California Shakespeare Theater's Jonathan Moscone wins first Fichandler Award

For people in the theater world, the center of the universe has always been New York -- this despite the fact that much of what ends up on Broadway (and off-Broadway, too) originated in regional theater across the country.

So while the Tony Awards gets all of the attention, theaters in other cities continue to plug away at their craft and honor their own. One of the newest regional honors is the Zelda Fichandler Award, which recognizes an outstanding director or choreographer who has transformed the regional theater landscape.

The award is organized by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, which is a not-for-profit foundation of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

The first recipient of the Fichandler Award is Jonathan Moscone, the artistic director of California Shakespeare Theater, located in Orinda, near Berkeley. The award comes with a $5,000 cash prize.

Moscone, who has served nine seasons at Cal Shakes, will receive his award from former Center Theatre Group director Gordon Davidson in a ceremony scheduled to take place Sunday.

The award is set to be given regionally on a rotating basis. This year, it was given to a director (or choreographer) in the western U.S. In following years, it will honor achievement in three other designated regions: central, eastern and southern U.S.

-- David Ng

Photo: William Shakespeare from a 1623 engraving by Martin Droeshout. Credit: Folger Shakespeare Library