated visionary leadership in their ability to successfully work across sectors in business, education, environment, and the arts. I want to congratulate all of the recipients for their extraordinary achievements in each of their respective fields."
 
"The Leadership Award recipients once again remind us that, as insurmountable as some challenges may appear, solutions are in reach," said Jim Canales, President and CEO of The James Irvine Foundation. "And through their work with a variety of stakeholders, this year's recipients prove that solutions can truly be a win-win for everyone involved. These leaders remind us that remarkable results are possible when we develop innovations with everyone at the table."
 
This year's recipients include:
 
Sheldon Epps, Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena

"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," state press materials.  On Broadway, he has directed Play On!, Blues in the Night, and Scenes and Revelations. 
 
Ashley Boren, Sustainable Conservation, San Francisco

Cesar Calderon, Soledad Enrichment Action, Los Angeles
 
John Carlon and Tom Griggs, River Partners, Chico
 
Yvonne Chan, Vaughn Next Century Learning Center, Pacoima
  
More information about The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards can be found at www.irvine.org/leadership.