[ theater ]

It’s a strange month for Philadelphia theater beyond the stage. Along with this week’s Barrymore Awards being the last gasp of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, the Inquirer’s theater staffer Howard Shapiro took a buyout and left the paper. Each will be missed. In the post-TAGP era, its sponsored Barrymores’ nomination process has become an email gift rather than a ceremonial medallion. Still, that won’t mean there’ll be a complete lack of pomp and circumstance when it comes to celebrating excellence in local theater. Now called Theater Philadelphia, the event announces the cash winners of The Brown Martin Philadelphia Award (for diversity shown by companies) and the F. Otto Haas Award (for emerging artists). Most poignant will be the night’s posthumous recognition of Jiri Zizka, who co-founded Wilma Theater and died earlier this year. Too many goodbyes for one night.

Mon., Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m., $25, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org.