Introducing the 50@50 Honorees
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (November 9, 2026) – Theatre Bay Area, is thrilled to announce the 50 selected honorees presented with the 50@50 recognition as they close out their 50th Anniversary year. These honorees were nominated by the broader Bay Area theatre community and selected by a panel of their peers to be a representation of the people and companies who make the Bay Area one of the most vibrant and exciting theatre ecosystems in the country.
This tradition of recognition began in 2011 with Theatre Bay Area’s 35 Faces at 35 Years. Since that time, Theatre Bay Area has continued to highlight and uplift the work of the Bay Area Theatre community, both on special occasions, like the 40th and now 50th Anniversary, and every day through their regular programs in service of theatremakers throughout the region.
Among the 50@50 honorees are theatre artists representing various disciplines and specialties, diverse theatre companies from across the region, and theatre supporters without whom the entire theatrical ecosystem would suffer. The list honors individuals and companies at all stages of their careers, highlighting both the long-felt impact and exciting potential of this group. Each of these 50 honorees will be highlighted on TBA’s website and social media between now and the end of the year.
THE 50@50
COMPANIES
Word for Word, We Players, Shotgun Players, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO), Playwrights Foundation, PlayGround , More Mas Marami Arts, Mira Theatre Guild, Lower Bottom Playaz, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, La Lengua Theater, Killing My Lobster, Golden Thread Productions, EnActe Arts Inc., City Lights Theater Company, Central Works, BATS Improv
INDIVIDUALS
Adam Maggio, Amber Dyson, Brenda Wong Aoki, Cathleen Riddley, Charles Lewis III, Chloe Angst, Chris Steele, Craig Moody, Crystal Liu, Doll Piccotto, Dr. Karina Gutiérrez, Ed Hunter, Ely Sonny Orquiza, John Fisher, Jon Tracy, Krystyna Finlayson, Lee Ann Payne, Lesley Schisgall Currier, Leslie Martinson, Lisa Mallette, LisaMarie Rollins, Marga Gomez, Margo Hall, Melissa Mei Jones, Nikki Meñez, Nina Ball, Rick Holden (Deceased) and Sandy Moll, Ron Gasparinetti, Sara K. Dean, Sean San Jose, Tanika Baptiste, Tasi Alabastro, Tyler Aguallo
ABOUT THEATRE BAY AREA Founded in 1976, Theatre Bay Area is one of the largest regional performing arts service organizations in North America. Our members—some 200 theatre companies and 3,000 individual artists—produce thousands of performances and engage more than a million arts patrons each year.
Theatre Bay Area is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to unite, strengthen, promote and advance the theatre community in the San Francisco Bay Area, working on behalf of our conviction that the performing arts are an essential public good, critical to a healthy and truly democratic society, and invaluable as a source of personal enrichment and growth. Visit theatrebayarea.org for more information.