ELLENWOOD, Ga. — A metro Atlanta theatre teacher is being honored by the Tony Awards for his work in and out of the classroom.
Freddie Hendricks, a middle school theatre teacher at Utopian Academy for the Arts in Ellenwood, has been named the winner of the Excellence in Theatre Education Award.
The award is presented by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University.
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Hendricks, a cancer survivor, is being recognized for how he impacts his students’ lives and the community.
“I am so grateful for this honor. I tell my students, ‘You’re born great. When you find your passion, you’re living in your greatness, and the next step is to be greater,’” Hendricks said. “I found my passion. I believed. I had faith. My mantra is this: ‘Greatness is inevitable when focus marries passion, and the desire is as strong as the need.’”
He also partners his classes with the NAACP and the King Center, as well as teaching virtual classes in London.
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Hendricks also founded the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, which helps empower young Black artists.
Freddie embodies everything that this award represents, serving as an inspiration not only to his current class, but to generations of students who have come before,” said Heather Hitchens, President & CEO of the American Theatre Wing, and Jason Laks, President of The Broadway League.
He will be receive $10,000 for his school and will be presented with the award at the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 7.
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