A Brooklyn Teacher Wins the 2025 Tony for Excellence in Theatre Education

 

A Brooklyn Teacher Wins the 2025 Tony for Excellence in Theatre Education

Gary Edwin Robinson Honored for Transforming Arts Access in Public Schools

Gary Edwin Robinson, a lifelong arts educator and the head of the Theatre Arts Program at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, has been named the winner of the 2025 Excellence in Theatre Education Award, a national honor presented by the Tony Awards in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University.

Robinson will receive the award live during the 78th Annual Tony Awards ceremony on Sunday, June 8, at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. The recognition highlights his decades-long commitment to expanding access to arts education in one of the city’s most historically underserved neighborhoods.

A graduate of Howard University and an alumnus of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Robinson has created a space where the arts are not a privilege but a right. Under his leadership, students at Boys and Girls High School don’t just learn about performance—they engage with the full ecosystem of the theater industry. Through a Career and Technical Education pathway, Robinson has secured real-world shadowing opportunities for his students, allowing them to build skills backstage and beyond.

“Edwin’s dedication to empowering the next generation of artists, both on and off the stage, is both profound and inspiring,” said Farnam Jahanian, president of Carnegie Mellon University. “We are proud to celebrate his impact and the confidence and community he builds through arts education.”

Robinson’s students don’t just stay inside the classroom. He has organized trips to Broadway and off-Broadway productions, curated film screenings, and coordinated college tours. Many of his students have gone on to pursue degrees in the performing arts—some returning to mentor the next wave of talent.

The Excellence in Theatre Education Award, established by Carnegie Mellon University, The Broadway League, and The American Theatre Wing, recognizes a K-12 educator who has demonstrated an exceptional impact on students through theater. Along with national recognition, Robinson will receive $10,000 for his school’s arts program, as well as tickets to the Tony Awards and Gala. Students at Boys and Girls High will also receive a master class taught by professors from Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama.

“Edwin not only delivers a powerful arts curriculum in the classroom,” said Jason Laks, president of The Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, “he brings students to meet the arts where they live—onstage, backstage, in the community, and in the world.”

Raised in Queens, Robinson attended P.S. 147 and graduated from Andrew Jackson High School, where he studied music and art, played the flute, and sang baritone in the choir. After earning his BFA at Howard, he returned to New York with a mission: to use the theater as a vehicle for self-discovery and social mobility.

“I get up and go to work, but it’s theatre to me,” Robinson said. “It’s very special when you see talent in young people, and they go on to colleges and universities to major in theatre arts. I knew from an early age this is what I wanted to do, and I want to help others find their way.”

The 78th Annual Tony Awards will be hosted by Cynthia Erivo, a Tony, Emmy, and GRAMMY Award winner and three-time Oscar nominee. The ceremony airs live Sunday, June 8 (8–11 p.m. ET / 5–8 p.m. PT) on CBS and streams on Paramount+.