History
The Patté Awards for Theater Excellence were created in 1997
by Pat Launer,
an Emmy Award-winning theater critic who has been reviewing and writing about
San Diego theater for 25 years. The only regularly broadcast theater critic in
San Diego, Launer attends more than 200 shows a year, and from these, she selects
the best of the best, considering productions at the very largest as well as the tiniest
local theaters. Launer initiated the awards to celebrate the enormity of San
Diego talent, and to give something back to the community. The event has grown
from a small gathering to a huge gala, annually televised on Channel 4 San
Diego. Theaters large and small are represented, as are the business, social
and political community, including a wide range of theaterlovers,
theatermakers
and theater sponsors and supporters.
“The Patté Awards has become a beloved tradition which
celebrates theater artists from our diverse community, supporting theaters
large and small. The gift to theaters of receiving a Patté Award is that
it enables us to garner high-profile community response,
helps to sustain
the ongoing excitement about attending the theater; builds audiences;
and
builds a true community of patrons, audiences and artists.
The Pattés help
us know that we have a profoundly significant corner
of the arts world existing
here in San Diego county.”