Bill Irwin To Speak At EAG's 2018 Annual Memorial Service

Since 1923, EAG's Annual Memorial Service has brought together members of the performing arts community on an afternoon in November to celebrate the lives and work of our colleagues who have passed away in the previous year. This unique event features music, reflection, and a reading of the names of those being remembered, which is always followed by a heartfelt standing ovation.

EAG is pleased to announce that Tony Award-winning actor Bill Irwin will deliver this year's memorial address.

Past speakers have included Sam Waterston, Marni Nixon, Reed Birney, Arthur Anderson, Joan Fontaine, Celeste Holm, Earle Hyman, Barney Hughes, and Frank Langella.

This year's Annual Memorial Service will take place on Sunday, November 11 at 3:00pm at The Church of the Transfiguration (also known as The Little Church Around the Corner), 1 E. 29th Street, New York, NY. It is free and open to people of all beliefs and faiths and will be followed by a reception. Donations collected during this special service will benefit EAG's Florence James Children's Holiday Fund which provides grants to NYC actors in need with children to address holiday needs.

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The Episcopal Actors' Guild (est. 1923) is a charitable organization dedicated to helping performers "of all faiths, and none" who are experiencing financial crisis. Throughout the year, EAG also hosts events and fundraisers including concerts, variety shows, play readings, and professional workshops. www.actorsguild.org

Bill Irwin is an American actor, clown, and comedian. He is best known for his vaudeville-style stage performances and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He has also made a number of appearances on film and television, and he won a Tony Award for his role in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf on Broadway. Children know him as Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street's "Elmo's World."

Irwin has created several highly-regarded stage shows that incorporate elements of clowning, often in collaboration with composer Doug Skinner. These works included The Regard of Flight (1982), Largely New York (1989), Fool Moon (1993), The Harlequin Studies (2003), Mr. Fox: A Rumination (2004), and The Happiness Lecture (2008). In 2013, his creation of Old Hats with occasional partner David Shiner won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revue.

Theatre credits include Waiting for Godot (as Lucky with Robin Williams and Steve Martin, and as Vladimir in the 2009 Broadway revival), The Goat or Who is Sylvia? (Martin) with Sally Field, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (George) with Kathleen Turner, Bye Bye Birdie (Mr. McAfee in the Broadway revival), and King Lear (the Fool) at The Public Theatre. Bill also directed Roundabout's A Flea in Her Ear and has an extensive list of film and TV credits.

For more information, please visit thebillirwin.com

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos