The City University of New York (CUNY) will present New York's Dixon Place with the 1999 Edwin Booth Award "in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the theatre community in New York City." An award ceremony, free of charge, will be held on April 12 (6 PM), at the Proshanksy Auditorium (33 West 42nd Street) of CUNY.

A panel discussion on alternative performance spaces featuring: Ellie Covan (founder and executive producer of Dixon Place), playwright Craig Lucas (Dying Gaul, Prelude to a Kiss), Deb Margolin, Holly Hughes, Carmelita Tropicana, Nancy Giles, and Rae C. Wright will be staged as part of the April 12 event. Gender and performance scholar Jill Dolan will moderate the event.

Founded in 1986, Dixon Place (258 Bowery Street) is a non-profit organization which provides a space for solo performers and performance artists to create and develop new work in front of a live audience. Over the last thirteen years, Dixon Place has provided integral assistance to developing the work of theatre luminaries such as John Leguizamo (Freak), Blue Man Group, Peggy Shaw, Holly Hughes, Carmelita Tropicana, Deb Margolin, Ken Bullock, and numerous others.

In previous years, recipients of the award have included: Joseph Papp and the New York Shakespeare Festival, BAM, Harold Prince, Arthur Miller, The Wooster Group, and Ellen Stewart.

-- By Sean McGrath