Foundation ATCA elects new board and officers

New York — The Foundation of the American Theatre Critics Association held its new year formation meeting on March 30, 2026 and elected new members to the board and a slate of officers. Martha Wade Steketee was re-elected as president, Kitty Drexel was re-elected as vice president, Rick Pender was re-elected as secretary, and Chris Byrne was re-elected as treasurer.

The Foundation’s board is made up of the nine members of the 2026 ATCA Executive Committee including: Amanda Finn (chair), Lou Harry (vice chair), Amanda Andrei, Byrne, Drexel, David Friscic, Bill Hirschman, Gerard Raymond, and Natalie Rine. The complete board adds six (“Class B”) members (not currently members of the ATCA Executive Committee) including president Steketee, secretary Pender, Jonathan Abarbanel, David John Chávez, Jay Handelman, and Kelundra Smith. Chris Rawson, now an ATCA emeritus member for his legacy of service and accomplishments, will continue in an advisory role as a non-voting member of the Board.

The Foundation is a 501(c)3, tax-exempt organization that serves multiple purposes and initiatives related to the work of ATCA in addition to supporting travel-related funding to international and other conferences.

The Foundation receives and then distributes funds for The Harold and Mimi Steinberg / ATCA New Play Award honoring a winner and two citation prizes each year, and for the The Francesca Primus Prize (currently being re-configured for ongoing awards) honoring outstanding contributions to the American theater by an emerging female-identifying playwright. The Foundation entirely supports The M. Elizabeth Osborn Award for playwrights who may have established themselves regionally or in smaller theaters, but have yet to obtain national recognition.

The Foundation funds or partially supports two programs established in 2022 to honor and mentor the work of emerging artists. The Helbing Mentorship Program promotes the voices of young LGBTQIA+ arts writers through scholarship, mentorship, and professional development, and The Edward Medina Prize for Excellence in Cultural Criticism honors work by U.S. reviewers, critics, and journalists from under-represented groups who write about theater and its role in highlighting people from various cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.

All ATCA members are members of the Foundation, and anyone is eligible to apply for grants to support their own work, research, or travel. For more information, contact Martha Wade Steketee at msteketee@gmail.com.