Kevin Kline Awards
The Kevin Kline Awards were started in 2006, to recognize outstanding achievement in professional theatre in the Greater St. Louis area. The awards are sponsored by PTAC, the Professional Theatre Awards Council, and were named in honor of Kevin Kline, a St. Louis native who has been the recipient of both Tony and Academy Awards. Eligibility and judging. In order for a play to be considered for a Kevin Kline Award, it must: Each nominee is reviewed by seven judges, who are drawn randomly from a pool of 49. Judges then give each production a numerical rating  on each of the available categories (acting, directing, lighting, etc.) and submit their ballot within 24 hours of seeing the production. At the end of each year, the five productions with the highest score in each category are listed as the nominees, and the award goes to the one with the best score: The first award ceremony was held on March 20, 2006, in the Roberts Orpheum Theatre, and hosted by St. Louis-native Broadway actor Jason Danieley. Presenters included Kline, and St. Louis-born Broadway actor Ken Page. Kline received the first-ever Kevin Kline Award to be created , and was also told at the performance about the creation of the Kevin Kline Theater Ticket Fund, which will provide free tickets to area high school students. The Kevin Kline Awards were suspended in June 2012 due to financial concerns.