08/21/2026
🏆 Who was Eugart Yerian?
Before there were the Ostranders, there was Eugart.
A man of seemingly endless energy and passion, Eugart Yerian spent decades shaping theatre in Memphis. He directed hundreds of plays at Memphis Little Theatre, worked in radio and at Memphis State University, and later spent 15 years writing, directing, and photographing training films for Holiday Inns.
And theatre wasn’t his only passion. Eugart was an avid glider pilot well into his 80s and was eventually inducted into the Soaring Society’s Hall of Fame.
At the very first Memphis Theatre Awards in 1984, Eugart was honored for "service to Memphis theatre that spans generations.” The following year, the honor was officially named the Eugart W. Yerian Lifetime Achievement Award.
Since then, his name has been joined by some of the people who have helped build Memphis theatre across generations: Jackie Nichols, Gene Crain, Barry Fuller, Jim Ostrander, Dorothy Blackwood, Irene Crist, Ruby O’Gray, Michael Detroit, Cecelia Wingate, and so many more.
On August 30, another name joins that extraordinary list: 2026 recipient Dave Landis.
Come be there when we celebrate a lifetime devoted to Memphis theatre.
🎟️ Get your tickets for the 42nd Ostrander Awards: https://rebrand.ly/42nd
📅 Sunday, August 30 | Ceremony at 6 PM
Want to see all 43 years of recipients? Visit: https://www.memphisostranders.org/awards/eugart-yerian-lifetime-achievement-award?fbclid=IwVERDUAT17t9wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHhO4gvjoWEgktHEAkXXYqFPnghbvREauhPnGPEVmzEV0ZgLhaB6oFTv1OiOB_aem_Damw2pAS9Eu2pH2SVkov8A
