Green Room Theatre Company’s Co-Founders Receive ‘Above and Beyond’ Award

PALM DESERT (CNS) – The Green Room Theatre Company announced Friday that its founders received an “Above and Beyond” award recognizing the company’s excellence in community and leadership service.

Co-founders David Catanzarite and Karen Lin were recognized by the Angel Light Academy’s Leadership Training Institute during the 14th annual Above and Beyond Awards dinner gala at the Indian Wells Golf Resort, according to a statement from the company.

“The select group of honorees represent some of the finest examples of devoted Coachella Valley citizens who have gone ‘above and beyond’ and are often behind the scenes serving others to make our community a better place to live,” company officials said in a statement.

Veteran stage director, activist and theatre educator, Catanzarite, has directed over 150 productions in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago, Baltimore and in the Coachella Valley, according to company officials. Lin taught theatre, dance, music, and visual arts as part of the Los Angeles Arts Prototype program in 1999.

The couple has offered training to children and teens, regardless of their ability to pay, for over 14 years, company officials said. Since 2010, they have awarded over $96,000 in scholarships and paid internships with support from donors and foundations.

The non-profit company also offers education programs that help enhance literacy and job skills for children, youth and adults, according to company officials. This year, it started offering free attendance for under- served populations in the Eastern Coachella Valley in an effort to help more people experience and participate in professional theatre.

Most recently, Gary Soto’s “Novio Boy” professional theatre production — about a boy’s experiences, anxieties, and ambitions as he transitions from childhood to adolescence — will conclude its tour of shows at 1 p.m. Saturday in Desert Hot Springs’ Grace Church.

More information about the company and its productions can be found at greenroomtheatrecompany.org.

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