Theatre Forward and Chairman James Turley lead a celebration to support American theatre at the annual Chairman’s Awards Gala last month at The Pierre New York. Emmy® and Tony Award® winner and six-time Academy Award® nominee Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Albert Nobbs), was honored with the Theatre Artist Award. Roe Green, arts philanthropist, received the Theatre Forward Leadership Award. Center Theatre Group received the Achievement in Theatre Award on behalf of its 50th anniversary.
Phylicia Rashid A Raisin in the Sun, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) presented Center Theatre Group with its award. Quiara Alegria Hudges (Water by the Spoonful, In the Heights) and members of the Sunset Boulevard company were among the award presenters.
The event included performances by Tony Award® winner Jason Robert Brown (Bridges of Madison County, The Last Five Years) and Betsy Wolfe(Bullets Over Broadway, Mystery of Edwin Drood), Bjorn DuPaty (Carnaval), Nedra McClyde (upcoming Marvin’s Room), LLeenya Rideout (Cyrano de Bergerac, Company). Other performers included Brian Sills (The Lion King), Eric Coble(Velocity of Autumn), Lee MacDougall (The Wizard of Oz, Mamma Mia!) and Sharon Wheatley (Avenue Q, Les Misérables).
ABOUT THEATRE FORWARD: Devoted to advancing American theatre and its communities. Theatre Forward helps provide funding and other resources for the country’s leading non-profit theaters. The group’s goal is to increase access to theater experiences that build community and provide opportunities for individual artistic achievement. Theatre Forward is an association of institutional non-profit theaters located in 19 cities across the country. Formerly the National Corporate Theatre Fund, it was created in 1977 by ten founding member theaters. Today, Theatre Forward theatres include the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alley Theatre, Alliance Theatre, American Conservatory Theater, American Repertory Theater, Arena Stage, Center Theatre Group, Cleveland Play House, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Goodman Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Hartford Stage, Long Warf Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Old Globe, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Trinity Repertory Company, and Walnut Street Theatre. For more information: theatreforward.org.
