Alexa Kuve, the actress, executive producer and artistic director of Arca Images will be the recipient of the Carbonell’s Ruth Foreman Award “recognizing contributions to South Florida theater development by an individual or group, for singular achievement and/or career contributions.”
Arca Images, a nonprofit organization based in Miami since 2001, has produced more than 100 theatrical works, including world premieres by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz and other internationally acclaimed artists.
Seven special awards, scholarships and 20 winners in competitive categories will be presented Monday, November 17, at 7:30 pm at FAU’s University Theatre in Boca Raton.
Under Kuve’s leadership, Arca’s productions have been staged in Spain, France, and Mexico, showcasing its global reach and cultural impact. As an actress, her television career includes performances in well-known productions for networks such as Telemundo, where her work has reached audiences across the globe.
On stage, she has delivered powerful performances in celebrated plays by authors such as Ionesco, Lorca, Cruz, González Melo and Lagarce. In addition to her artistic achievements, Kuve holds a Master’s in Spanish, is a Doctoral Candidate in Philology, and serves as an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University, inspiring future generations of artists and scholars.
Kuve received multiple nominations for this award. Marialaura Leslie, director, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, hailed her as “an extraordinarily talented and visionary theatre artist…(who) has established a creative and inclusive platform that bridges communities through powerful storytelling, artistic innovation and unwavering cultural integrity.”
Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Robert Rosenberg praised Kuve for significantly enriching our “cultural landscape, particularly by supporting and celebrating Latinx culture. Alexa’s work demonstrates the power of theater to bridge cultural divides and create a more inclusive and vibrant community.”
The Ruth Foreman Award is named after the pioneer theatre director and producer. Previous winners of the Ruth Foreman Award have been Marilynn Wick, Founder and CEO of The Wick Theatre & Museum Club and Costume World, Inc. (2024); the Maltz Jupiter Theatre (2023); actor, producer, director, poet, and educator Teresa María Rojas (2022); The Amparo Experience (2020); Juggerknot Theatre Company for Miami Motel Stories (2019); Nicole Stodard for the GAP Play Reading Series at Thinking Cap Theatre (2018); and Florida Children’s Theatre (2016).
All the 2025 Special Award recipients were nominated by members from South Florida’s theatre community with the Carbonell Board of Directors making the final selection. The 120 Carbonell Award Finalists will be based on accumulated scores from the nonprofit organization’s pool of nearly 50 experienced and diverse volunteer judges—with seven judges from various counties assigned to each show. During the 2024-2025 season, Carbonell judges adjudicated over 100 professional productions at more than 30 theatres across Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties.
This season’s Carbonell Awards will be presented at a glittery ceremony on November 17 that is South Florida’s version of Broadway’s Tony Awards®. Hundreds of actors, musicians, performers, writers, directors, back-stage technicians, producers, reviewers, designers, specialty artists, and diehard theater fans are expected to attend the event that is being produced and directed by Andrew Kato, Producing Artistic Director/Chief Executive of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, with the award-winning Caryl Fantel serving as Music Director. Tickets for the ceremony and after party are only $45 and will go on public sale in mid-October.
The Charlie Cinnamon Award is named after the legendary press agent who promoted the arts in South Florida for more than six decades. Previous winners include veteran reviewer and founder of FloridaTheaterOnStage.com Bill Hirschman (2023); longtime critic and Carbonell judge Hap Erstein (2022); Jennifer Sierra-Grobbelaar Director of Marketing at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts (2019); Tony Finstrom, playwright and founder of the Silver Palm Awards, (2018); and longtime arts patron and Carbonell judge Jerome J. (Jerry) Cohen (2017).
The presentation will be at the 48th Annual Carbonell Awards at 7:30 p.m. November 17 at 7:30 p.m. at FAU’s University Theatre in Boca Raton — a change in venue for the program.
The Carbonells plan to release each of its other special awards one at a time and then the nominees in its traditional categories each of the succeeding Tuesdays. The most prestigious George Abbott Award was announced for William Hayes and Sue Ellen Beryl, co-founders of Palm Beach Dramaworks; the new Jan McArt Award to New City Players, and Michel Hausmann, the co-founder and Artistic Director of Miami New Drama, with the Vinnette Carroll Award. The Charlie Cinnamon Award will be given to critic/journalist Mary Damiano.
All the 2025 Special Award recipients were nominated by members from South Florida’s theater community with the Carbonell Board of Directors making the final selection.
The 120 Carbonell Award nominee finalists will be based on accumulated scores from the nonprofit organization’s pool of nearly 50 experienced and diverse volunteer judges—with seven judges from various counties assigned to each show. During the 2024-2025 season, Carbonell judges adjudicated over 100 professional productions at more than 30 theaters across Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties.
The November gala will be produced and directed by Andrew Kato, Producing Artistic Director/Chief Executive of the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, with Caryl Fantel as Music Director. Tickets for the ceremony and after party are $45 and will go on public sale in mid-September.
Along with New York’s Drama Desk and Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Awards, the Carbonell Awards are among the nation’s oldest regional arts awards and predate others, including Washington, D.C.’s Helen Hayes Awards. The Carbonell Awards are named after the internationally renowned sculptor Manuel Carbonell, who designed the signature solid bronze and marble award given annually to Carbonell Award winners. Over nearly half a century, the Carbonell family has donated more than $250,000 in awards.
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