André De Shields to Be Honored at Victory Gardens Theater October Gala

Victory Gardens Theater announced plans for its 30th annual premier fundraising event, The Chicago Stories Gala on Saturday, October 24, 2020. The gala will honor the indomitable human spirit we all share at the not-to-be-missed evening celebrating the resilience of theater, the city of Chicago, and its remarkable leaders. The night will showcase an original five-minute play by lawyer Jill Wine-Banks, an MSNBC legal analyst who appears regularly on the network's prime-time and daytime shows. Tony Award-winning actor André De Shields will receive the Victory Gardens Theater Impact Award in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the arts.

The 2020 Chicago Stories Gala will be a chance to support new work, mingle with friends and artists, and celebrate the exciting work of Victory Gardens. Proceeds from this event will help underwrite the cost of producing world premieres, providing education programs for Chicago Public Schools, and making theater accessible to all. Scheduled to take place at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, 120 E. Delaware Pl., the 2020 Chicago Stories Gala plans include cocktails and dinner, auction, and paddle raise in support of Victory Gardens programming and entertainment. For the third time, Victory Gardens will host a VIP experience with Gala honorees and celebrities for guests at certain table and ticket levels.

Jill Wine-Banks began her career as the first female organized crime prosecutor at the US Department of Justice, which led to her selection as one of three assistant special prosecutors - and the only woman on the trial team -- in the case against President Richard Nixon's top aides for obstruction of justice in the Watergate scandal. She has also served as general counsel of the US Army, partner at Jenner and Block, first solicitor general and first woman deputy attorney general of the state of Illinois, and first female chief operating officer of the American Bar Association. Jill was a corporate executive at Motorola and Maytag, the CEO of Winning Workplaces, and the head of career and technical education for Chicago Public Schools under Arne Duncan. She now serves on the boards of the Better Government Association, Governors State University, the Veterans Art Museum, as a Life Director of Executive Service Corps and others. She is the author of the 2020 autobiography The Watergate Girl.

Tony Award-winner André De Shields is the triple-crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Tony Awards as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his unanimously critically acclaimed performance as Hermes, Messenger to the Gods, in Hadestown. André continues to be known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway musicals: The Wiz (Title Role), Ain't Misbehavin' (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony Nomination), and The Full Monty (Tony Nomination). In a career spanning fifty years, he has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, and educator. His other numerous accolades include the 2019 Actors Equity Foundation's Richard Seff Award, the 2018 Off Broadway Alliance Legend Award, the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival's Living Legend Award, the 2007 Village Voice OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance, and eight AUDELCO Awards for Outstanding Performance, Direction and Choreography.

Gala co-chairs are Anuradha Behari, Penny Brown, Rick Gray, Gabrielle Griffin, Steven N. Miller, Kate Tillotson, and Sue E. Wallace.

Gala sponsors to date include Visionary Sponsor Steve and Diane Miller and Premier Level Table Sponsors Rick and Dawn Gray and Allstate.

Individual tickets to Chicago Stories begin at $500 each. Table sponsorships start at $5,000.

To purchase tickets or for more information, contact Victory Gardens Donor Services Assistant Kelly Carr at 773.634.9858 or at KCarr@victorygardens.org. For more information on the 2020 Chicago Stories Gala, visit http://victorygardens.org/support-us/chicago-stories-gala/.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos