Judith Mitchell, Florida Children's Theatre to Receive 2017 Special Carbonell Awards

As the South Florida theater community prepares for the 41st annual Carbonell Awards, one of the most anticipated features of the April 3rd ceremony, the recipients of the prestigious George Abbott Award, and Ruth Foreman Award, have been announced.

Each year, the Carbonell Awards sponsors the George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts, awarded to an individual (or team) who has contributed significantly to the artistic and cultural development of the region. The award may be given for accomplishments within the year, or for a lifetime.

This year's recipient is Judith Mitchell, CEO of the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. As Kravis Center, Judith Mitchell supervises the overall operation of the $138 million performing arts facility in Palm Beach County. In addition to planning and implementing all corporate policies for the Kravis Center, Mitchell oversees 103 full-time and 97 part-time staff members, more than 700 volunteers and a $26 million annual operating budget and directs all functions related to programming, fundraising and administration.

Between 1982 and 1989, Mitchell served first as director of development and later as vice president and general manager of Ruth Eckerd Hall at the Richard B. Baumgardner Center for the Performing Arts in Clearwater, FL. Mitchell joined the Kravis Center staff in December 1989 as director of development. In that capacity, she was largely responsible for raising capital campaign contributions, enabling the Kravis Center to open its doors fully funded.

In 1992, Mitchell became the CEO of the Kravis Center, and since that time has led the Center to its current 25th season. She is the first and only female leader of Palm Beach County's major performing arts center, and one of the few women in the United States to hold that position.

"I am honored to receive the George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement In The Arts, and I sincerely thank Joy Abbott, Christine Dolen and the Carbonell Awards Board for this very distinctive privilege," noted Mitchell. "My dedicated staff, our board leadership and our devoted supporters have all contributed to make the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts such a wonderful community gathering place for art and entertainment in our region and it is they who have all worked tirelessly over the past 25 seasons - and before - to create the institution we are today. It is an honor and a privilege to receive this prestigious award."

Established in 2000, the Ruth Foreman Award is named after pioneer theater director and producer Ruth Foreman, to recognize contributions to South Florida theater development by an individual or group, for singular achievement and/or career contributions.

This year, Florida Children's Theatre is the recipient of the Ruth Foreman Award in recognition of its dedication to teaching the art of life through the magic of theatre. Now celebrating its 65th season, Florida Children's Theatre, formerly Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre, (FLCT), a not-for-profit organization, is an educational center for theatre arts serving children and families across South Florida. The oldest documented children's theatre in the state of Florida, FLCT was founded in 1952 by two mothers in a garage and was later incorporated in 1959. The theatre quickly grew to be the first cultural organization in Broward County to purchase its own building and the first to perform at Parker Playhouse, the Broward County Main Library theater and Dillard Center for the Arts. Each year, FLCT produces a season of five mainstage productions and offers year-round classes in acting, creative drama, and other theater-related skills. A full range of arts and educational outreach programs, a vibrant summer camp, and a variety of other performances round out the programming. FLCT is headquartered at the Galleria Mall and offers programming at locations across Broward County and beyond, impacting more than 35,000 individuals each year.

"Florida Children's Theatre proudly accepts the Ruth Foreman Award this year," said Janet Erlick, executive artistic director of FLCT for the past 19 years. "As a cultural pioneer, FLCT served this community since 1952, and this award reflects that long and rich history. It's made even more special because our producing director, Sean Cutler, worked with Ruth in her youth program years ago, he and the staff of FLCT now mentor the theater leaders of tomorrow. Many of our alumni have been nominated and honored by the Carbonell Awards through the years. FLCT will continue to introduce young artists and audiences to this important medium as we teach the art of life through the magic of theater."

Tickets are still available for the 41st annual Carbonell Awards ceremony, which takes place Monday, April 3, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. in the Amaturo Theater, at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W. 5th Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets can be purchased by calling 954-462-0222, in person at Broward Center's AutoNation box office or by visiting www.browardcenter.org.

The Carbonell Awards fosters the artistic growth of professional theater in South Florida by celebrating the diversity of our theater artists, providing educational scholarships, and building audience appreciation and civic pride by highlighting achievements of our theater community. Over 25 professional theater companies in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties participate in the awards process every year. Each season volunteer panelists and judges choose nominees and recipients from hundreds of shows produced on our area stages. In addition, The Carbonell Awards celebrate the accomplishments of our artistic leaders by presenting 'Special Awards' and show our dedication to the next generation of artists and journalists by awarding scholarships. Along with New York's Drama Desk and Chicago's Joseph Jefferson Awards, the Carbonell Awards are among the nation's senior regional arts awards and predate others, including Washington, D.C.'s Helen Hayes Awards. The Carbonell Awards are named after Manuel Carbonell, an internationally-renowned sculptor, who designed the original solid bronze and marble award in 1976, which return again this year as the signature trophy for award winners.

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