Director and producer Harold Prince, recipient of a record 21 Tony Awards, will get a special thank you November 6 at Great Writers Thank Their Lucky Stars, the annual gala of the Dramatists Guild Fund at Gotham Hall in New York.
The event gives playwrights a chance to show their appreciation for “the artists who bring their words to life on stage.” This year’s honorees also include fashion designer Jason Wu and the president and Shiseido America CEO Marc Rey. The DGF provides emergency grants to writers facing illness or other unforeseen circumstances. It also awards grants to not-for-profit theatres developing new work, thereby supporting writers’ livelihoods.
DGF President and Broadway composer Andrew Lippa said, “We are truly thrilled to honor these individuals, all of whom have actively supported our mission of helping writers, lyricists and composers in their time of need in their own personal ways. The gala is one of the biggest ways we can raise funds to support this community through educational programs, writing development opportunities and emergency aid.”
Organizers are promising that the event will include performances by Broadway stars to be announced in the coming weeks.
Prince, who has been in the news recently as a vocal critic of planned cuts to the NEA and other government-funded arts organizations, said, "Given the blatant indifference from the White House respecting the arts and humanities, and their significant importance to the quality of life in our country, the Dramatists Guild Fund is more important than ever. For many years it has supported playwrights, composers, and lyricists enriching the art form. That it received an award created by the great Ellen Stewart, who I considered a friend, doubles the pleasure I feel in being named its honoree.”
Prince is returning to Broadway this season as co-director of Prince of Broadway, a retrospective of his career, which has included producing Fiddler on the Roof and West Side Story, and directing Sweeney Todd, Evita, and The Phantom of the Opera, among dozens more.
Tickets for the event can be ordered by calling (212) 391-8384 or visiting DGFund.org/gala/#gala.
LOVE THEATRE? CHECK OUT THE NEW ARRIVALS AT THE PLAYBILL STORE!
