The Playhouse is proud to celebrate Rich Tryzbiak with the 2026 Dr. Doris Snell Award in recognition of his lifetime of dedication to education, theatre, the prosperity of his students and the legacy of the Erie Playhouse stage.
Tryzbiak will be officially recognized during the David & Judy Matthews Scholarship Brunch on Sunday, June 28 – where scholarship recipient Aaron Darold will be celebrated as well.
Most recently seen on the Playhouse stage as Henry Higgins in the 2025 production of MY FAIR LADY, Tryzbiak is a veteran artist and educator who has graciously shared his time and influence across the region including the Erie Playhouse, Erie Philharmonic and can be found teaching and directing in the theatre department of Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy.
For the second consecutive year, the Playhouse extended the opportunity for the public to submit nominations, and Tryzbiak was quickly praised among the throng of impactful educators in our community.
“Rich Tryzbiak has helped shape the minds of theatre professionals and community members, whether at Collegiate Academy, the EP, and whenever he is on stage or in the costume shop,” wrote Nico Lombardo, scenic and lighting designer at the Erie Playhouse. “His decades of service to his students, the Erie Playhouse, and the Erie theatre community as a whole have created a lasting impact that can be seen through all the lives he has touched. I would not be where I am today without the wealth of knowledge I attribute to Mr. Tryzbiak.”
Previous Honorees include: Doris Snell, inaugural honoree for whom the award is named (2011); Bob Martin (2012); Judith Matthews (2013); Roberta Stoughton (2014); Michael Malthaner (2015); Linda Wingerter (2017); Gary Daugherty (2018); and Arthur Martone (2025).
About Dr. Snell: “Mrs Full Charge,” as she referred to herself, was the spark of many creative endeavors beginning with the development of the Lincoln Avenue Variety Show in the late 50s and early 60s. She organized neighborhood performances for children to the delight of their parents, neighbors and peers. She performed in countless shows on the main stage at the Erie Playhouse as well as working behind the scenes as the person every director called on to coach foreign accents. She was the first recipient of the Dr. Doris Snell Award, which annually honors educators for theatrical and educational excellence.”
