The evening, which begins at 6:30 PM, will be held at Gotham Hall and will feature the awards presentations and entertainment by Avenue Q Tony nominee John Tartaglia. David Schramm will present Seldes with the John Houseman Award for her work as a teacher of classical actors at Juilliard. Among her Juilliard students were such future luminaries as Kevin Spacey, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Patti LuPone, Laura Linney, Robin Williams, Christine Baranski, Boyd Gaines, Frances Conroy, Bradley Whitford, Eriq LaSalle and Schramm.
Martin E. Segal, Chairman Emeritus of Lincoln Center, will present Newman with the Joan Warburg Humanitarian Award for founding the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative of the Actors' Fund of America. Since 1996, The Actors’ Fund has focused on helping women in the industry who are coping with critical health concerns through the Women's Health Initiative, which offers a roster of services to help women access health care and to coordinate support services.
Playwright/actor Charles Busch will emcee the event, which benefits the Acting Company's Literacy Through Theater Education Programs. Others expected to attend the Masquerade evening include Dana Ivey, Rue McLanahan, Patricia Neal, Jeremy Shamos, Edgar Lansbury, Jed Bernstein, Jean Kennedy Smith, Arthur Schlesinger, Schuyler Chapin, Anita Jaffe, Joan Warburg and Alan Suna.
Veteran actress Marian Seldes won a Tony Award for her performance in A Delicate Balance. She was also Tony-nominated for her work in Father's Day, Deathtrap, Ring Round the Moon and Dinner at Eight. Seldes' recent Broadway credits include Dinner at Eight and 45 Seconds From Broadway.
Phyllis Newman made her Broadway debut in 1952 in the original musical comedy Wish You Were Here. She received a Tony Award for her performance in Subways Are for Sleeping and a Tony nomination for her work in Neil Simon's Broadway Bound. Her other Broadway credits include Bells Are Ringing, First Impressions, Moonbirds, The Apple Tree, On the Town, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Madwoman of Central Park West and Awake and Sing! Gotham Hall is located in Manhattan at 1356 Broadway at 36th Street. Tickets, priced $500-$1,000, are available by calling (212) 258-3111.
