2025 annual dinner and presentation of our Distinguished Service Award

This year PBKACA presented this year’s Distinguished Service Award to Charles Newell, former Artistic Director of Court Theatre for 30 years.

Mr. Newell was the Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director of Court Theatre for 30 years, 1994-2024. In 2024, Charlie received the Joseph Jefferson Special Award, honoring his enduring impact on Chicago theatre. In 2022, he and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre accepted the Regional Theatre Tony Award on behalf of Court Theatre. Additional credits include the Zelda Fichandler Award, Alan Schneider Award, multiple Jeff Awards, plus 18 nominations. Having directed 60+ productions at Court, recent productions include Berlin, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead; The Gospel at Colonus, co-directed with Mark J.P. Hood; and The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice, co-directed with Gabrielle Randle-Bent. He has also directed at Goodman, Lyric Opera, Guthrie, Arena, and more. Charlie is a co-founder of the Civic Actor Studio and regularly teaches leadership at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Mr. Newell talked about his life in the theatre and his current work to empower all who are in transition in some way or another. He then led a member of the audience and all of us in a rehearsal of what you can do in silence, where we were able to only express ourselves through motion.