Feature: The VIPs Behind the Curtain! A VIP Reception at the Drama League Awards

On Friday, May 19, 2023, one hour before the Drama League Awards, Board President Bonnie Comley, Committee Chair Townsend Teague, Bevin Ross, Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, and the Board Hosted a VIP Reception at the Drama League Awards right next to the Ziegfeld Ballroom. While the Drama League Distinguished Performance nominees lined up for the dais, a cocktail party was in full swing in the adjacent ballroom.

It was a Who's Who of award-winning theater and industry VIPs and friends including; Lin Manuel Miranda, John Gore, Neil Meron, Sonia Freidman, Bob Wankel, Charles Flateman, Desi Moynihan, Eva Price, Tom Kirdahy, Elliot Green, Bob Boyett, Louise Hirschfeld, Ben Platt, Audra McDonald, Lear deBessonet, Neil Pepe, Tim Levy, Barry Grove, Kristin Caskey, Lauren Reid, Jessica Chastain, Ken Davenport, Aki Harimoto and Sydney Beers.

The Drama League Board Members include Bonnie Comley, Joe Pizza, Arthur Pober, Donna Daniels, Tony Benton, Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Bevin Ross, Elena Araoz, Estefania Fadul, Leslie Feldman, Irene Gandy, Fredric J. Siegel, Sarah Hutton, Kirk Iwanowski, Una Jackman, Mary Jain, Paula Kaminsky Davis, Gwynn MacDonald, Stan Ponte, Townsend Teague, John Alan Turner, Nicole A. Watson, and Kumiko Yoshii.

Proceeds from the Drama League Awards fund The Drama League's The Directors Project. The 2023 Directors Project stage directors who will receive fellowships, assistantships, and residencies are Jean Carlo Yunén Aróstegui, EJ Soto, Vanessa Ogbuehi, Diego González, Nadia Guevara, Nilan, Ann Kreitman, Ibi Owolabi, Lyam B. Gabel, Alex Keegan, Nehprii Amenii, Jessica Natalie Smith, Sanhawich Meateanuwat and Héctor Alvarez. All the recipients were in attendance to receive a formal introduction at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.

The VIP reception was followed by the award ceremony hosted by Frank DiLella and honored André De Shields, the team from The Drama Book Shop (Lin Manuel-Miranda accepted the award) Lear deBessonet, and Darin Oduyoye. The ceremony opened with remarks from Bonnie Comley and Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks. The awards were presented during a luncheon that allowed all the Drama League Distinguished Performance nominees to give short, heartfelt remarks about their work and careers. The afternoon was intimate, full of laughter, tears, respect, and celebration of life in the theater.

In addition to the red carpets, a star-studded Photo Booth was also available for the stars and MVPs to take pictures in. People’s magazine presented the Photo Booth. The big winner from the awards, winning the award for Distinguished Performance (which only has one winner a year and only can be won once in a lifetime!) was Annaleigh Ashford for her performance in the revival Sweeney Todd and the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. To learn more about The Drama League and for a complete list of winners and nominees, go to www.DramaLeague.org

Check out photos from the Awards below!

Pictures by: Catalin Stelian / Catalin Media, Lia Chang & Eugene Gologursky