Alistair Macaulay, chief dance critic of The New York Times, and James Shapiro, the Larry Miller Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, will present Boyd with the eighth annual Samuel H. Scripps Award for Extraordinary Commitment to the Power of Language in Classical and Contemporary Theatre.

Former TFANA board chairman Theodore C. Rogers will also be honored at the event. He will be presented with the inaugural Life in Theatre Award by Tony winners Julie Taymor (The Lion King) and Mark Rylance (Jeusalem) and Claire Van Kampen (Boeing-Boeing).

F. Murray Abraham (Mauritius) will be the master of ceremonies at the gala, which includes a reception, auction and seated dinner. The gala co-chairs are Henry Christensen III and John J. Kerr, Jr.

As previously reported, Gregory Doran has been appointed the new artistic director of RSC. He will succeed Boyd and formally take up the post following the company's Annual General Meeting in September.

For more information and tickets, contact Karen Hershey at (212) 343-1920 or [email protected] or visit TFANA.org.