Michael John Garces to Receive Princess Grace Statue

Playwright and director Michael John Garcés will receive the coveted Princess Grace Statue as part of the Princess Grace Awards, which will be presented on October 25 at Sotheby’s. The annual awards, which were created in 1984, are presented by the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in theater, dance, and film. They will be bestowed upon 24 artists, who will receive a total of $600,000.

The Statue Award is the Foundation’s highest honor and is given to artists who have distinguished themselves since receiving their first award. It includes a $25,000 unrestricted cash gift and a special limited edition statue of Princess Grace, created by Monegasque artist Kees Verkade.

Garcés received his original Princess Grace Award in 1995 for his work with INTAR Theatre. He is currently the Artistic Director of Cornerstone Theater Company in Los Angeles, as well as an award-winning writer, director and performer.

This year’s winners in theater are costume designer Oana Botez-Ban, director
Gisela Cardenas, actor Toccarra Cash, puppeteer Laurie O’Brien, director Alex Torra, actor Scott Turner Schofield, and playwright Kara Manning. A Statue Award will also be given to choreographer Robert Battle, and the Prince Rainier III Award will be presented to filmmaker George Lucas by Tony Award winner James Earl Jones.