THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
Ron Levitt
Iris Acker
Tony Finstrom
Tony Finstrom (chairman) has worked in journalism in New York at “After Dark Magazine” and at “The Soho Weekly News.” He studied playwriting at New York’s Circle Repertory Company, at Primary Stages, and at Long Island’s Bay Street Theatre. He has worked at Circle Rep, Bay Street Theatre, Reckless Theatre Company (NYC), Playwrights’ Theatre of East Hampton (Long Island), the Oddfellows Playhouse (of the Hamptons) and, in Florida, at Brian C. Smith’s Off Broadway Theatre and The Public Theatre of South Florida, serving as Box Office, House and Company Manager, and in various other capaticites. He is an award winning playwright who founded his own theatre company in Fort Lauderdale, “Footlights Inc,” and is the chairman and co-founder of South Florida’s Silver Palm Theatre Awards. The Theatre League of South Florida awarded him their 2006 Remy Award for outstanding service to the local theatre community, and a 2008 Silver Palm Award for his outstanding contribution to the 2008 South Florida Theatre Festival. The Mosaic Theatre named him a recipient of the Jack Zink Spirit Award for 2011, having “demonstrated excellence in the areas of leadership, creativity, commitment and passion for the arts.” He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the South Florida International Press Club, is a Carbonell Awards Judge, and is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
Iris Acker is a working actress in theatre & films & television, and has produced, hosted, and promoted theatre on her T.V. show On Stage with Iris Acker for 21 years, currently on BECON T.V. in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County. Acker was the first Actors Equity Liaison for Florida and initiated The Equity Casting Hotline, which is now an Equity National feature. She also brought the half-price theatre ticket concept to South Florida, originally titled “Ticket Madness.” Acker directed the Carbonell Award show for several years and has been nominated for Carbonells as well. She currently serves on the board of directors of The Florida International Press Club.
Ron Levitt is the Editor/theatre critic of Florida Media News and theatre critic for ENV Magazine, as well as a contributor to the Huffington Post and various national and syndicated state media. He is president of the South Florida International Press Club; past secretary of the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and is a free lance writer and theatre critic/columnist for a number of publications. Levitt served as Florida Assistant Secretary of State, overseeing Florida/s art and cultural affairs. A former United Press Staff Correspondent, he also founded Levitt Public Relations Group, which was one of the largest p. r. firms in Florida. He has served as president of the Dade Cultural Alliance, vice chairman of the Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council, Florida and Southeastern Chairman of the Public Relations Society of America and as president of both the French-American and European-American chambers of commerce. He also was vice president and is current adviser to the Theatre league of South Florida and is on the advisory board of WLRN Public Radio /Television, on the Executive Committee of the University of Miami Citizens Board, and is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association. A Carbonell judge for the past seven years, Levitt also has taught creative writing at the University of Miami. He is a decorated former U.S.Naval Journalist, and was editor of the Marianas Eagle, a weekly newspaper named the best service publication by the Department of Defense.
THE JOURNALISTS:
South Florida journalists who cover and review theatre, that have served on the Advisory Council over the years, include the following. (Click on the names of the publications to view their individual online homes).
J.W. ARNOLD
South Florida Gay News
MARY DAMIANO
Florida Theater On Stage
CHRISTINE DOLEN
The Miami Herald
HAP ERSTEIN
Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Artspaper
BILL HIRSCHMAN
Florida Theater On Stage / Sun-Sentinel
JOHN LARIVIERE
Talkinbroadway.com
ROGER MARTIN
MiamiArtzine.com
SKIP SHEFFIELD
Boca Raton News
JAN SJOSTROM
Palm Beach Daily News
BRANDON K. THORP
Miami New Times / Broward-Palm Beach New Times