Congratulations to Cornish faculty member Karen Gjelsteen who has been chosen for the 2007 Gregory A. Falls Sustained Achievement Award presented by Theatre Puget Sound. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the award that honors an individual (or individuals) who have devoted time, energy and talent to Seattle’s theatre community and whose careers have had an influence on local and national theatre.
Karen Gjelsteen has been at Cornish since 1981. She is Professor and Scenic Design Area Head and was one of the key visionaries for establishing the Performance Production Department, one of the few undergraduate independent theatre design programs of its kind in the country. As a professional scenic designer, Karen has designed for theaters across the nation.
The award was initiated in 1997 through a generous donation by Jean Falls to honor the memory of Seattle theatre visionary Gregory Falls, a former chair of the UW School of Drama who is credited with creating Seattle’s vibrant theater scene. He was the founder of Seattle’s ACT Theatre and was ACT’s artistic director for 23 years until his retirement in 1987.
Theater Puget Sound will honor Karen Gjelsteen at a reception on Monday, June 4, 2007 in the Alki Room at Seattle Center and the public is invited to attend. Admission is $30 per person and reservations can be made by calling 206.770.0370. Additional information is also available at www.tpsonline.org.
