Alan Eisenberg Awards

Actors' Equity Association names Cinderella and The Trip to Bountiful co-recipients of “Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway” Award This award honors shows that exemplify and promote the union’s founding principles of diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity in the theatre

Actors' Equity Association announced that the Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire has been selected as the recipient of its Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award for the 2011-2012 Season.

The Public Theater’s acclaimed production of The Merchant of Venice is the recipient of its Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award for the 2010-2011 Season. The Award was presented at a reception at the Equity headquarters in New York City on Tuesday, June 7, 2011.

Green Day's American Idiot has been selected as the recipient of Actors' Equity Association's Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award for the 2009-2010 Season. The Diversity Award was presented at a reception at the Equity headquarters in New York City on Tuesday, June 15, 2010.

Actors' Equity Association's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Committee, presented the second Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award to Billy Elliot, The Musical on Thursday, December 10th at the Eastern Regional Board Meeting. The production was honored due to its multi-ethnic casting of the role of the Billy’s.

Actors' Equity Association's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Committee, as part of Black History Month, presented the First Annual Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Awards to last season's 110 in the Shade and Les Misérables on Monday, February 25, 2008 at B. Smith's restaurant in midtown Manhattan.

At a reception prior to the Equity General Meeting at Phoenix Theatre on Monday, November 7, the Phoenix/Tucson Equity Liaison Committee presented the 2011 Arizona Theatre Service Award to Kyle Lawson, former Theatre and Entertainment Reporter and Critic for The Arizona Republic.

At a reception prior to the Equity Spring General Meeting at Phoenix Theatre on Monday, June 21, the Phoenix/Tucson Equity Liaison Committee presented long-time Equity member Judy Rollings with the 2010 Arizona Theatre Service Award.

Shelley Cohn, the former Executive Director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, is the recipient of the Equity's 2007 Arizona Theatre Service Award. The award was presented to Ms. Cohn at the Union's membership meeting on Oct 8, 2007 at the Phoenix Theatre.

The Phoenix/Tucson Liaison Committee recently presented long-time resident Benjamin Stewart with the 2005 Arizona Theatre Service Award. A mainstay of Arizona's professional theatres, Benjamin began his career working with Sir Rex Harrison, Vanessa Redgrave and Sir Peter Ustinov on plays by Shaw, Shakespeare and Ustinov himself at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. He appeared in the Broadway revival of THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA with Richard Chamberlain, a production that was imported from the Ahmanson. He has also appeared at the Guthrie, the Mark Taper Forum, Hartford Stage, Missouri Rep, and other regional theatres. The Arizona Theatre Service Awards was presented to Benjamin for his support and service as mentor to many of Arizona's young actors.

Retired Professors of Theatre Harold Dixon and David Vining received the annual Arizona Theatre Service Awards at the general membership meeting of the Phoenix/Tucson Equity Liaison Committee, on Monday, September 27, 2004 in Phoenix.

The first annual Arizona Theatre Sevice Award, created by the Phoenix/Tucson Liaison Committee to honor longstanding contributions and service to the Arizona theatre community, has been presented to writer/critic Max McQueen.

Equity’s honoree was the Mo`olelo Performing Arts Co, a nationally recognized, community-focused, socially conscious theater company. The Tri-Union honoree was Zina Bethune, founder of BethuneDanse, the first professional dance theatre in America to create a participatory program for persons with disabilities.

Equity's honoree, Deaf West Theatre Company, was recognized for its work to re-conceive outdated definitions of deaf artists. Veteran union member actor/artist CCH Pounder, the Tri-Union honoree, has been honored for her work with Arts for a New South Africa and her support of HIV/AIDS awareness programs.

On a warm summer evening, the 8th Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Awards played to a packed house at East West Players in Downtown Los Angeles. Honorees included Dr. Victoria Ann Lewis (Actors' Equity) and George Takei (Tri-Union).

Tony and Emmy Award recipient, teacher and youth advocate Debbie Allen was honored by the Equal Employment Opportunity committees of Equity, AFTRA and SAG at the 6th Annual Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Awards on June 23, 2008 at East West Players in downtown Los Angeles. In addition to Ms. Allen, each union chooses its own recipient. Equity selected East LA Classic Theatre's Tony Plana.

This year's focus, "Bridge Builders," acknowledged those who reach out into the community to create opportunity and alternatives, sharing our common stories and celebrating our differences. These member-driven awards commend individuals and organizations that have taken an active stand to make a more representational, multicultural community in the performing arts and broadcasting. Those selected for this award have set a standard to which all should aspire, deliberately breaking down barriers and opening doors for those who follow, generating work for performers across a wider, cross-cultural base.

The Equal Employment Opportunity committees of Equity, AFTRA and SAG presented the 4th Annual Ivy Bethune Diversity Awards at the East West Players in Los Angeles on June 12, 2006.

On June 6, 2005, Equity’s, AFTRA's and SAG's Equal Employment Opportunity Committees worked together to sponsor the third annual Los Angeles-Area EEO Tri-Guild Diversity Awards, held at the East West Players. Among the honorees were E. Y. "Yip" Harburg (Equity) and Ossie Davis (Tri-Guild).

2004 Honorees: Fran Bennett, Marla Gibbs, Deborah Lawlor, Ricardo Montalban, Dionicio Morales, Carmen Smith, Marcia Smith, Jerry Velsaco, Gail Williamson, Chay Yew; Special Honoree: Marvin Kaplan