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CAROLE SHORENSTEIN HAYS HONORED

In recognition of her bold artistic endeavors in the New York theater community, The 2008 Dave Hoghe Award was presented to producer Carole Shorenstein Hays in recognition of her artistic courage and outstanding dedication to LAByrinth Theater Company. The LAByrinth Theater Company is a multicultural collective that produces new plays reflecting the many voices in the New York City community. The award was the highlight of the theater’s annual fundraising event, “Celebrity Charades,” held Monday, October 20 in New York City.

The special fundraising event was "The Battle of the Bands," as four teams of celebrities thrashed it out for 90 minutes in three fearless sets of speed-charades. Referee Eric Bogosian presided over the Charades while, between games playwright John Patrick Shanley hosted a live auction.

The roster of star-studded celebrity charade players included: Bob Balaban, Alan Cummings, Bobby Cannavale, Edie Falcon, Joe "Joey Pants" Pantoliano, David Schwimmer, LAB’s Artistic Directors John Ortiz and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and surprise guest Robin Williams, among others.

Click here to view video of Celebrity Charades.

SILVER CABLE CAR AWARD PRESENTED TO HONOR CAROLE SHORENSTEIN HAYS COMMITMENT TO THE ARTS IN SAN FRANCISCO

Carole Shorenstein Hays, SHN Founder, was honored for her dedication to promoting the arts in San Francisco. The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB) presented Carole with their coveted Silver Cable Car Award, recognizing significant contributions to San Francisco’s visitor industry. Previous honorees include Herb Caen, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants and U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein.

“Carole is a natural choice for the Silver Cable Car Award,” said SFCVB President & CEO, Joe D'Alessandro. “Her bold and brave approach to theater keeps San Francisco on the forefront of the national arts scene. People have come to expect the unexpected from both SHN and San Francisco." “As a San Francisco native, I am honored to receive this recognition by my colleagues at the Convention and Visitors Bureau,” Carole said when she was approached by the SCVB. “I know that tourists from around the globe travel to San Francisco to experience our rich art and cultural scene. I am thrilled to be a part of what San Francisco contributes to the world. I deeply believe in the power of the arts to move people and it is important to me to share this with others.”

As the Founder of SHN, Carole has presented the Best of Broadway theater series for over thirty years, providing Bay Area audiences with pre-Broadway world premieres and current hits fresh from Broadway. Carole has hosted the world premieres of such shows as Wicked, Legally Blonde, Baz Luhrmann’s production of Puccini’s La Boheme, among others, all prior to their opening on Broadway. In addition to presenting the Best of Broadway theater series at the Curran, Orpheum and Golden Gate Theatres, Carole Shorenstein Hays is also a well-known active Broadway producer. In his profile on Carole in the San Francisco Chronicle, arts and culture writer Steven Winn called her “A force in the American theater for over twenty-five years.” Her award-winning Broadway productions of plays like Doubt, Take Me Out and Tony Kushner's Caroline, or Change came to San Francisco with their original cast and creative team, all due to Carole's commitment to truly present the Best of Broadway to the Bay Area

top photo of Carole at Curran Theatre: Kevin Berne; middle column photo of Carole and Mayor Newsom by Christine Torrington; photo right column of Carole and playwright Tony Kushner: Pat Johnson

Carole’s passion is shepherding American playwrights and bringing their distinctive voice to our national stages. Of the many playwrights whose work Carole has cultivated, four of them have won their first Pulitzer Prize for plays she produced. For three of those playwrights, it was their first time on Broadway. In addition, Carole has garnered five Tony Awards for Best Play. Variety’s theater writer Robert Hofler said of her producing work, “Carole Shorenstein Hays’ passion is supporting new voices in American theater.” Ms. Hays is committed to introducing the finest American playwrights to audiences throughout the U.S and is the only woman in America to operate three major commercial theatres.

To hear Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights Tony Kushner and John Patrick Shanley, and other colleagues talk about Carole Shorenstein Hays’ ongoing commitment to the arts, click here for recent podcast.