Community theatre leader `deeply honoured' by award
A longtime theatre leader, Haysam Kadri is the 38th recipient of the prestigious Harry and Martha Cohen Award.
Established in 1986 by Cheryl, Faye, David and Philip Cohen in memory of their parents who were deeply involved in the local theatre community, the award recognizes individuals for their significant and sustained contribution to theatre in Calgary.
The award was presented to Kadri by former recipient Denise Clarke following the performance of W.O. Mitchell's The Black Bonspiel of Wullie Maccrimmon Saturday night in the Arts Commons Martha Cohen Theatre.
Speaking to an overflow crowd, Clarke said it was an honour to have been asked to present Kadri with the award, noting “he is truly the perfect person; fun, smart, an exceptionally talented artist, and all-around theatre whiz, plus a human being par excellence.”
Last May, Kadri was named artistic director of Alberta Theatre Projects. He had previously helmed Calgary's The Shakespeare Company for 11 years.
For the past two decades, he has also been a prolific actor, director and teacher, not only in Calgary but nationally and internationally. Calgarians know him as everyone from Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes to Ebenezer Scrooge and Macbeth.
`ENORMOUS IMPACT'
According to awards committee
chair Kathryn Kerbes, The Harry and Martha Cohen Award, which has been on hiatus since 2019, “has been clearly missed, as there were an unprecedented number of nominations this year. The pool was deep, but Haysam's immeasurable contributions to the community, enormous impact on the organizations he has led, and ability to inspire the theatre-makers around him, made him a standout to receive this year's award. The nomination package submitted for Haysam included letters of support from theatre makers locally, across Canada and internationally.”
In accepting the award, Kadri said he was “deeply honoured to receive the Harry and Martha Cohen Award, because theatre is all about collaboration, and this recognition highlights the teamwork and dedication in the Calgary theatre community. I believe in the power of storytelling, and its impact on our shared human experience. This award motivates me to keep striving for excellence, and to continue contributing to the legacy of the Cohen family in our theatre community.”