Brooklyn teacher wins Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre Education
BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, Brooklyn (PIX11) — A New York native and Brooklyn-based teacher was honored on the national stage this week.
Gary Edwin Robinson, head of the Theatre Arts Program at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, was presented with the Excellence in Theatre Education Award at the Tony Awards ceremony on Sunday.
More Local News
Robinson made history as the first New York teacher to be awarded the honor at the 78th annual event, presented jointly with Carnegie Mellon University.
'I'm getting an award for going to work and enjoying what I do. I love it,' Robinson said backstage at the Tony Awards on Sunday.
The Queens native got his start tap dancing at 8 years old with his dance teacher Gloria Jackson, who he attributes to igniting his love of theatre. Robinson went on to study music at Intermediate School 59 and Andrew Jackson High School in Queens before going on to join the Dance Theatre of Harlem chorus.
More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State
While studying under his teacher Arthur Mitchell in Harlem, Robinson chose to pursue vocalist/theatre performance and later went on to study theatre education at Howard University.
'I am charged with the fact that I'm teaching theatre and I love theatre. That's what gets me ticking, tocking, that's the love,' Robinson told Carnegie Mellon University.
Robinson's honor at the 2025 Tony Awards comes after he previously received an honorable mention in the education category in 2023. The Excellence in Theatre Education Award honors one educator in the United States every year who demonstrates exceptional commitment, innovation, and impact on students' lives through theatre education.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
13 minutes ago
- CBS News
Brooklyn restaurant crawl kicks off Juneteenth celebrations with flavor and purpose
A savory blend of cheeses, creamy macaroni, and a fall-off-the-bone serving of oxtail makes up Brooklyn Beso's signature oxtail mac and cheese. The dish has been drawing food lovers to the heart of Bedford-Stuyvesant. "It is the right amount of cheese, the right amount of pasta. And then the oxtail, which is one of my favorite, is also very good. It's seasoned well," said Kaltmann Edwards, who traveled from Queens to enjoy the dish. The indulgent meal is just one of many offerings featured during a weeklong Juneteenth restaurant crawl celebrating Black-owned businesses across Brooklyn. "It was good, cheesy, nice and hot," said Fatou Sylla, another diner. "People go crazy over it. This is what we're really known for," said Donna Drakes, owner of Brooklyn Beso. Drakes, a native of St. Lucia, has operated her Latin-Caribbean fusion restaurant in Bed-Stuy for 15 years. She said she opened the restaurant to bring something new to a neighborhood rooted in Black culture. This week, she joins several local eateries taking part in a food crawl, which spotlights Black entrepreneurs and their culinary creativity. "I think it's more inspiring to little girls who want to start their own business no matter what avenue it is," Edwards added. "It's so important to celebrate that day" For Drakes, the event is about more than good food. It's about honoring the significance of Juneteenth. "It's a form of liberation," she said. "It's so important to celebrate that day. Everyone fought for it. Our ancestors fought for it." The restaurant crawl began Thursday and runs through June 19. It inviting locals and visitors alike to explore Brooklyn's rich food scene while supporting Black-owned establishments. "The winter was pretty rough. A lot of restaurants folded. And it is so important to keep Black-owned businesses alive, especially our culture, our foods," Drakes said. Back in the kitchen, orders of shrimp pasta were flying out, and margaritas were being poured at a steady clip. Diners packed the space, sampling the soulful menu that has been shaped by years of resilience and passion. "It's really important, especially for Black-owned businesses, to get the recognition that they do deserve, especially the local ones that have been here for 15 years and people might not have known about them," said uest Raysa Chouwdhury. "Food always makes people happy. It's for the soul. So if you can, you know, get to someone's soul, it's important. It's a way to bring people together," Drakes said. CBS News New York is a proud partner of Juneteenth NYC. The celebration continues this weekend with the Juneteenth NYC Festival at Gershwin Park in Brooklyn, where our team will host a pop-up newsroom for the second year in a row. Have a story idea or tip in Brooklyn? Email Hannah by CLICKING HERE.
USA Today
36 minutes ago
- USA Today
Why Candace Cameron Bure doesn't let adult children watch 'demonic' scary movies
Candace Cameron Bure recently shared that she believes that playing scary movies on TVs is a "portal" for "demonic stuff." The former co-host of "The View" and a devout Christian shared her views on the matter during a conversation with her youngest son, Lev, 25, and Waco, Texas-based pastor Jonathan Pokluda during a recent episode of her self-titled podcast. The Great American Family star, 49, added that "I don't even want someone watching a scary movie in our house on the TV because to me, that's just a portal," telling her son and "JP" that "I'm in the film industry. I understand how it all works." Candace Cameron Bure remembers playing 'weird' evil witch on 'Boy Meets World' The younger sister to actor Kirk Cameron continued: "I know that movie has a crew of 200 people, and they're lighting it, and they're adding the sound effects, and it's makeup, and the camera, people, and actors; however, there's still something that can be incredibly demonic while they've made it." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Cameron Bure's comment came after she suggested that her kids laugh at her about her strict guidelines surrounding her faith. "In our house as a mom, I feel like you guys make fun of me when I talk about — they make fun of me all the time — but particularly when I'm serious about a spiritual thing happening, and then they're rolling their eyes at me," Cameron Bure said, in reference to her eldest son and her two other adult children Natasha, 26, and Maksim, 23, with Valeri Bure. "They laugh at me because 'the portal,'" the "Full House" said. "I'm like, you're opening up a portal. Like if you're watching this or playing this video game, or whatever, that's a portal that could let stuff inside our home." Then, the fan favorite "Dancing with the Stars" contestant addressed Pokluda and said that she understood his past comments comparing popular canned water company Liquid Death to something "cursed." "That just reminded me like you posted something a while back about Liquid Death," she said. "You're like, 'Do you want to buy a product that is literally being cursed as it's going out into distribution?'"
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
‘Smash' star Megan Hilty to take leave of absence from Broadway's ‘Death Becomes Her'
Megan Hilty is taking a break from 'Death Becomes Her.' The Broadway star, 44, who is also known for her stint on the TV show 'Smash,' announced her leave of absence from the stage production on Instagram Wednesday. Hilty stars as Madeline Ashton in the play adaptation of 1992 movie by the same name featuring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, which has been running at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre since November 2024. 8 Megan Hilty stars as Madeline Ashton in the play adaptation of 1992 movie by the same name featuring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. / 'I love my job,' Hilty started her lengthy post, adding that playing Madeline has been 'the most challenging and rewarding role I have ever taken on.' She emphasized the physical aspect of her role, noting she needs to take the next several weeks off to recover from a vocal injury. 'The lengths to which I have gone to make sure I can physically do the show is a job in itself – the regimen is too long for this post – but I do it joyfully because, as I mentioned before, I LOVE what I do,' the star explained. Calling the news 'painful,' Hilty shared that she's 'stepping away from my beloved DBH family for 3-4 weeks while I recover from a vocal injury that only time can heal.' The actress also shared that it's 'hard for me to admit I am human,' noting that 'performers are often asked to push through and pretend that we're not.' 8 The actress included this photo from the 2025 Tony Awards in her announcement. Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions 8 Megan Hilty has starred in 'Death Becomes Her' since it opened on Broadway in November. Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions 8 Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, Josh Lamon and Christopher Sieber. Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman However, she said her 'Death Becomes Her' family thinks differently. 'I am so fortunate to work with the best producers, company, & stage managers, who don't subscribe to that way of thinking and fully support me and my fellow cast mates when our bodies tell us it's time for a break,' she continued. Hilty asked for patience and understanding during this transition period while encouraging others to research how vocal cords work. 8 Megan Hilty is taking a few weeks off to recover from a vocal injury. Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman 'We are athletes. And just like a professional basketball player, we are going to get injured from time to time – not because we aren't good at our jobs, it simply comes with the territory because of the extraordinary demands we put on our bodies,' she added. Hilty concluded, 'Thank you for your patience and support while I take this time to take care of myself to ensure my longevity with the show and my career, in general. 'In the meantime, Madeline's fabulous shoes will be filled brilliantly and I'll be counting the seconds until I can meet you back at the Lunt-Fontanne. 💋' 8 She praised her 'Death Becomes Her Family' while vocalizing their support. Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman 8 She recently performed a number from 'Death Becomes Her' at the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday. Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman The performer was recently diagnosed with tendinitis in her throat, telling the New York Times in May that it was due to 'the physical stuff I do with my neck in the show. It pulls on my voice box and I ultimately have to call out of the show if it's affecting my voice and it's too painful.' Hilty recently performed a number from 'Death Becomes Her' at the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, where she was also nominated. 'Death Becomes Her' features Hilty as Madeline alongside fellow Tony nominee Jennifer Simard as Helen Sharp. Their co-stars include Michelle Williams, Christopher Sieber, Taurean Everett and Josh Lamon. 8 The actress was recently diagnosed with tendinitis in her time away from the stage comes just two days after 'Smash' on Broadway abruptly announced their final show after suffering a Tony Awards shutout. While she did not star in the Broadway production, Hilty played Ivy Lynn in the short-lived musical series, which only ran two seasons on NBC from 2012-2013. The last show of the Broadway production of 'Smash' will be June 22 after 32 previews and just 84 regular performances. The abrupt ending was revealed after The Post reported that the Tony Awards producers refused to let 'Smash' and 'Boop! The Betty Boop Musical' perform during the three-hour broadcast.
