Ethan Hawke, Martha Plimpton and More Inducted Into THE PLAYERS Hall of Fame Today, 9/30

Today, September 30, 2012, fourteen actors, actresses, critics, playwrights – and even an astronaut – will be inducted into the newest class of The Players Hall of Fame, John Martello, Executive Director of The Players, has announced. For the 5th time in its history, The Players will commemorate each of the new, 14 inductees with a fine-art portrait that will become part of The Players' Permanent Collection. The unveiling is at a special fundraising dinner at the landmarked Booth mansion at 16 Gramercy Park South, (East 20th off Park Ave.) New York City.

"These members are a fine representation of the mission of The Players and The Players FOUNDATION FOR THEATRE EDUCATION," Martello said. "Each of these Players has made a lasting impact on the entertainment industry and its followers. The Hall of Fame is how we honor them."

This year's honorees are playwright Edward Albee, actors Ethan Hawke, Martha Plimpton, and Jack Klugman, actor and drag legend Charles Busch, cabaret star Steve Ross, actor Fritz Weaver, actor Brian Murray, journalist Jerry Tallmer, and astronaut Scott Carpenter, who celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first orbit of Earth this year. The night features a performance by cabaret superstar K.T. Sullivan, as well as speeches from Judith Ivey, Kate Mulgrew, Jim Brochu and Sherrill Milnes. Posthumous inductees include Clark Gable, Janet Leigh, Sidney Lumet, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Last year's honorees included Jerry Stiller, Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson Judith Malina; producer and playwright Robert Brustein; former mayor of New York City David Dinkins; and journalist Nat Hentoff.

Hall of Fame tickets are available for $125 general admission, $200 VIP seating (a portion of the ticket price is tax deductible to extent by law); RSVP at 212.475.6116. Cocktails begin at 6PM (ET), dinner at 7, awards at 8:30. Media call 5:45PM (pre-credentialed press ONLY).

About The Players & The Players FOUNDATION FOR THEATRE EDUCATION
In 1888, Edwin Booth, America's pre-eminent Shakespearean actor, and 15 other incorporators, including Mark Twain and General Tecumseh Sherman, founded The Players. Its purpose: "The promotion of social intercourse between Members of The dramatic profession and the kindred professions of literature, painting, architecture, sculpture and music, law and medicine, and the patrons of the arts." Today, The Players continues to preserve its heritage by remaining a repository of both American and British theater history, memorabilia and theatrical artifacts. The Players FOUNDATION FOR THEATRE EDUCATION is a 501 (c)(3) organization.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / Retna Ltd.