CARBONELL AWARDS to Honor Director ALI TALLMAN with 1st Christine Dolen Award for Outstanding Debut

BOCA RATON, Fla. - EntSun -- (South Florida – July 21, 2026) Gary Schweikhart, board president of the Carbonell Awards, South Florida's Theater & Arts Honors, today announced the recipient of the second of nine Special Awards that will be presented at the 49^th annual Carbonell Awards Ceremony on Monday, November 16, at 7:30 pm at FAU's University Theatre in Boca Raton 33431.

Ali Tallman

The insightful Resident Dramaturg at GableStage since 2024, Ali Tallman is also an experienced assistant director, choreographer, and New City Players company member who—after testing her skills on a self-produced play in New Mexico and at LakeHouseRanchDotPNG—directed her first major, fully professional production this season: The 39 Steps at New City Players. Zoetic Stage's Stuart Meltzer hailed her "creative, bold story-telling and full realization of artistic concepts (that) demanded attention," calling Tallman "a director to watch and a future leader in American Theatre." Tim Davis, Producing Artistic Director at New City Players, praised her "inventive, exhilarating, and hilarious production… No doubt Ali is only at the beginning of a long and profound directing career in our community."

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Following The 39 Steps, Tallman directed this season with Orchestra Miami, the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival, and City Theatre's City Reads series. In addition to the GableStage season, Ali also provided dramaturgy for The South Florida Theatre League and Miami-Dade County's Playwrights Development Program and FIU's Greenhouse Program. This summer, she will be attending the La MaMa Umbria International Symposium for Directors/Theatre-Makers and will later direct Amy Herzog's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People for New City Players. Tallman is also a founding member of the review board of the Florida Intimacy Professionals Collective, a Carbonell judge, and a board member/dance instructor for Swing Out, South Florida.

Attached Image:

Ali Tallman

Available for Interview:

Ali Tallman

Alitallman1@gmail.com

Media Contact:

Gary Schweikhart, President

The Carbonell Board of Directors

561.756.4298 / gary@pr-bs.net