Danai Gurira, who was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play earlier this year for Eclipsed, was among the honorees at the Theatre Communications Group (TCG)’s Annual Gala on November 14th in New York! Danai was chosen for the honor for her accomplishments and work in theatre, along with Tony-nominated Broadway producers Stephen C. Byrd and Alia Jones-Harvey, and the Vilcek Foundation and Rick Kinsel. For decades, the Theatre Communications Group’s mission has been to “strengthen, nurture, and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre.”

I’ve got some pictures and a red carpet interview from the event, below, along with a blurb from her speech and a few links to press coverage. Congrats to Danai for the incredible honor!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QvuRVMDwCg

In her speech (read the entire speech here), Danai reflected on the recent U.S. presidential election and mentioned that the timing of the Gala could not have come at a better time for artists to come together.

“It’s a moment where unity—and possibly commiseration—and connection is necessary for those who do feel like they wish the country had gone in a different direction, and are finding this a hard moment to get through.”

“The honor of being here tonight is deeply connected to feeling a mandate to do more,” she continued. “For me, it’s been a very heavy week in some ways, but I definitely feel that at the core of it, I’ve felt a calling to do more.”

“The setbacks are not the period at the end of the sentence,” she went on. “Many before me have used times of struggle as times of great creativity and times when they could not relent and could not be complacent…. You have to lean more in.”

“Theatre is a place where change can be ignited, where voices that are unheard can be heard. It’s a place where communal reflection can actually be illuminated and given space.”

Press Coverage

• Complacency Is Not an Option (Danai’s speech from the event)
• Why Eclipsed Playwright Danai Gurira Feels a Calling to Do More