2010 William Inge Theatre Festival - Sat. 4/24/10

Sat. 4/24/10
Paula Vogel and "A Hot Waltz with Paula!"

A multitude of performing arts talent from across the nation joins to salute the work of Paula Vogel at the Tribute ceremony "A Hot Waltz with Paula!" Ms. Vogel will be present to accept the Inge Festival's Distinguished Achievement in American Theatre Award. She will be the fourth female recipient, following Betty Comden, Wendy Wasserstein, and Tina Howe.

Paula Vogel is one of the most produced contemporary playwrights in the nation. As well as How I Learned to Drive, (her Pulitzer winner), Vogel's other acclaimed plays include The Long Christmas Ride Home, The Mineola Twins, The Baltimore Waltz, (nomination for Pulitzer Prize in Drama), Hot N Throbbing, Desdemona, and, among her newest, A Civil War Christmas.

But in addition to writing new plays, Vogel is a dedicated and beloved teacher of playwriting.

While still writing and overseeing the production of her plays, she has taught the craft of playwriting more than 25 years.

Paula Vogel is the current O'Neill Professor and Chair of the Department of Playwriting at the Yale School of Drama. Prior to that, she served as director of the M.F.A. and Undergraduate Playwriting programs at Brown University. Vogel received her bachelor's degree from Catholic University and completed her graduate training at Cornell University.

Several of her former pupils have garnered numerous awards—and themselves nominated for and even won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama!

While at the William Inge Theatre Festival, Vogel will speak about her career in a "Conversation with the Playwright." The conversation takes place 1 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. Friday April 23 at the William Inge Theatre. The public is welcome and can purchase admission with a Day Pass.

The 2010 Honoree then, of course, is present for the Tribute ceremony, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday April 24, the finale of the Inge Festival.

Esquire Jauchem is the Tribute Writer/Director. Mr. Jauchem has been producing, designing, and directing television and live performances across the United States and around the world for the last 35 years. Founder of the Boston Repertory Theater, Esquire also served as the Managing Director for The Big Apple Circus during its first touring season. At the Boston Rep he produced more than 45 stage productions.

As Associate Director of the Opera Company of Boston with famed Director Sarah Caldwell, he was involved in more than 40 opera productions including five American premieres. He also served as the Producing Director of the American/Soviet Festival which brought the Bolshoi Ballet, Bolshoi Opera and 200 other Russian artists to performances in Boston.

His television credits include over 1,000 individual shows for NBC, CBS, UPN, The Discovery Channel, Spike, Court TV and for the past three years he has been the Supervising Producer of the Style Network's hit series, Clean House, starring comedian Niecy Nash. In 2009 he was nominated for two Emmys.