Kate Baldwin, Matthew Broderick, Christine Ebersole & More Will Perform at Dramatists Guild Fund Gala

Dramatists Guild Fund Executive Director Rachel Routh and Board President Gretchen Cryer today announced the star-studded line up for their annual gala Great Writers Thank Their Lucky Stars, set for Monday, October 27 at The Edison Ballroom (240 West 47th Street). The cocktail reception will begin at 6:30pm, followed by the dinner and celebration at 7:30pm. The Gala is the most critical fundraising event for the Dramatists Guild Fund, the public charity arm of the Dramatists Guild of America. This very special evening pays tribute to legendary writers and recognizes their significant contributions to American theater.

This year's event will be hosted by Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party, I Am Harvey Milk) and will feature legendary playwrights, lyricists and composers introducing the stars who brought their work to life on stage. The featured writers include Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof, Fiorello), Lisa Kron (Fun Home, Well), James Lapine (Into the Woods, Act One), Terrence McNally (Master Class, It's Only A Play), Charles Strouse (Bye Bye Birdie, Annie), Jeanine Tesori (Caroline or Change, Violet), Stephen Trask (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Cavedweller). The stars they'll be 'thanking' include Kate Baldwin, Matthew Broderick, Christine Ebersole, Marva Hicks, Joanna Gleason, Ramona Keller, Linda Lavin, Sydney Lucas, Tracy Nicole Chapman, and Chip Zien as they perform songs and scenes from their iconic shows. The evening will be directed by Noah Himmelstein with music direction by Charlie Rosen.

The DGF silent auction featuring Broadway house seats and backstage tours, handwritten music from Stephen Sondheim and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, weekend getaways and more is open for bidding at: www.biddingforgood.com/DramatistsGuildFund.

Joanne Halev and Don Loftus serve as the Gala co-chairs. The Gala Committee includes Jamie Bendell, Joseph A. Bierman, Robert H. Buchen, Gretchen Cryer, Joan D. Firestone, Michael Gordon, Kevin Hager, Penny Brandt Jackson, Thomas Campbell Jackson, Susan Laubach, Barbara Olcott, and Steve Tate.

The Dramatists Guild Fund will honor fragrance innovator and patron of the arts Ann Gottlieb and set designer, producer and philanthropist Heidi Ettinger.

Ann Gottlieb is a legend in the fragrance industry, having collaborated on the creation of some of the most successful fragrances ever launched. After extensive training at such industry leaders as Estee Lauder, Revlon, Elizabeth Arden, and Warner Cosmetics (Ralph Lauren Fragrances), Ann's professional reputation grew, and the demand for her unique olfactive expertise and her inherent understanding of brands increased. In 1983 she took the entrepreneurial leap and established her consulting firm, Ann Gottlieb Associates. Ann has since joined forces with the world's most talented perfumers in developing top-selling fragrances for every market category, resulting in sales of over one billion dollars annually. Her passion for fragrance is matched by her passion for the arts. A dedicated supporter and enthusiastic audience member, Ann is a particular patron of theatre and opera, and a true friend of the Dramatists Guild Fund.

Heidi Ettinger made theatrical history when she became the first (solo) woman ever to win a Tony Award for set design. In addition to that award for the musical BIG RIVER, she has won two additional Tony Awards and been nominated for seven - both for producing and for set design. Her artwork has been exhibited at Lincoln Center and at galleries and museums around the country. Over the last four years she has spearheaded a national philanthropic effort to revive depreciated communities through collaboration with the arts. Her work has taken her to underserved towns around the country from Mississippi to New Mexico, and she has seen first hand the remarkable renewal of pride and purposeful reinvention these vital arts programs have fostered. She applauds the Dramatists Guild Fund's impact on communities which otherwise would have no access to live theatre as well as its' commitment to playwrights in need. She is married to the playwright Jonathan Reynolds, conceiver of the Fund's The Legacy Project, a series of videotaped conversation about writing between young and established playwrights, composers, and lyricists, which has inspired theatrical artists nationally.

This year's gala is made possible by support from Firmenich, Inc. Firmenich is the largest privately owned company in the perfume and flavor business. Swiss and family owned, they have created many of the world's favorite perfumes for over 100 years and produced a number of the most well known flavors we enjoy each day.

The Board of Directors for the DGF includes Joseph A. Bierman, Robert H. Buchen, Kirsten Childs, Gretchen Cryer (President), Joan D. Firestone, Roe Green, Michael Gordon, Kevin Hager (Secretary), Carol Hall (Vice President), Susan Laubach (Treasurer), Shirley Lauro, Andrew Lippa, Don Loftus, Terrence McNally, Patrick Marrow, Barbara Olcott, Peter Ratray, Stephen Sondheim, Dustin Sparks and Doug Wright.

The Advisory Council for the DGF includes Lee Adams, Susan Birkenhead, Charles Fuller, Gary Garrison, Sheldon Harnick, Mark Hollmann, Tina Howe, Arthur Kopit, Donald Margulies, Lynn Nottage, Polly Pen, Stephen Schwartz, Ralph Sevush, John Patrick Shanley, Neil Simon and John Weidman

The cocktail reception will begin at 6:30pm, followed by the dinner and celebration at 7:30pm. For ticket information, please visit www.dramatistsguildfund.org/gala2014.

The DGF silent auction featuring Broadway house seats and backstage tours, handwritten music from Stephen Sondheim and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, weekend getaways, and more is open for bidding at: www.biddingforgood.com/DramatistsGuildFund

All proceeds will benefit the Dramatists Guild Fund, now celebrating 52 years of aiding and nurturing writers for the theater. The winner of the 2013 New York Innovative Theater Award for Stewardship, DGF fuels the future of theater by supporting dramatists at all stages of their careers.

The Dramatists Guild Fund is the public charity arm of the Dramatists Guild of America. Its mission is to aid and nurture writers for the theater; to fund non-profit theaters producing contemporary American works; and to heighten awareness, appreciation, and support of theater across the country. The Dramatists Guild Fund depends heavily on individual contributions from theater enthusiasts across the country in order to carry out its mission. Each year, the Fund provides grants to non-profit theatrical organizations across the country that produce works by American writers and emergency grants to deserving writers for the theater who have fallen upon hard times due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances. The Fund has also expanded through educational initiatives such as The Legacy Project and the Traveling Masters program to serve more writers and those who support and love the theater.

Based in New York, the Dramatists Guild of America has a long history of service to playwrights, lyricists, librettists and composers for the theater. Since its inception, the Dramatists Guild membership has included a broad cross-section of writers for the American stage, including legendary talents whose names are synonymous with Broadway, Off-Broadway and American Theater. To learn more about the Guild or to become a member, visit www.dramatistsguild.com.