Kristen Johnston Hosts Tisch's Annual Gala, 11/2

Dean Mary Schmidt Campbell of the Tisch School of the Arts announced today that Kristen Johnston '89 will host this year's annual gala, This is Tisch!, on Monday, November 2nd at the renowned Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. This is Tisch! will honor Academy Award® winning producer Brian Grazer, two-time Academy Award® winning director Ron Howard, Academy Award® and Tony Award® winning actress and Tisch alumna Marcia Gay Harden, arts philanthropist Diana King, and Academy Award®, Emmy Award® and Peabody Award® winning Sheila Nevins, President of HBO Documentary Films.

"By the time I graduated from Tisch, I was brimming with confidence, life long friendships, knowledge, and a membership in the Atlantic Theater Company, where I trained and now teach. With every class, I'm amazed at how much I actually know, but mostly, how much I'm learning from my students," said Ms. Johnston. "So basically, Tisch has given me everything...then and now. Without Tisch, I'd be a very crabby waitress in Milwaukee, auditioning for a dinner theater production of 'A Flea in Her Ear'."

This is Tisch! is more than a fundraising event or a gala dinner. It is a celebration of some of the nation's most distinguished artists and philanthropists with students and alumni performing live at the Frederick P. Rose Hall. The star-studded performance will be produced by Ken Davenport and directed by Stafford Arima. Past Tisch galas have included performances from Tony Award® winning Broadway shows such as Spring Awakening and from some of the entertainment industry's most celebrated talent such as Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfeld, Wyclef Jean, Bill Cosby, Elaine Stritch, Raúl Esparza and Jesse L. Martin.

Dean Mary Schmidt Campbell noted, "The 2009 gala will raise critical scholarship dollars which will be used to support those students who would not otherwise be able to afford an NYU Tisch education. In an ambitious effort to scout new talent as proactively as elite schools scout for members of their athletic teams, the Tisch School is committed to finding, enrolling and retaining the country's most talented young people, regardless of their ability to pay."

Presenters at This is Tisch! include CEO & President of Sony Corporation, Sir Howard Stringer, director Spike Lee '82/'98, Co-President of HBO, Richard Plepler and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tony Kushner '84. The gala will raise vital funds to recruit, enroll and train the most talented young artists from around the world, regardless of their ability to pay.

For more than 40 years, Tisch School of the Arts has drawn on the vast resources of New York City and New York University to create an extraordinary training ground for the individual artist and scholar of the arts. Students learn their craft in a spirited, risk-taking environment that combines the professional training of a conservatory with the liberal arts education of a major research university.

As one of the nation's leading centers of undergraduate and graduate study in the performing and cinematic arts, Tisch offers programs of study that incorporate state-of-the-art facilities; a collaboratively oriented community of award-winning faculty members; internship opportunities with established professionals; and the incomparable artistic and cultural resources of New York City.

For more information on this year's gala and ticket purchase information, visit www.TischGala.com.