Mark R. Sumner Award

In 1990, the Institute of Outdoor Drama established the Mark R. Sumner Award to honor  his lifetime contribution in the field of outdoor drama. The award recognizes significant contributions by an individual to a specific drama, or to the outdoor historical drama movement as a whole, including but not limited to playwriting, directing, acting, design, theater architecture, patronage, scholarship, musical composition, technology and innovation, producing and administration. This award has been presented annually at the National Conference on Outdoor Drama, held in October.

Past Winners:

·         2008 – Gayle Bowling , General Manager, Theatre West Virginia

·         2007 – Anne “Si” Arnold, Costumer, Stephen Foster – The Musical

·         2006 – Mark Hofflund, Managing Director, Idaho Shakespeare Festival

·         2005 – Barbara Polly , Producer, Trail of the Lonesome Pine

·         2004 – Dennis Anderson , Artistic Director, Ramona and San Jacinto Valley Shakespeare Festival

·         2003 – Larry D. Gustke, Assoc. Professor, NC State University

·         2002 – Fred Alley, Artistic Director/Founder, American Folklore Theatre

·         2001 – Tina Packer, Artistic Director/Founder, Shakespeare &  Company

·         2000 – Marion N. Waggoner, Producer/Artistic Director, Tecumseh!

·         1999 – William M. Hardy, Director, Unto These Hills

·         1998 – Fred C. Adams, Founder, Utah Shakespearean Festival

·         1997 – W.L. “Rusty” Mundell, Founder, Tecumseh!

·         1996 – David W. Weiss, Director and Designer of 15 outdoor dramas

·         1995 – William W. Patton, Executive Director, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

·         1994 – Josef Meier, Founder, The Black Hills Passion Play

·         1993 – Kermit Hunter, Playwright of 43 outdoor dramas

·         1992 – Raymond Railard, General Manager, TEXAS

·         1991 – Bert Ballard, General Manager, The Stephen Foster Story