The Sarah Siddons Society is pleased to announce that Kathleen Turner is the winner of the Sarah Siddons Award for her 2007 Chicago performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.  The award was given at the annual Gala, held May 19, 2008.

Academy Award nominated actress Kathleen Turner has starred in over twenty-five films, including Body Heat, Romancing the Stone, Prizzi's Honor, Peggy Sue Got Married and War of the Roses.  Her illustrious stage career includes starring roles in The Graduate, Indiscretions, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof(Tony nomination). In 2005, she received a second Tony Award nomination for her leading role in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  She has recently made her New York directing debut in the off-Broadway production of Crimes of the Heart.  She also recently published her autobiography, Send Yourself Roses, which discusses the struggles and triumphs of her 30-plus years in show business. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1992, Turner has worked to increase public awareness of the disease.  She is also active in Planned Parenthood, People for the American Way and Citymeals-on-Wheels.

The Sarah Siddons Society also honored Deanna Dunagan with a Chicago's Leading Lady Award for her 2007 Chicago performance in August: Osage County at Steppenwolf Theatre.

Deanna Dunagan is currently appearing on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre, reprising her acclaimed performance as Violet Weston in August: Osage County. She received a Jeff Award for  her Steppenwolf performances in August: Osage County and in I Never Sang for My Father.  Other Steppenwolf appearances include Wedding Band, Slaughterhouse-Five, The Song of Jacob Zulu, Inspecting Carol and Stepping Out. Additional Chicago credits include:  The Best Man and A Delicate Balance(Remy Bumppo); Ten Little Indians(Drury Lane Oakbrook); The Chalk Garden(Northlight); Bounce(Goodman); The Dead(Court Theatre); Was(American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern); The Glamour House(Victory Gardens); A Lie of the Mind(ATC); Cat on a Hot Tin Roof(Apple Tree) and Butley(Writers' Theatre).  Regionally she has appeared at the Spoleto Festival, Madison Rep, Shakespeare Dallas, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and  Asolo Theatre. She was in the first national tour of Children of a Lesser God and appeared in the film Losing Isaiah and the TV show "Prison Break."

Sarah Siddons Award

The Sarah Siddons Society Awardees

Helen Hayes First winner of the Sarah Siddons Society Award.  Honored as Chicago's most outstanding actress of the 1952-53 theatrical season for her role in Mrs. McThing, Helen Hayes is congratulated by Mr. and Mrs. James Hart at the Society's first annual Gala	Lauren Bacall & Irv Kupcinet Lauren Bacall is the winner of two Sarah Siddons Awards  (1971-72 for Applause & 1984-85 for Woman of the Year)
Bette Davis & Stanley Paul Bette Davis was the recipient of the 1972-73 Special 20th Anniversary Award for All About Eve. Betty Stuart Rodgers Jeffreys & Lily Tomlin Lily Tomlin was the recipient of the 1989-90  Sarah Siddons Society Award for her one-woman show,  The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe.

Stanley Paul, Donna Atwater, Elaine Stritch, Merle Reskin, Greta Wiley
Elaine Stritch was the recipient of the 2003-04 Sarah Siddons Award  for her show, Elaine Stritch at Liberty.

 

Chicago's Leading Lady Awards

Chicago's Great Ladies of the Theatre

Special Tributes