Emily Mann, photo by Matt Pilsner

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center has announced that former Artistic Director and Resident Playwright Emily Mann will receive the inaugural Roger S. Berlind Award at its annual gala on June 12, 2026.

“This award recognizes not only a lifetime of transformative art, but a profound commitment to cultivating the conditions in which artists can thrive and do their very best work,” said McCarter Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen. “It is a fitting tribute to a woman whose vision shaped McCarter for three decades and whose influence continues to resonate across the American theatre.”

Named in honor of McCarter’s late and beloved champion Roger Berlind, the award launches a new tradition celebrating artists and arts leaders whose enduring contributions have created ripples far beyond McCarter’s Princeton stages.

A Tony Award–nominated director and playwright, Mann served as McCarter’s Artistic Director and Resident Playwright for 30 years. During her tenure, she wrote 15 new plays and adaptations, directed more than 50 productions, and produced 180 plays and musicals. Under her leadership, McCarter Theatre Center received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, recognizing its national artistic impact.

Mann championed both emerging and legendary artists, including Ntozake Shange, Athol Fugard, Edward Albee, Christopher Durang, Nilo Cruz, Joyce Carol Oates, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and Danai Gurira. Renowned for her interpretations of Williams, Lorca, Chekhov, and Shakespeare, she has directed on Broadway her own plays Execution of Justice and Having Our Say, as well as Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics and Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire.

Her plays also include Still Life, Annulla, An Autobiography, Greensboro: A Requiem, Meshugah, Mrs. Packard, The Pianist, and Gloria: A Life, which aired on PBS’ Great Performances. She has received a Peabody Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, six Obie Awards, multiple lifetime achievement awards, and was inducted into both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Theater Hall of Fame.

“Emily and Roger shared a deep belief that the vitality of the American theatre depends on making space for bold voices, untold stories, and meaningful artistic risks,” Rasmussen added. “That shared vision lives on through the Emily Mann Lab, McCarter’s new play development program.”

For Gala information, sponsorships, or ticket reservations, email [email protected] or call 609-258-6542.

McCarter is one of the country’s flagship theaters and a vibrant center for community and the performing arts. Located on the campus of Princeton University, the company is an independent nonprofit, serving as a nationally renowned, multi-disciplinary creative hub for arts and ideas, offering theatre, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages.

A two-time Tony Award winner, McCarter’s legacy of artistic excellence dates back to its first performances in 1930. Our Town, You Can’t Take It with You, and Bus Stop all premiered at McCarter, paving the way for a long history of launching remarkable works that have gone on to tens of thousands of performances worldwide.

The company is equally revered for presenting global artists on its stages, including Yo-Yo Ma, Samara Joy, Hasan Minhaj, Jon Stewart, Caetano Veloso, Rhiannon Giddens, Patti Smith, Esperanza Spalding, Lake Street Dive, and Herbie Hancock. Of the 100,000 community members who engage with McCarter each year, more than 5,000 are students participating in educational programs in Princeton, Trenton, and schools across the region. McCarter leads with values of justice, joy, and beauty in belonging—creating a space where artists and audiences can come together to celebrate the power of live performance.