Photo Flash: George C. Wolfe, Daryl Roth, et al. at STARLIGHT Benefit

Last night The Stella Adler Studio of Acting held its Seventh Annual Stella by Starlight Benefit Gala at The Players Club in New York City. This year's honorees included Harry Belafonte, James Earl Jones, Daryl Roth, Ed Schultz and Masa Tanaka. Notable attendees included co-chair of the evening, Kate Mulgrew, and Broadway director George C. Wolfe who presented producer Daryl Roth with her award. Check out photos from the event below!

Grammy and Emmy Award Winner Harry Belafonte received the "Marlon Brando Award," Academy®, Emmy and Tony Award Winner James Earl Jones received "The Stella Adler Award," Tony Winner Daryl Roth and television and radio host Ed Schultz received "The Harold Clurman Spirit Award," and CEO for the Americas, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Masa Tanaka, received "The Stella Adler Corporate Award."

Harry Belafonte, speaking of his award's namesake, joked, "If there's a heaven, Marlon [Brando]'s definitely not in it. Wherever he is, I hope I join him." Speaking about the influence Marlon Brando had on him, Belafonte continued, "Brando taught me how to use celebrity to make a difference. He was a pioneer of how celebrities can use their star power for social and political activism."

All funds raised from the evening will be used to support the studio's charitable programs including Outreach Division Program, which provides free actor training to low-income, inner-city youth. The Outreach Division has served and trained more than 3,000 students since its inception in 2004.

"I am especially honored by the commitment of our prestigious honorees at Stella by Starlight this year. Each in their own way, Harry Belafonte, James Earl Jones, Daryl Roth, Ed Schultz and Masa Tanaka are groundbreakers who held fast to courageous positions, confronted injustice or atrocity and paved new paths that made important differences in our time," Artistic Director of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Tom Oppenheim, stated. "They are wonderful role models for young theater artists who must fortify themselves with a commitment to truth, beauty and the conviction that they have a voice that can and will make a difference for the audiences they serve."

Over the years, the Stella by Starlight Gala has honored some of the most distinguished artists in the entertainment and media industries. They have included Whoopi Goldberg, Liz Smith, Warren Beatty, Liza Minelli, Martin Sheen, Annette Bening, Harold Bloom, Tony Kushner, Elaine Stritch, Sidney Lumet, Ruby Dee, the late Ozzie Davis and the late Roy Scheider, as well as other key entertainment, theatrical and business leaders.

Since 1949, The Stella Adler Studio of Acting has been the premier actor training program in New York City and around the country. They have trained thousands of actors and artists, including the likes of Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Elaine Stritch, Benicio del Toro, Alvin Ailey, and Salma Hayek. The studio encourages its students to be well-versed in not only theater, art, music and literature, but also to be involved in social, humanitarian and community-related issues.

About The Stella Adler Studio of Acting: The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is an acting school based in New York City. The actress and teacher Stella Adler founded the Studio in 1949. Adler founded the Studio on her belief in the seriousness of her art. Adler and the school have trained many of the brilliant actors of our time. The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is a nonprofit organization, which trains over 500 actors annually. The Studio also presents public lectures, poetry readings, concerts, theater performances, dance theater events and an annual arts festival. www.stellaadler.com

Photo Credit: Patrick McMullan