MIT alumnus Carlos Armesto is one of 24 recipients of the 2005 Princess Grace Awards, given to "aspiring young theater, dance and film artists in America."
Armesto graduated in 1997 with degrees in chemical engineering and theater arts. His award includes an apprenticeship with the Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) in New York City, where he is co-director of the EST-Sloan Project. The project commissions, produces and promotes plays exploring the worlds of science and technology.
"This is a fast-paced, high-stakes, high-energy theater, where we develop a lot of new work with many high-profile artists," Armesto said.
The Princess Grace Foundation presented its awards on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at a black-tie gala hosted by CNN's Larry King at Manhattan's Cipriani 42nd Street. Joining Monaco's Prince Albert II in bestowing the awards were Bebe Neuwirth, Edie Falco, Isabella Rossellini and Alan Cumming.
The awards are named in honor of the late Princess Grace of Monaco (formerly Grace Kelly), who was known for helping aspiring artists achieve their goals.
Since the first grants were awarded in 1984, the Princess Grace Foundation has awarded over $4 million to more than 400 young artists, including Stephen Hillenburg, creator of Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants, and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on November 2, 2005 (download PDF).
