Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind Wins F. Otto Haas Award

The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia announced that Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind was honored with the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist, a cash award of $10,000, at the 15th Annual Barrymore Awards Ceremony on Monday, October 5 at 7:00 PM at the Walnut Street Theatre. The award is given to a Philadelphia theatre artist (director, designer, actor or writer) who shows outstanding promise in his or her field and is dedicated to working in the Philadelphia theatre community.

Charlotte Cloe Fox Wind, a two-time Haas finalist, is nominated this year for Outstanding Costume Design for Le Dindon (An Absolute Turkey) at Villanova Theatre. Nominated last year for Outstanding Costume Design for The Illusion, she was the winner of the 2002 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for Chicago at Villanova University. During the 2008-2009 season, she designed costumes for Disco Descending at the Live Arts Festival, This is the Week That Is: The Election Special and Cherry Bomb, both at 1812 Productions, Iron Kisses at Act II Playhouse, and Metamorphoses at Villanova University. She has also designed costumes for Crime and Punishment at Arden Theatre Company, Art at Delaware Theatre Company and Syncopation at Act II Playhouse.

"The committee and I were awed by the talents of the five young finalists," said Carole Haas Gravagno, who established the award in memory of her late husband. "In Charlotte we saw someone whose exceptional body of work reflected an extraordinary breadth of talent and someone who showed a tremendous commitment to the Philadelphia theatre community."

Funded by the Phoebe W. Haas Charitable Trust A as recommended by Carole Haas Gravagno, the F. Otto Haas Award is the only one of its kind in the nation. The award is intended to support the artist's living expenses so that they can focus on their craft as well as to encourage theatre artists to remain in the Philadelphia community. An "emerging artist" is one who has worked for at least three years and for no more than ten years in the professional theatre. In addition to the $10,000 prize for the recipient, the four runners-up each receive a $1,000 cash award. The other four nominees were Kala Moses Baxter, Troy Herion, Sarah Sanford, and Nicholas Wardigo.

Previous award winners include Jennifer Childs, actress, director and Artistic Director of 1812 Productions, and nominated co-creator of This is the Week That Is: The Election Special; composer and sound designer Jorge Cousineau, nominated this year for his sound designs for Scorched at The Wilma Theater and Something Intangible at Arden Theatre Company; actor Ben Dibble, nominated for his performances in Candide at Arden Theatre Company and The Producers at Walnut Street Theatre; Scott Greer, who is nominated this year for his performances in Candide and Something Intangible, both at Arden Theatre Company; actor Ian Merrill Peakes, also nominated this year for his performance in Something Intangible at Arden Theatre Company; and actor and designer Matt Saunders, nominated this year for his set design of American Buffalo at Theatre Exile.

The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia strengthens and leads the region's richly diverse theatre community, by promoting positive awareness and serving as a resource for information, professional development and advocacy.