Joseph Adler
As Producing Artistic Director of GableStage, the outspoken and artistically uncompromising theater legend Joseph Adler garnered more than 60 Carbonell Awards for producing thought-provoking plays from 1998-2020. Called the “Godfather of serious edgy South Florida Theater” by Miami Herald theater critic Christine Dolen, Joe received the Best Direction Award ten times. Unafraid of controversy, he was bravely committed to artistic excellence, earning him the prestigious George Abbott Award and the Knight Arts Champion award. Among his many significant contributions to Miami-Dade County’s cultural community, Joe championed hiring and supporting local professional and emerging artists. He fiercely believed in the power of arts education, nurturing young talent from local high schools and colleges and giving students opportunities that broadened their exposure to theater – both onstage and in the audience. Joe Adler was instrumental in establishing the plan to return great theater to the Coconut Grove Playhouse with GableStage as the theater’s operator. A staunch arts advocate, he left an indelible footprint on Miami’s cultural scene.