Adventure Stages' Tom Arvetis Receives AATE's Orlin Corey Award for Artistic Excellence

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC) is very proud to announce that ASC Founder and Producing Artistic Director Tom Arvetis is the 2013 recipient of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education's Orlin Corey Award for Artistic Excellence.

This award celebrates a full spectrum of artists, including directors, designers, actors, choreographers, composers, puppeteers and videographers. Specifically, it honors a particular artistic achievement or a unique artistic contribution to theatre for young audiences and can be presented at any time in an artist's career. Tom Arvetis received this year's award for his direction of Marco Ramirez's Six Stories Tall, which made its Midwest premiere at ASC last fall.

Mr. Arvetis stated during his award acceptance speech, "Orlin Corey said he was waging a war against mediocrity in theatre for young people, and I am proud to say that I am a soldier in that fight."

Tom Arvetis is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Adventure Stage Chicago. His directing credits include the ASC productions Augusta and Noble, Six Stories Tall, And A Child Shall Lead, The Blue House, Katrina: The Girl Who Wanted Her Name Back, and I Dream In Blues, a "blues-ical" he co-wrote with Chicago blues veteran Katherine Davis that was called "the sleeper hit of the season" by the Chicago Tribune. Other playwriting credits include the stage adaptation of Sharon Creech's novel Walk Two Moons, which premiered at ASC in 2011 and is now a published play with Dramatic Publishing. Mr. Arvetis is currently working on a new play that will make its world premiere at ASC in May 2014.

Adventure Stage Chicago creates dynamic and transformative theatre for young audiences that activates the imagination, inspires dialogue and strengthens community among families, educators and artists.

Adventure Stage has received numerous honors since its inception in 2004, including:

- Illinois Theatre Association's 2012 Award of Excellence in Theatre for Young Audiences

- Zeta Phi Eta WiniFred Ward Award for Outstanding New Children's Theatre Company from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education

- Two-time Finalist for the Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theater Award

- Participant in the New Visions/New Voices Festival at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Washington D.C.

- Four-time Recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Access to Artistic Excellence Grant

Adventure Stage Chicago is a program of Northwestern University Settlement House, the oldest continually operating settlement house in Chicago. Throughout its 121-year history, the Settlement has remained committed to providing resources that empower neighbors to overcome the obstacles of poverty. Adventure Stage extends this mission by presenting Chicago's young audiences, educators and families with affordable artistic experiences that celebrate community and are rooted in performance.

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