Playhouse Square presented its Falco Award, formerly known as the President’s Award, to Pat and John Chapman on November 13 during the organization’s President’s Dinner in the KeyBank State Theatre.
Since John’s election to the Board of Trustees in 1990, the Chapmans have been part of the Playhouse Square family. They have played important roles on the Community Engagement & Education, Development and Strategic Planning committees; John also served on the Executive Committee.
John helped launch Partners, the organization’s young professionals group. Pat has volunteered her time in the administrative offices, developing the plan used by Playhouse Square to create the monthly schedule for 2000 volunteer ushers.
Most recently, the Chapmans have become the benefactors of the Playhouse Square Dazzle Awards, which recognize the importance of arts education and excellence in the region’s high school musical theater programs. While their financial commitment helps make the program possible, their genuine encouragement of the students and enthusiasm make the program special. The Chapmans frequently attend productions at participating high schools to show their support.
Playhouse Square President and COO Gina Vernaci noted, “The success of our mission is not only measured within the metrics of our disciplined financial statements and impressive annual attendance, but in the singular power of changing lives one at a time. Pat and John embody that philosophy every day, and we could not be more grateful to them.”
Prior to the presentation of the award to the Chapmans, Board of Trustees Chair Jim Ratner surprised Playhouse Square CEO Art Falco and guests by announcing that the President’s Award would henceforth be known as the “Falco Award.”
Ratner said, “The President’s Award honors an individual, foundation or organization in Northeast Ohio whose leadership, perseverance and dedication has contributed to the success of Playhouse Square. Art Falco certainly embodies all three of these attributes and tonight we would like to honor him by officially renaming the President’s Award as the Falco Award.”
Past Falco Award honorees include Glenn Brown, the Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation, David Frazier, Joseph Garry, Jr., Elaine Hadden, KeyBank, Julien McCall, William Miller, Raymond Shepardson, K.K. Sullivan, Senator George Voinovich, and the nine founding members of Playhouse Square Partners: Jeffrey Cristal, Lawrence Hatch, John Marcus, Peter Rubin, Sara Stashower, Kurt Weaver, Neil Weinberger, Mark Weisman and Theodora Wolf.