Daniel Heaton, Ph.D., professor and chair of Capital's Department of Communication, is the 2009 recipient of the National Communication Association’s Leslie Irene Coger Award for Distinguished Performance — the top performance award given by the organization. Heaton will receive the award at the national convention to be held in Chicago in November.
According to the National Communication Association, the Award Committee solicits and evaluates nominations of people who have contributed an outstanding body of live performance. The award may be given to directors, producers, teachers, or performers and normally is given for a body of performance or an outstanding career in performance. It may in exceptional cases be given to performers of a single or a smaller body of performance.”
Heaton was nominated by performance scholars familiar with his work, including productions staged at Capital; group performances featuring Capital students at a variety of national festivals and conferences; and his solo performance art pieces.
“Dr. Daniel W. Heaton ... is a prolific director, accomplished solo performance artist, inspirational teacher and mentor, and dedicated community activist," award committee chair Dr. Elizabeth Bell, of the University of South Florida, wrote about Heaton's selection. "(He) has directed more than 42 productions during his career, and he is widely known and acclaimed for his solo performance creation, Juanita, recognized in a retrospective panel at NCA convention in 2004. Dr. Heaton’s students have presented shows at national performance festivals each year since 1995. He is co-founder of two improvisational comedy troupes in Columbus, Ohio, producing more than 60 productions since 1995 and raising funds for the local food bank and the Columbus AIDS Task Force.
"Across all his work, Dr. Heaton brings an overarching intellectual engagement, innovative staging, and sardonic political and social commentary. The Performance Studies Division is privileged to recognize and to honor Dr. Heaton’s accomplishments with the Leslie Irene Coger Award for Distinguished Performance.”
Heaton currently teaches communication and theatre courses including Performance Studies, Alternative and Experimental Theatre, Storytelling, Group Performance, Public Address, and Oral Communication. On campus, “Dr. Dan” coaches the Fat Tuesday Debutantes Improvisational Comedy Group and advises Delta Alpha Nu performance fraternity, Phi Beta fine arts fraternity, and Lambda Pi Eta national communication honor society.
Photo by Sarah Wills
Contact: Nichole Johnson
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Capital University
614-236-6945
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