Award Winners of Florida Professional Theatres Association Announced

The Florida Professional Theatres Association (FPTA) announced the recipients of its two annual awards at its 37th Annual Statewide Professional Theatre Auditions and Workshops hosted at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota, Fla. On May 21 at this annual event, The Richard G. Fallon Award for Excellence in Professional Theatre was presented to William "Bill" Hayes, producing artistic director of Palm Beach Dramaworks, a professional theatre company in downtown West Palm Beach.

This award was established by the Florida Professional Theatres Association in 1986 to honor and recognize the enduring qualities the late Mr. Fallon demonstrated for decades to the development of professional theatre throughout Florida: vision, leadership, tenacity, and passion. The first award was presented to Mr. Fallon for these four attributes so necessary to advance professional theatre. In subsequent years, other Florida theatre professionals received this honor from FPTA. This year, FPTA honors Mr. Hayes for these same enduring qualities that he demonstrates daily in his commitment to advance Palm Beach Dramaworks and the art of professional theatre.

Mr. Hayes serves as FPTA's immediate-past president and continues to build relationships among theatre professionals and audiences. These relationships move professional theatre forward for all who value its power to enlighten, entertain, and transform lives; and, in the process, change the communities we live and work and visit in so many positive and exciting ways.

FPTA's "Vic Award" was presented to professional stage manager James Danford at Palm Beach Dramaworks on June 4 for his well-established professional theatre career as a stage manager for over thirty-seven years. The Vic Award was established by FPTA in 2012 to acknowledge Victor Meyrich, the production manager for almost fifty years at Asolo Theatre Company based in Sarasota, Fla. The "Vic Award" honors those theatre professionals who work tirelessly for years behind the scenes in production and technical theatre. These behind-the-scene professionals bring the numerous production elements to life show after show on the many professional theatre stages across Florida.

Bill Hayes and James Danford demonstrate diverse standards of excellence in their continuing commitment to advance professional theatre in Florida. FPTA thanks, honors, and celebrates these two outstanding theatre professionals.