Melody Herzfeld, a drama teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was slated to receive a Tony Award this week for excellence in theater education.
The recognition comes after a gunman terrorized the Parkland, Fla., school on Feb. 14, killing 17 students and staff members. Herzfeld hid 65 of her students in her office for two hours.
The Excellence in Theatre Education Award goes yearly to a theater teacher who “has demonstrated monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession,” according to a statement by the Tony Awards.
Herzfeld, who has taught at Stoneman Douglas for 15 years, has produced more than 50 shows and led her students to win many Cappies, national recognition for high school theater and performing arts.
