Tony Winner Dick Latessa to Chair CANY's New Honorary Broadway Board

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Tony Award-Winner Dick Latessa, former Board Chair for Creative Alternatives of New York (CANY), a not-for-profit that uses drama therapy to help New York's most vulnerable children and adults has helped CANY assemble an Honorary Broadway Board. The ten inaugural members have been supporters of CANY, often giving their time and talent to annual fund-raising efforts. Several members have been honored at past CANY Galas and continue their support of CANY's mission by providing professional expertise as the organization expands its services to reach more children and adults than ever before.

In addition to Mr. Latessa, inaugural members include: theater producers Lani & Manny Azenberg; Tony Award winners Norbert Leo Butz, Anita Gillette, Cady Huffman, and John McMartin; singer, composer and actress Ann Hampton Callaway; actor and director Arthur French; film, television and stage stars Bill Pullman and Elizabeth Wilson.

For 30 years, Creative Alternatives of New York (CANY) has been using drama therapy to help children and adults in the New York Metropolitan area who have endured trauma build new life skills and realize their potential through the art of drama. Working in partnership with leading social service organizations and health care institutions, CANY provides approximately 1,000 drama therapy groups annually in residential centers for children and youth, special schools, veterans mental health centers, domestic violence safe shelters and community based agencies.

CANY was recently honored with the 2012 Aaron Stein Memorial Fund Award by The American Group Psychotherapy Association given to organizations that utilize the creative application of group theory and technique to benefit the community, particularly in non-psychotherapeutic settings.

"As an artist, I strongly believe that theater can change lives," said Academy Award-winner and CANY Board Member Susan Sarandon. "At CANY this is being proven on a daily basis."

For more information, visit www.cany.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / Retna Ltd.