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Honors and Recognition

Over the years, Cocoon Theatre has earned various honors, awards, and recognition. Here's a sample:

Award-Winning Screenwriter! (2005)

Julia Van Develder.

Local author Julia Van Develder won the prestigious 2005 Final Draft Big Break international screenwriting contest! Her screenplay, The Escape Artist, placed ahead of over 3,500 entries. Julia accepted the award in California on October 12. The Escape Artist premiered at Cocoon as a reading in November 2004.

Read more about this incredible accomplishment from Final Draft. Congratulations, Julia!

Annual Birdhouse Auction (2004)
Nancy Sans and Marguerite San Millan. The Children's Community trust of Rhinebeck held its 5th annual Birdhouse Auction, May 22, at Church of the Messiah Parish Hall in Rhinebeck. This year, the proceeds benefitted both Young Will and Cocoon Theatre. Performing at the event for Cocoon were Sarah Hale-Rude, Rachel Posner, Stasha Rosen and Magdalene San Millan. Proceeds for Cocoon will augment the Scholarship Fund, supporting young performers by offering tuition assistance. Marguerite and Andres San Millan each created a birdhouse for the auction. See Marguerite's birdhouse and Andres' birdhouse.

(l-r)Nancy Sans of Young Will and Marguerite San Millan of Cocoon Theatre shared proceeds from Rhinebeck's 5th Annual Birdhouse Auction.

Shipwrecked Grant (2004)
Marguerite San Millan. Shipwrecked was made possible, in part, through a grant from the Dutchess County Arts Council, Administrator of public funds through NYSCA'S Decentralization Program. The ceremony was February 26, at The Gallery at R & F Handmade Paints in Kingston.

Marguerite San Millan at the DCAC awards ceremony in October 2003.

Dutchess County Executive's Arts Award, 2003!

Cocoon Theatre recently won The Dutchess County Executive's Arts Award for Outstanding Arts Organization in October 2003. Read more about this great achievement (and see Marguerite's and Andres' picture) in the Poughkeepsie Journal article, Awards Honor Finest in Arts.

Best of the Hudson Valley!

For two straight years, the Taconic Weekend has named a Cocoon Theatre production among the best of the Hudson Valley. Antigone was voted the top theatrical production of 2002 and The Crucible was voted a Top Ten theatrical production of 2003. Here's what they had to say (reprinted with permission of the Gazette Advertiser):

Antigone (2002)
About the production, which bowed in November, reviewer Robin Roger said, "It's not often you get to see a play where the characters are so real, it feels as though you could leave your seat and join them. This is the case with the up-close-and-personal production of Jean Anouilh's 'Antigone' ..."

The Crucible (2003)
Chris Mahar visited Rhinebeck in May to see a solid production of Arthur Miller's play based on the Salem witch trials. He commented on the strength of the leads David Conover as John Proctor and Carla Randolph as Elizabeth Proctor. He finished his review with this endorsement: "I will just say that you should see the play for yourself and discover what a challenging, intelligent production it really is."

Recognition from the Community

"Dutchess County Arts Council presents this Certificate of Appreciation to Marguerite and Andres of Cocoon Theatre and Chancellor-Livingston Elementary School Third Grade Students on the 19th day of April, 2002 in recognition of the students' performance at the Fourth Annual Book Fair at Barnes and Noble, and support of the 2002 Arts Fund Campaign, benefiting eleven funded member organizations and twenty four arts and cultural projects throughout Dutchess County."
-Arts for All, Sherre Wesley, President

And...

"TOWN OF CLERMONT hereby recognizes and appreciates Andres San Millan for his contribution of art which beautifies St. Luke's Church and whose talent shall grace our Hamlet for many years to come ...
Our heartfelt gratitude for your outstanding work and eagerness to enrich and enhance Clermont"
January 5th, 1998
-Bernard P. Broast, Town Supervisor

And...

"COUNTY EXECUTIVE CERTIFICATE OF CONGRATULATIONS
Presented to Andres San Millan for your design and development of the Red Hook mural Harvest Past"
October 24, 1996
-William R. Steinhaus, Dutchess County Executive
Cocoon Theatre    6384 Mill Street (Rt. 9), Rhinebeck, NY 12572     (845) 876-6470