Signature Theatre Company (James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director; Erika Mallin, Executive Director) celebrated its 2010-2011 playwright-in-residence Tony Kushner at its 20th anniversary gala on November 8 at Espace. BroadwayWorld was on hand and brings you photo coverage below.
Participants in the gala include Stephen Spinella, Linda Emond, Mike Nichols, Edward Norton and Frank Rich.
Tony Kushner's original plays and adaptations are courageous in their scope and variety, exploring themes such as politics, history, community, faith, and love. These plays include A Bright Room Called Day; Angels in America, Parts One and Two; Slavs!; Homebody/Kabul; Caroline, or Change, a musical with composer Jeanine Tesori; and The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide To Capitalism And Socialism With A Key To The Scriptures. Mr. Kushner has adapted and translated Pierre Corneille's The Illusion, S.Y. Ansky's The Dybbuk, Bertolt Brecht's The Good Person of Sezuan and Mother Courage and Her Children; and the English-language libretto for the opera Brundibár by Hans Krasa. He also wrote the screenplays for Mike Nichols' film of Angels in America, and Steven Spielberg's Munich. His books include Brundibar, with illustrations by Maurice Sendak; The Art of Maurice Sendak, 1980 to the Present; and Wrestling With Zion: Progressive Jewish-American Responses to the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict, co-edited with Alisa Solomon. Mr. Kushner is the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, two Tony Awards, three Obie Awards, two Evening Standard Awards, an Olivier Award, an Emmy Award and an Oscar nomination, among other honors. In 2008, he was the first recipient of the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award. He lives in Manhattan with his husband, Mark Harris.
For more information visit signaturetheatre.org.
Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter Keddy