Katrina Lenk & Will Pullen Win Clarence Derwent Awards; Barbara Barrie & Anthony Chisholm Honored with Richard Seff Awards

Actors' Equity Foundation has announced Katrina Lenk and Will Pullen as winners of the 2017 Clarence Derwent Awards, given to the most promising female and male performers on the New York metropolitan scene. Lenk wins the award for her work in The Band's Visit and Indecent while Pullen is honored for his work in Sweat.

"It is such an honor to be recognized for this award, especially in a year where there has been so much great work on and off Broadway," said Pullen. "I owe so much to Lynn Nottage and Kate Whoriskey, as well as the cast. From the beginning of this process, we've done this as a team and all of them bring out the best of me on and off stage."

"I'm honored and stunned to be receiving the Clarence Derwent award," said Lenk. "I glanced at the list of past recipients—so many idols of mine (Dianne Wiest. Gene Wilder. Morgan Freeman)—let out low whistle and wonder how the hell am I on this list, too?"

Established in 1945 by Clarence Derwent, distinguished actor and president of Equity from 1946-1952, this award holds the distinction of being the oldest honor on Broadway.

Also announced by Actors' Equity Foundation were Barbara Barrie and Anthony Chisholm as winners of the Richard Seff Award for their work in Significant Other and Jitney, respectively. The award acknowledges a veteran male and female character actor for the best performance in a supporting role in a Broadway or Off-Broadway production.

"Earning this award was unexpected and lovely," said Barrie. "It couldn't be nicer."

"This award feels like an honor from home because the Foundation and union—which I joined a long time ago—is home for me," said Chisholm. "Out of the wellspring comes up the biggest supporter of the art that we create. Without the union and Foundation, I cannot even imagine what this kind of work would be like."