Goodspeed Musicals Awards Andrew A. Isen Prize to Kendra Garnett

Annual Prize Supports Emerging Musical Theatre Professionals

East Haddam, CT – Goodspeed Musicals is pleased to announce that Kendra Garnett has been selected as this year’s recipient of The Andrew A. Isen Prize at Goodspeed Musicals. This award is funded through a generous gift given by DC-based entrepreneur and musical theatre devotee Andrew A. Isen and was created to give young people who are in the early stages of professional development financial assistance and encouragement to focus on artistic excellence in musical theatre.

Garnett, who is the executive assistant of Goodspeed Musicals, said this upon learning of the decision, “I am incredibly honored to be awarded The Andrew A. Isen Prize! I would like to thank Mr. Isen for his generosity and kind congratulations along with everyone in the selection committee for seeing my potential in the musical theatre industry and supporting my career path by selecting me for this prize. I would also like to thank Ed Wierzbicki and Dic Wheeler for their lovely letters of recommendation and mentorship over the years. I believe this prize is a very considerate and uplifting contribution to the growth of professional musical theatre artists. It means the world to be recognized for the work I have done so far, and I am looking forward to using this prize to support taking the next big steps toward my creative/performing arts career.”

Isen served on the selection committee and is thrilled with the recipient.  “This was our dream – to acknowledge young theatre artists in the beginning stages of their career, especially those who are rarely recognized for their vital contributions,” Isen said. “Kendra has a vision that is unique and vital. I am pleased we are able to facilitate an important step in her pursuit of a career in musical theatre. She has raw talent, a strong vision for her future and a passion to make a difference in the world through her art.” 

The Andrew A. Isen Prize at Goodspeed Musicals is the first-of-its-kind prize dedicated to supporting emerging musical theatre professionals across all disciplines. Given annually, this prize recognizes a young person between the ages of 20 and 29 who has demonstrated excellence in their work during the previous Goodspeed Musicals’ season. Chosen by a committee of theatrical professionals, the honoree will be awarded $5,000 to aid in their pursuit of a career in musical theatre. The establishment of this award with Goodspeed Musicals will also serve to enhance Goodspeed’s efforts to recruit exceptional technicians, designers and other theater professionals.

For more information about employment opportunities at Goodspeed Musicals, please visit gooodspeed.org.

ABOUT GOODSPEED MUSICALS:

Goodspeed Musicals has achieved international acclaim and is the first theatre in the nation to receive two Tony Awards for outstanding achievement in musical theatre. Under the leadership of Donna Lynn Hilton, Artistic Director and David B. Byrd, Managing Director, Goodspeed Musicals is dedicated to the celebration, development and advancement of musical theatre. Goodspeed creates powerful, world-class productions of enlightening new and established works to delight, inspire and challenge audiences on its two stages – The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn., and The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn. From Goodspeed, 21 musicals have gone to Broadway (including Man of La Mancha, Annie, Shenandoah and Holiday Inn) and 85 new musicals have been launched. Goodspeed’s Festival of New Musicals, GoodWorks commissioning program and the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Grove at Goodspeed are distinguished cornerstones of the organization that highlight its commitment to nurture creators and the creative process. Goodspeed also maintains The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre. The organization is supported in part by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts; CT Humanities; The Hoffman Auto Group; The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; The Shubert Foundation; and WSHU Public Radio. Additional support is provided by Sennheiser, the official audio sponsor; and United Airlines, the official airline of Goodspeed Musicals. For more information, visit www.goodspeed.org.

ABOUT THE RECIPIENT:

Kendra Garnett is a performing artist, director and choreographer with a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance degree from Central Connecticut State University. She currently works as the Executive Assistant of Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, Conn., while also being a teaching artist at Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater in Middletown, Conn. Garnett is certified as a Level One Teacher/Facilitator of the Six Principles of Kingian Nonviolence through CTCN & COA and is a company member of Sova Dance & Puppet Theater. She has recently acted in the CPTV program, On Stage/In Session: Shakespeare’s Works on Mental Health, and performed in the New England Talent Showcase/Acting Showcase in Massachusetts where she was awarded for Best Commercial. Garnett is currently directing a production of Into The Woods JR. at Oddfellows Playhouse, working on a mini film for New Zenith Productions in partnership with UConn Health and is looking forward to a touring production of Marvelous Metamorphosis with Sova Theater in the summer.