The British have found a uniquely Brit way to thank Michael Kahn for his 25 years of keeping Shakespeare solidly alive and tramping the boards in Washington. On Tuesday evening at the British Embassy, Kahn, artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, was awarded the honorary title of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, also known as a CBE, one of the country’s highest honors. The investiture ceremony was conducted by ambassador Peter Westmacott, who said he was “proud” to do the deed and commended Kahn for bringing “abundant British talent to the US to participate in Shakespearean productions.” Kahn said he was “humbled.” After the private ceremony came a party for more than 200 guests, who paid $195 to attend.

Kahn, a native of Brooklyn, New York, was also formerly with the Juilliard School. During his time in Washington, he has guided the Shakespeare Theatre as it transitioned from the Folger Library to the Lansburgh building and now its home at the Harman Center for the Arts.