LOWELL, MASS.: The Princess Grace Foundation USA (PGF-USA) has named the recipients of its 2015 Princess Grace Awards, which recognizes artists in across multiple disciplines. The winners in theatre are Bernard Gilbert, Stevie Walker Webb, Shaunette Wilson, Joshua Brody, Adam Rigg, Ashley Megan James, Megan Sandberg-Zakian, and Jonathan Payne.
Joshua Brody, who won the Faberge Theater Award, is a director, performer, and educator. His works include lighting Three Plays in a Tattoo Shop, which he produced with his company THE TRIP. He also won the 2011 Fringe NYC Award for excellence in directing.
Bernard Gilbert, winner of the Robert and Gloria Hausman Theater Award, is currently pursuing an MFA in acting at DuPaul University.
Adam Rigg, winner of the Pierre Cardin Award, is a designer whose work as been seen at Brooklyn Academy of Music, La MaMa, The Foundry Theatre, BRICArts, Yale Rep, The Wassaic Festival, Columbia Stages @ The Connelly Theater, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, ODC SF, REDCAT, Broad Stage, and Los Angeles Theater Center.
Megan Sandberg-Zakian, the winner of a theatre fellowship at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, is a director. She also previously served as the associate artistic Ddirector of the Providence Black Repertory Company and the 52nd Street Project.
Stevie Walker-Webb, the winner of the Gant Gaither Theater Award, is a director, performing artist, and cultural worker. He’s also the cofounder and executive director of C.A.S.T., which creates theatre for social change. He previously served as artistic director of Jubilee Theater.
Playwright Jonathan Payne, winner of the playwriting fellowship, is the author of The Briar Patch, which received the 2014 Holland New Voices Award from the Great Plains Theatre Conference.
Shaunette Wilson, winner of the Grace LeVine Theater Award, is a 2016 MFA acting candidate from Yale School of Drama.
Ashley James, winner of the theatre apprenticeship at Double Edge Theatre, is currently in the theatre’s advanced immersion program.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be in such inspiring company as a Princess Grace Foundation Fellow—the 2015 cohort and the many alumni are all extraordinary,” remarked Sandberg-Zakian in a statement. “I’m very grateful to the PGF-USA for enabling this collaboration with Sean and MRT, which will connect me with exciting artists from around the country and allow me to develop new work at a scale I haven’t yet experienced.”
The PGF-USA announced grants totaling more than $1 million for emerging artists in theatre, dance, and film. The awards named after Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco.
