Gurney has had 14 plays staged a the Westport Country Playhouse and eight staged at the Flea Theatre, where Jim Simpson serves as artistic director. The evening is titled, A Perfect Party: A Gala Evening Honoring A. R. Gurney and will honor both the longtime career of the Connecticut playwright, but will also serve as an opportunity to present the Playhouse Leadership Award to valued playhouse trustee Levitt. Gurney is a 2012 Drama Desk Award winner for the body of his work, and he and Levitt are longtime friends and classmates from Williams College. The gala will include cocktails and silent auction starting at 5:45 PM along with an evening of Broadway performances beginning at 7 PM, casting to be announced at a later date. Proceeds, according to press notes, "will benefit the non-profit, professional producing theater, now in its 84th season - its work on stage, with schools, and throughout the community."

Tickets begin at $250. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Elizabeth Marks Juviler, special events manager, at (203) 571-1293 or [email protected].