Billy Porter, Jesse L. Martin & More Set for The Acting Company's Gala Tonight

Jesse L. Martin, Billy Porter, David Rockefeller, Jr., and Stephen DeRosa will salute NYU Tisch School of the Arts' Dean Emerita Mary Schmidt Campbell and Municipal Arts Society's President Vin Cipolla at The Acting Company's Gala tonight, November 17 at 360 Degrees Tribeca.

Dr. Campbell will receive the John Houseman Award recognizing her profound commitment to the development of actors and arts education in America. Mr. Cipolla will be presented the Warburg Humanitarian Award for his outstanding philanthropic endeavor and support of the arts. Acting Company Alumna Angela Pierce (Forever, Mania Days) and Goldman Sachs Managing Director Tim Saunders are Gala Chairs, Acting Company/Tisch Alumnus Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order, The Flash) and Rockefeller Foundation Chair David Rockefeller, Jr. will present the awards; Acting Company alumnus Stephen DeRosa (On the Town, Boardwalk Empire) will host, Billy Porter (Kinky Boots) will perform. Three hundred guests complete an industry-filled audience of producers, directors, entertainers and other notables. Proceeds will support a repertory of theatrical productions and arts education for underserved audiences and students.

A leader in training some of the finest young talent for the theater, film and television, Dr. Campbell will receive the John Houseman Award for her profound commitment to developing classically trained actors and building a diverse audience for the performing arts as Dean of the Tisch School. Her work for Tisch, the U. S. President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the NY State Council on the Arts, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, The Public Theater, Harlem School of the Arts, the Studio Museum and other extraordinary institutions has touched thousands of artists and everyday citizens. The Houseman award has been previously presented to Joe Papp, Marian Seldes, Julie Harris, Bernard Gersten, Dana Ivey, Jack O'Brien, Harold Prince, Tony Randall, Kevin Kline and a dozen others.

Vin Cipolla will be presented the Joan Warburg Humanitarian Award for his outstanding contributions to the Municipal Art Society, National Park Foundation, American Repertory Theater at Harvard, Ballet Hispanico, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art, the Augustus Saint-Gaudens Memorial, the Lowline and the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy. In partnership with David Rockwell, he recently founded RGV focusing on design driven enterprises in media, entertainment and hospitality. Previous Warburg Award recipients include Harry Belafonte for his commitment to civil rights, Lincoln Center's Martin Segal; Hon. Tom Kean for health and education; Bill Zabel for human rights; Phyllis Newman for the Women's Health Initiative; Broadway Care's Tom Viola, Barbara Fleischman for her work in the arts and literacy and the Daphne Foundation's Abigail Disney.

Founded by Oscar winner John Houseman and current Acting Company Producer Margot Harley in 1972, The Acting Company is America's most honored touring repertory theater having reached almost four million people in 48 states and 10 foreign countries with 139 classic and new works. Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Rainn Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Jesse L. Martin, Frances Conroy, Keith David, Hamish Linklater, Harriet Harris and David Ogden Stiers are but a few who began their careers on tour with The Acting Company, which is recipient of a TONY Award for Excellence in Theater. The Company will present Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court in repertory with Macbeth March and April, 2015 at the Pearl Theater on 42nd Street as part of its 42nd National Tour.