The ceremony will include the presentation of four Barrymore Awards: The Lifetime Achievement Award, the F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Theatre Artist, the Brown Martin Philadelphia Award and the new June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre.

This year's Lifetime Achievement Award will be given posthumously to celebrated local actress, director and teaching artist Ceal Phelan. Phelan was a four-time Barrymore Award nominee for her work in The Breath of Life; Six Characters in Search of an Author; Have It Your Way and My Mother Said I Never Should. She was a longtime resident company member at People's Light & Theatre and co-founded Delaware Theatre Company with Cleveland Morris and husband Peter DeLaurier in 1978.

The F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist is awarded annually to a rising talent in the greater Philadelphia region. Finalists include Liz Filios, actress, teacher, writer, composer and member of the Bearded Ladies Cabaret; physical comedienne, actress and director Charlotte Ford; playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger; director, producer and Swim Pony Performing Arts founder Adrienne Mackey and Alex Torra, actor, director, co-founder of Team Sunshine Performance Company and frequent Pig Iron Theatre Company collaborator.

Nominees for the Brown Martin Philadelphia Award, which seeks to honor those plays that best lead audiences to a better understanding of the unique experience of particular segments of our global community are: 1812 Productions for It's My Party: The Women and Comedy Project; Arden Theatre Company for Next to Normal; Simpatico Theatre Project for The Amish Project and The Wilma Theater for Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika.

The Steve and June Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre recognizes, promotes and rewards the creativity, growth and excellence of evolving theatres within the Greater Philadelphia community. The inaugural nominees are: 11th Hour Theatre Company, Azuka Theatre, EgoPo Classic Theatre, Inis Nua Theatre Company and Quintessence Theatre Group. "Theatre Philadelphia aims to serve as the public representation and communications platform for those creating and appreciating theatre in Philadelphia and beyond, while bringing together the Greater Philadelphia theatre community to support the needs and values of our artists, professionals and companies," press notes state. 

Tickets to the celebration go on sale Sept. 16 and can be purchased by visiting theatrephiladelphia.org.