Madeline Michel of Virginia to Receive Tonys' 2019 Excellence in Theatre Education Award

The Tony Awards have announced that Virginia educator Madeline Michel will receive the 2019 Excellence in Theatre Education Award. Michel is the theater director at Monticello High School in Charlottesville.

Michel's drama program took on a heightened resonance in 2017 when, in the aftermath of the Charlottesville rally, Michel and her students used theater to address racial inequality, elevating and leading the conversation for a wounded community.

The fundamentals of Michel's curriculum are student playwriting, productions that engage a diverse cast and crew, and community service. The Monticello High School Drama Department has also raised thousands of dollars annually for local charities and to fund college scholarships for economically challenged students.

"This program is not about me, because it has to be about my students," said Michel. "They are our future. They are the people that are going to change the world and make it better. These are the kids who give me so much hope in some very dark times."

The Excellence in Theatre Education Award was co-founded in 2014 by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University to recognize top K-12 drama teachers and to celebrate arts education.

Michel will receive her award at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards on June 9 at Radio City Music Hall.