Photo Coverage: TRU Annual Benefit, Featuring Robert Cuccioli and Jana Robbins

Theater Resources Unlimited marked a quarter-century of "creating community through the arts" at its annual gala Sunday at Caroline's on Broadway. The luncheon event, titled 25 Years of TRU Love, featured performances by Robert Cuccioli, Jim Brochu, Klea Blackhurst, Steve Ross, Jana Robbins and Julie Reyburn. Robbins, who received the TRU Spirit of Theater Award at the gala, performed with her castmates from the current off-Broadway show This One's for the Girls.

Since its founding in 1992, TRU has provided support to theater artists and producers through such programs as play and musical writing workshops, the TRU Voices new-works reading series, producer mentorships, industry panels and audition events attended by casting directors, agents, theater companies and producers. Its signature programs also include writer/producer and actor/director "Speed Dates" and Producer Boot Camps on topics like raising money, mediation techniques and self-producing for artists.

TRU honored Robbins for her multifaceted contributions to theater, which encompass producing, directing and teaching as well as performing. Robbins was paid tribute via video by Michele Lee, whom she understudied in Broadway's The Tale of the Allergist's Wife. Her award was presented by D. Tucker Smith, playwright of Roof of the World, whose world premiere Robbins produced at Kansas City Rep last year. Robbins' Broadway credits as an actor include I Love My Wife, Crimes of the Heart and Romance/Romance.

In celebrating its 25th anniversary at the gala, TRU also recognized past recipients of its Spirit of Theater, Humanitarian and Entrepreneur awards, including choreographer-director Jerry Mitchell; Elysabeth Kleinhans, artistic director of the 59E59 Theaters; Village Voice critic Michael Feingold; Arlene Romoff, a leading advocate for captioning of stage productions for the hearing-impaired; TRU board member Courtney Sweeting; Woodie King Jr., founding director of the New Federal Theatre; producers Van Dean, Patricia Klausner and Ken Davenport; Edith O'Hara, founder of the 13th Street Repertory; and Michael Presser, executive director of Inside Broadway. Past winners Philip Rose, Fred Vogel, Neil Danoff, Barry Moss and Randall Wreghitt were honored in memoriam.

A live auction was conducted from the stage for house seats to Hamilton, a Uniworld European river cruise and Legends Suite tickets to Yankee Stadium. Many other prizes--for dining, travel, nightlife, theater-professional services and more--are available in TRU's online auction, open through Sunday, Nov. 12. For further information about Theater Resources Unlimited, visit truonline.org.