New York Stage and Film (SAF) celebrated its 25th anniversary with its annual winter gala on December 13th at 7:00pm at The Plaza Hotel (770 Fifth Avenue). Julianna Margulies and Marc Platt were honored for their extraordinary achievements in theater, film and television, as well as their ongoing commitment to live performance and support of New York Stage and Film.
Julianna Margulies is an award-winning actress whose work in theater, film and television has won the admiration of audiences all over the world. From her current hit series The Good Wife to the groundbreaking ER, from productions on and off-Broadway to films including Evelyn, Paradise Road and the upcoming City Island, Julianna has played characters of passion and complexity, and collaborated with many of the extraordinary writers, directors and actors of our time.
Julianna starred in SAF's mainstage production of Intrigue With Faye by Kate Robin in 1999; the play subsequently transferred off Broadway to MCC Theater, where she starred in that production as well.
Marc Platt stands among the few producers who have successfully bridged the worlds of theatre, film and television. From the stage musical Wicked to the critically acclaimed film Rachel Getting Married to the HBO miniseries Empire Falls, throughout his twenty-five year career as a motion picture studio president and independent producer he has inspired and nurtured new playwrights, screenwriters, directors and actors, and guided accomplished artists as they have embarked on new challenges.
Christine Baranski, George Clooney, Jonathan Demme, Andy Garcia, Anne Hathaway, Nicole Kidman, Denis Leary, Rob Marshall & John DeLuca, James L. Nederlander, Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd, Stephen Schwartz, and Reese Witherspoon serve as Honorary Chairs for the gala.
"We are proud to celebrate a quarter-century of producing new and innovative theater by honoring Julianna and Marc for their significant contributions to SAF and to the entire theater community," said Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer.
"Julianna and Marc's work in theater, film and television is truly unparalleled," added Managing Director Nicki Genovese.
Founded in 1985 by Producing Directors Mark Linn-Baker, Max Mayer and Leslie Urdang, and now under the leadership of Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer and Managing Director Nicki Genovese, New York Stage and Film is dedicated to both emerging and established artists in the development and production of new works for theater and film.
Through the Powerhouse Program, SAF's longstanding partnership with Vassar College, New York Stage and Film has provided a creative home for over 2,000 artists. This annual 8 week residency at Vassar has included such writers as Jon Robin Baitz, Eric Bogosian, Beth Henley, Steve Martin, Theresa Rebeck, John Patrick Shanley, and Nicky Silver; directors Mark Brokaw, Joe Mantello, Lisa Peterson, Roger Rees, Liz Swados, David Warren, and Michael Wilson; and actors Olympia Dukakis, Mary McDonnell, Rob Morrow, David Strathairn, and Frances McDormand among many others.
New York Stage and Film developed and/or premiered such plays as Honour, Snakebit, Current Events, the current Broadway hit A Steady Rain, and the Tony-winning Tru and Sideman, as well as John Patrick Shanley's Tony and Pulitzer-winning Doubt.
Photo Credit: Mark Stephen Kornbluth
