Gary Schweikhart, board president of the Carbonell Awards, South Florida’s Theater & Arts Honors, today announced the recipient of the seventh prestigious Special Award that will be presented at the Carbonell Awards Ceremony on Monday, November 17, at 7:30 pm at FAU’s University Theatre in Boca Raton 33431.
“While we will be honoring in 20 competitive categories specific theatre performances, production elements, and shows presented between September 2024 and August 2025, the Carbonell board of directors has unanimously voted to also bestow the following Special Award,” said Schweikhart.
The Bill von Maurer Awardhonors a theater company that exemplifies excellence for the totality of its programming: productions, educational outreach, developmental programs, and audiences served.
With the mission to produce “theatrical works of artistic excellence that explore today’s issues and ideas, GableStage serves South Florida’s culturally rich communities by creating bold, thought-provoking productions that inspire conversation and connection.” Originally founded as Florida Shakespeare Theatre, the nonprofit organization adapted the current name when it moved to the historic Biltmore Hotel in 1998. After the 2021 death of the legendary Joseph Adler, Bari Newport joined GableStage as Producing Artistic Director. The company’s extensive community outreach, distinctive roster of educational offerings and ambitious mainstage programming have cemented the theatre’s sterling reputation. It won eight Carbonell Awards since 2023 (for a total of 72) and was named “Best Theatre Company” several times by Miami New Times.
The theatre’s 2024/25 season included audience-wowing productions of King James, Both Sides Now, Appropriate by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins, Summer 1976, and a thunderous production of Fat Ham in partnership with Brévo Theatre and Island City Stage. As GableStage prepares to move into its long-awaited new home at the historic Coconut Grove Playhouse in 2027/28, it is poised to expand its programming, audiences, and civic impact for the next generation.
Gable Stage received multiple nominations for this award. Resident dramaturg Ali Tallman wrote, “When I consider which companies are truly delivering excellence across all areas of programming, GableStage is the first that comes to mind. Their educational and developmental programming for both youth and adults is unmatched in South Florida. Their programming this season was extremely savvy and led to a widening and deepening of the audiences they served and drawing in many first-time theatregoers.” Director of Operations Katie Ellison praised the theatre for “constantly striving to improve all theatrical aspects and education/outreach programs. We are constantly wanting to raise our bar, to welcome new audience members, to build our subscribers, to increase our production value, to inspire with our education programs, (and) to create new developmental programs.”
The Bill von Maurer Award is named after the longtime theatre writer and journalist for the Miami News and SunSentinel.
Previous Bill von Maurer Award winners include Area Stage(2024);Slow Burn Theatre Company(2023); Theater Lab(2022); Palm Beach Dramaworks(2020); City Theatre (2015);Maltz Jupiter Theatre(2011); andActors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre(2007).
Previously Announced Carbonell Special Awards 2025
The George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts: William Hayes & Sue Ellen Beryl, Co-founders of Palm Beach Dramaworks
The Jan McArt Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Small Theatre: New City Players
The Vinnette Carroll Award for Advancing Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in South Florida Theatre: Michel Hausmann
The Charlie Cinnamon Award for Supporting the Arts in South Florida and the Carbonell Awards: Mary Damiano
The Ruth Foreman Award for Contributing to the Development of South Florida Theatre: Alex Kuve
The Bill Hindman Award: Beverly Blanchette
The Howard Kleinberg Award: Howard Burson / Miamiartzine
Still to be Announced
120 Carbonell Award Finalists in 20 Categories – September 16
All the 2025 Special Award recipients were nominated by members from South Florida’s theatre community with the Carbonell Board of Directors making the final selection. The 129 Carbonell Award Finalists will be based on accumulated scores from the nonprofit organization’s pool of nearly 50 experienced and diverse volunteer judges—with seven judges from various counties assigned to each show. During the 2024-2025 season, Carbonell judges adjudicated over 100 professional productions at more than 30 theatres across Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties.
This season’s Carbonell Awards will be presented at a glittery ceremony on November 17 that is South Florida’s version of Broadway’s Tony Awards®. Hundreds of actors, musicians, performers, writers, directors, back-stage technicians, producers, reviewers, designers, specialty artists, and diehard theater fans are expected to attend the event under the leadership of Executive Producer and Director, Andrew Kato; Coordinating Producer, Eloisa Ferrer; Associate Producer and Musical Director, Caryl Fantel. Tickets for the ceremony and after party are only $45 and will go on public sale in mid-October.
Sponsors of the 48th Annual Carbonell Awards ceremony and after party include the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts; Aventura Arts & Cultural Center; BroadwayWorld; Broward Center for the Performing Arts; Broward Cultural Division; Carbonell Sculptures Ltd.; Cultural Council for Palm Beach County; Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International Film Festival presented by MorseLife Health System; FPL; Kravis Center for the Performing Arts; Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC; Miami-Dade County Auditorium, The Dennis C. Moss Center (formerly The South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center),OutClique Magazine, South Florida Cultural Consortium; South Florida Theatre League,Mark Traverso & Conor Walton; Donald R. Walters, P.A.; and The Wick Theatre & Costume Museum.
The Carbonell Awards fosters the artistic growth of professional theater in South Florida by celebrating the excellence and diversity of our theater artists, providing scholarships, and building audience appreciation and civic pride by highlighting achievements of our theater community. More than 20 professional theater companies in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties participate in the awards process every year. The Carbonell Awards also celebrate the accomplishments of local artistic leaders by presenting various Special Awards.
Along with New York’s Drama Desk and Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Awards, the Carbonell Awards are among the nation’s oldest regional arts awards and predate others, including Washington, D.C.’s Helen Hayes Awards. The Carbonell Awards are named after the internationally renowned sculptor Manuel Carbonell, who designed the signature solid bronze and marble award given annually to Carbonell Award winners. Over nearly half a century, the Carbonell family has donated more than $250,000 in awards. For more information, please visit www.carbonellawards.org.
