The celebration will be held May 11 at The Powerhouse at the American Museum of Natural History. Juliet Rylance and Christian Camargo will be co-masters of ceremonies. Tony winner Christine Baranski, who co-starred with Mark Rylance in Boeing, will present the actor with his award.

Established in 2005, the Samuel H. Scripps Award "recognizes extraordinary commitment to promoting the power of language in classic and contemporary theatre," according to press notes. The award is a sculpture of Shakespeare by Milton Glaser. Prior recipients include Cicely Berry O.B.E., author Tony Kushner and author and actor Wallace Shawn.

The evening will begin at 6:30 PM with a cocktail reception and silent auction and continues at 7:30 PM with dinner. Live music will be provided by the Jazz Museum in Harlem All-Stars followed by the presentation of the Samuel H. Scripps Award and a live auction.

The Powerhouse at the American Museum of Natural History is located at Central Park West at 79th Street. Individual tickets are $500-$1,500. Tables of ten range $5,000-$25,000. To purchase tickets, a portion of which is tax-deductible, contact Karen Hershey at (212) 343-1920.