Roadside Theater Receives Otto Rene Castillo Award

Posted 05/01/09

Appalshop's Roadside Theater will receive an Otto Rene Castillo Award for Political Theatre on May 17th in New York. The Otto Awards were established in 1998 to recognize and support the ongoing development of political theatre internationally. Previous recipients include The San Francisco Mime Troupe, The Bread and Puppet Theatre, Robert Wilson, and El Teatro Campesino. Dudley Cocke will accept the award during afternoon activities which include a luncheon, panel discussion with recipients, the Awards ceremony, and reception.

The Otto Awards, named after the Guatemalan poet and revolutionary, Otto René Castillo, is the only honor in the United States recognizing the achievement of individuals and theatre companies who conceive, produce, and foster the development of innovative and socially challenging theatre. The award itself is an original sculpture created by the noted Brazilian contemporary artist and designer Sheila Goloborotko.

The Los Angeles Poverty Department, led by John Malpede who produced RFK in EKY with Appalshop, will also receive a 2009 Otto. The Otto Awards Committee includes such luminaries as Laurie Anderson, Linda Parris-Bailey, Rhodessa Jones, and Kathleen Chalfant. All events will take place at the Castillo Theatre's All Stars Project Performing Arts & Development Center, located at 543 West 42nd Street. For more information or tickets to the ceremony, please contact the Castillo Box Office at 212-941-1234 or boxoffice@castillo.org.