Florida Theatrical Association Announces Jan McArt Directors Award in Honor of Longtime Board Member

Florida Theatrical Association (FTA) has announced the Jan McArt Directors Award in honor of longtime FTA board member Jan McArt, who passed in January 2021. Given annually, the Jan McArt Directors Award is designed for Florida educators working at the elementary to high school level. Recipients will be selected based on their dedication of training and development for students in theater education.

"We are honored for the chance to celebrate the beloved Jan McArt by designating this award in her name," said FTA's Executive Director Larry Watchorn. "She was truly one-of-a-kind and we were incredibly lucky to have her leadership and grace on our Board. Her contributions to the arts and theater community all throughout Florida will continue to live on, and we're proud to be part of that legacy with the Jan McArt Directors Award."

Jan McArt, an icon in the world of entertainment and a South Florida theater legend, passed away in Boca Raton, FL, in January 2021. Named Palm Beach Post's "One of the 100 Most Influential People in Florida for this Century" and "The First Lady of South Florida Musical Theatre" by two governors' decrees, McArt founded five Florida theatres, including The Royal Palm Dinner Theatre, which ran for nearly 25 years and received 278 Carbonell Award nominations, and launched a Broadway show. As director of theatre arts program development, she later established the Live at Lynn program at Lynn University, where she produced 15 seasons. Jan joined the FTA Board of Directors in 2015.

For more information or to apply for the Jan McArt Directors Award, visit www.FloridaTheatrical.org.

Donations to FTA's scholarships, grants, and awards can be made by mail to Florida Theatrical Association, Attn: Education Department at 100 South Eola Drive, Suite 200, Orlando, Florida, 32801.

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