Vineyard Theatre Names Tyler Thomas Recipient Of 2021 Susan Stroman Directing Award

Vineyard Theatre Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce Lessons in Survival director Tyler Thomas will be awarded with the biennial Susan Stroman Directing Award at this year's Open House taking place virtually on Sunday, January 31 at 5:00 pm EST. The hour-long program will feature the celebration of awards given to new resident artists, conversations with Vineyard veterans from favorite shows and sneak previews of upcoming works of alternative theatre in the 2020-2021 Season.

This past fall, Thomas directed the critically acclaimed online series, Lessons in Survival, which was named "Best Theater in 2020" by The New York Times. A conversation with Ms. Stroman and Ms. Thomas will take place following the presentation of the award. The Vineyard established the Susan Stroman Directing Award and residency in 2013, giving it biennially to a talented early or mid-career director to develop new work while in residence. Named after Tony Award-winning director Susan Stroman, the award provides recipients with space, time, and support to develop projects and strike new collaborations, while creating opportunities for them to become part of the life of the company in an ongoing way. Previous recipients include Whitney White (What To Send Up When It Goes Down), Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed, The Vineyard's Kid Victory) and Lee Sunday Evans (Dance Nation, Intractable Woman).

In June 2020, York Walker was announced as the recipient of the inaugural Colman Domingo Award. The award will be officially presented to Mr. Walker at the event, to be followed by a Q & A between Mr. Domingo and Mr. Walker. Seeded in 2019 from the longtime collaboration between The Vineyard and Domingo, the Colman Domingo Award is bestowed annually to a multi-faceted Black male or male-identifying theatre artist to provide support and resources to create new work. Recipients are selected directly by The Vineyard and Mr. Domingo and receive a cash stipend, workshops and other developmental opportunities, access to writing and studio space, mentorship and the ongoing support of The Vineyard.

The Vineyard's Susan Stroman Directing Award is made possible through the generosity of The Tournesol Project. The Colman Domingo Award is made possible through the generosity of Joe and Mary Ann Allen.

Vineyard's 2021 Open House will also include a special look behind the scenes of Mini-Commissioned artists including a preview performance from an upcoming musical podcast by Kirsten Childs and an interactive demonstration of the innovative technology that Jared Mezzocchi is developing to theatricalize online performance.

The Vineyard's Open House event is open to all 2020-2021 Members as well as supporters at the $100 level and above. To become a Member or make a donation, visit vineyardtheatre.org or call 646-931-4714.

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