Casts of HELL'S KITCHEN, THE NOTEBOOK & More to Perform at New Dramatists Spring Luncheon

New Dramatists will host its Annual Spring Luncheon Tribute on Tuesday, May 14 at the New York Marriott Marquis. A beloved theater community tradition, this year's luncheon honors Michael Greif, the acclaimed director of this season's Days of Wine and Roses, The Notebook and Hell's Kitchen. The afternoon will feature several performances and tributes, including a spoken tribute by Brian D'Arcy James of Days of Wine and Roses;  a musical performance by cast members from Hell's Kitchen;  John Cardoza, Jordan Tyson, Ryan Vasquez and Joy Woods from The Notebook; among others. Tony Award-winning producers Kevin McCollum and Stacey Mindich serve as honorary co-chairs for this year's luncheon.

At this year's luncheon, New Dramatists will present its inaugural Konecky Award to Concord Theatricals. Named for New Dramatists' beloved Board President Isobel Konecky and her husband, renowned entertainment attorney Ron Konecky, The Konecky Award recognizes those in the theatre and entertainment industry, who serve the field with passion, dedication, excellence, and leadership.

“From Downtown to Broadway, and in theatres across the country, Michael Greif has built his outstanding career championing and directing new plays and musicals by legendary writers, including New Dramatists' alumni Doug Wright, John Guare, Suzan-Lori Parks, Diana Son, Nilo Cruz, Jeffrey Hatcher, Jeffrey M. Jones, Kate Moira Ryan, and Kristoffer Diaz, this season on Hell's Kitchen,” says Emily Morse, Artistic Director of New Dramatists. “With his remarkable resume, and three shows opening on Broadway, this feels like the perfect year for New Dramatists to honor Michael and his distinguished career, at our Annual Spring Luncheon.”

“As the parent company of Samuel French – a founding name in theatrical publishing and licensing – and the steward of catalogs from R&H Theatricals, Tams-Witmark, and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, Concord Theatricals is a strong, committed advocate of creative artists,” says Christie Brown, Executive Director of New Dramatists. “We are delighted to recognize their service to the field.”

New Dramatists Annual Spring Luncheon Tribute, on May 14, will begin with a champagne reception at 11:15AM and end promptly at 2:30PM. Tickets are $450, or $4000 for a table of 10 seats (a portion of which is tax-deductible). Premium sponsorships are also available. For tickets and information, visit NewDramatists.org/luncheon or contact Sofie Wasserman-Smith at (646) 381-4694, sofiewasserman-smith@newdramatists.org.

ABOUT THE HONORE

Michael Greif most recently directed Days of Wine and Roses on Broadway and at the Atlantic Theater, Alicia Keys' Hell's Kitchen at The Public Theater, The Notebook at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Dear Evan Hansen at the Music Box and War Paint at the Nederlander on Broadway. Additional Broadway credits include Rent, Grey Gardens, Next to Normal (Tony noms.); Never Gonna Dance; If/Then. Other recent work includes Man in the Ring (Huntington), The Low Road (Public) A Parallelogram (Second Stage); Our Lady of Kibeho and Angels in America (NY's Signature Theatre); The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide… (Public); and The Tempest, A Winter's Tale and Romeo and Juliet at The Public's Delacorte Theater. Off-Broadway, he's received Obie Awards for Machinal, Dogeaters (Public) and Rent (NYTW), and has directed new plays and musicals at Playwrights Horizons, Roundabout, MTC, MCC, New York Theatre Workshop and at Second Stage, where he directed Next to Normal and Dear Evan Hansen. Regional work includes premieres and revivals at Williamstown Theatre Festival (ten seasons), La Jolla Playhouse (AD, five seasons), The Goodman, Arena Stage, Center Stage, Mark Taper Forum, Dallas Theater Center, Trinity Repertory Company. Mr. Greif holds a BS from Northwestern University and an MFA from the University of California, San Diego.

ABOUT THE INAUGURAL KONECKY AWARD RECIPIENT

Concord Theatricals is the world's most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, plus dozens of new signings each year. Our unparalleled roster includes the work of Irving Berlin, Agatha Christie, George & Ira Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorraine Hansberry, Kander & Ebb, Tom Kitt, Ken Ludwig, Marlow & Moss, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anaïs Mitchell, Dominique Morisseau, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Thornton Wilder and August Wilson. We are the only firm providing truly comprehensive services to the creators and producers of plays and musicals, including theatrical licensing, music publishing, script publishing, cast recording and first-class production. www.concordtheatricals.com  

Founded in 1949 by Michaela O'Harra in association with Howard Lindsay, Richard Rodgers, Russel Crouse, Oscar Hammerstein II, John Golden, Moss Hart, Maxwell Anderson, John Wharton, Robert E. Sherwood and Elmer Rice, New Dramatists hosts the longest-running, continuous community of playwrights in the United States. This small upstart of young writers banded together to develop their work, share resources, and expand their role in the contemporary American theatre. Today, New Dramatists is still working in pursuit of a singular mission: to provide playwrights with time, space, and resources in the company of gifted peers, to create work, realize their artistic potential, and make lasting contributions to the theatre.

Now in our 75th year, more than 700 playwrights have passed through our doors, creating work that has set a standard for contemporary American dramatic literature. Our alumni include some of the most influential writers of our time: Robert Anderson, Annie Baker, Kia Corthron, Nilo Cruz, Lonne Elder III, Horton Foote, Richard Foreman, Maria Irene Fornes, Melissa James Gibson, David Greenspan, John Guare, Quiara Alegría Hudes, William Inge, David Lindsay-Abaire, Eduardo Machado, Taylor Mac, Donald Margulies, Joe Masteroff, Tarrell Alvin McCraney, Lynn Nottage, Suzan-Lori Parks, Sarah Ruhl, John Patrick Shanley, Mac Wellman, August Wilson, Lanford Wilson, Paula Vogel, Doug Wright, Chay Yew, and many more.

The writers of New Dramatists have made significant contributions to the American theatrical canon and to the cultural fabric of the performing arts in New York City. To date, our resident and alumni writers have won 20 Pulitzers, 27 Tonys, 87 OBIEs, 18 Drama Desk Awards, 8 MacArthur Fellowships, and 14 Susan Smith Blackburn Awards.

New Dramatists itself received a Ross Wetzsteon Award for excellence at the 2005 OBIEs and a 2001 Tony Honor for "blessing the theatre with new and exceptional works that have assured both a rich theatrical heritage and future for the American Theatre."