On Friday, September 14th, minutes before two Hollywood divas and one pampered lap dog enter the luxurious Palm Beach Royale Hotel heading for the same suite in 1st Stage’s farce Suite Surrender, a brief curtain presentation will take place. Audiences won’t learn about the company’s new season, but will instead honor two of their own, Alison Drucker and Tom Holzman, recipients of the 2012 Gary Lee Maker Audience Award.
They are a husband-and-wife team of Federal lawyers being recognized for their enthusiastic and heartfelt participation in DC area theater.
Alison Drucker, a Senior Litigation Counsel for the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation and Tom Holzman, Counsel to the Federal Deposit Insurance Counsel, were selected from a strong group of nominees by the Maker Award Committee.
“This couple sees just about every play produced in the DC area and then some,” said 1st Stage Artistic Director Mark Krikstan, who nominated them for the award. Holzman and Drucker are more than mere silent onlookers. “They make a point of thanking the actors after a show and, at least for this artistic director, providing some very helpful feedback,” Krikstan noted. “They are as astute and knowledgeable as any theatregoer in the audience and entirely humble and gracious in their comments.”
Krikstan is not the only artistic director who has noticed the pair’s contributions to area theater. Longacre Lea Artistic Director Kathleen Akerley nominated them for the 2011 Maker Award, writing that they invite theater artists to their home for dinner in order to show their appreciation for the work.
As recipients of the Gary Maker Audience Award, Drucker and Holzman will receive an inscribed piece of glass art custom designed for the award by Teddie Hathaway and a year’s subscription to 1st Stage’s 2012-2013 season.
Gary Maker was one of the Washington area’s most dedicated audience members for the three decades preceding his death in February of 2011. He generally saw between one hundred fifty and two hundred shows a year, frequently sending extensive notes in longhand to his many friends if he found a play or performance he thought especially worthy – and he found many plays and performances worth noting. The life and times of Gary Lee Maker are highlighted here.
The Maker Committee was composed of some of Maker’s closest personal friends, 2011 Maker Award winner David Tannous and DC Theatre Scene Editor Lorraine Treanor. “Each year, as we read the theatre company nominations, we see how many others there are who find unique and generous ways to share their passion,” Treanor said. “It will be a pleasure to meet and honor Tom and Alison at 1st Stage. We hope that as many people as possible will be able to fit in a visit to 1st Stage to celebrate with them.”
The award will be presented at 8pm on Friday, September 14th, followed by the first public performance of Suite Surrender by Michael McKeever featuring Nora Achrati, Daniel Corey, Red Dougherty, Matt Dougherty, Lisa Hodsoll, Katie Nighsch-Fairfax, Farrell Parker, Sam Phillips, Stephanie Roswell and Bradley Foster Smith.
A reception hosted by 1st Stage will follow the production.
1st Stage, 1524 Spring Hill Road, McLean, VA 22102
Click here for tickets and directions or call (703) 854-1856.
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Congratulations, Alison and Tom! This time you are the stars! Quotidian Theatre Company is also grateful for Alison and Tom’s (and Alision’s mother’s) regular attendance at our productions. As noted, they are astute theatergoers, who often have unique insights on a performance. They are also extremely gracious and supportive. So glad to them recognized like this!
Stephanie Mumford
Quotidian Theatre Company