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NYSTI Honored for Sustained Achievement The American Alliance for Theatre and Education has awarded its Sara Spencer Artistic Achievement Award to the NYS Theatre Institute. The national organization of artists and educators, serving young people, grants the award "to an established theatre for sustained and exceptional achievement in the field of theatre for young audiences," and "honors artistic theatre practice of long duration and wide recognition." Patricia Di Benedetto Snyder, NYSTI's founder and Producing Artistic Director, accepted the Sara Spencer award during ceremonies at the national AATE convention Chicago. "It's a great joy to recognize people who have made significant contributions to Theatre for Young People," said Joe Lauderdale, chair of the 1999 AATE Awards Committee, in announcing the award. AATE was formed eleven years ago by the merging of two organizations which had operated separately for thirty years. Its mission is "to promote standards of excellence theatre and theatre educations." Since 1976, NYSTI, a professional region theatre company and statewide education program, has pursued mission of producing theatre of the highest quality and using its productions as a focal point for extensive arts-in-education programs for young people and adults. Created by the New York State Legislature, the Institute is now based in Troy, performing at the Schacht Fine Arts Center of Russell Sage College, each year producing a season of new and traditional dramas, comedies, and musicals. From its inception, NYSTI has maintained strong commitments to developing audiences, arts accessibility, development of new works, and international cultural exchange. In 1986, the Institate became the first theatre company from the United States to perform in the former Soviet Union upon resumption of cultura relations between the two countries. The company returned to Russia in 1989 and has since hosted visits to the United States by the Moscow Musical theatre. The Institute has represented its state and nation in cultural exchanges with Canada, England, France, Israel, Italy, and Jordan. In cooperation with Troy United Ink Corp., a not-for-profit corporation 
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