Leslie Ishii Also Serves as Board President for the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA)
Leslie Ishii 2024 SDCF Zelda Fichandler Award
Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation has announced that director, arts educator, activist, and community builder Leslie Ishii is the recipient of its 2024 Zelda Fichandler Award.
Named for the late founding artistic director of Arena Stage, the Zelda Fichandler Award recognizes directors and choreographers who have demonstrated great accomplishment with singular creativity and deep investment in a particular community or region.
Ishii, who is based in the Western region, will receive an unrestricted award of $5,000. SDCF also named Snehal Desai as a finalist. Both artists will be honored in a virtual ceremony open to the public in the spring.
The selection committee for the 2024 award was chaired by director M. Graham Smith, joined by directors and choreographers Sara Bruner, Karina Gutiérrez, Jeffrey Lo, and Chip Miller.
“Amidst the Los Angeles fires, where I have been visiting with my spouse and community throughout this holiday season, I share that I am heartsick for those suffering over lives, homes, and evidence of histories lost,” Ishii said in a statement. “At the same time, I am extremely grateful for my safety and a roof still over my head. As myself and our colleagues work to support each other through this disaster of historic proportions, I am so proud of our theatre community which has reached out to check each other’s status and to support with volunteering, donating, and making sure we each have updated information and support to receive resources if needed…I believe Zelda would be proud of us leading and working as the largest ensemble ever and how we are already imagining our future and how we can rebuild it truly honoring the leaders, elders, and descendants of the sacred homelands of the Gabrielino-Tongva, Chumash, and Indigenous of this region. We have an opportunity to create processes and models that work to cure and bring forth transformative systemic change for healing justice, resilience, and our collective liberation.”
“The committee was inspired by the many remarkable artistic and civic accomplishments of this year’s nominees for the Zelda Fichandler Award for the Western Region,” added Smith. “Each of them is extending and transforming Zelda’s legacy in bold and unique ways. It is with great joy that we recognize Leslie Ishii as the 2024 Fichandler Award winner for her sustained record of service in the Western region spanning a remarkable variety of theatre making, community building, and advocacy achievements. The committee also honors Snehal Desai as this year’s finalist; his artist vision and bold leadership galvanizes our confidence in a robust future for our field. As we lift up their work with this award, we are reminded how they continually lift up and serve our field. Reflecting together on Zelda’s pathbreaking, we know that both Leslie and Snehal will be beacons to future generations of directors.”
SDCF is a not-for-profit foundation which celebrates and supports directors and choreographers throughout their careers.
Visit SDCFoundation.org for more information.
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