Photos: See Julie Taymor, Awoye Timpo & More at TFANA's Spring Gala

Theatre for a New Audience held its Spring Gala Celebrating Shakespeare's Birthday in-person at Capitale (130 Bowery, New York City) and emceed by Maurice Jones. The Gala raised significant support for TFANA's acclaimed productions, as well as for its in-depth education programs serving public school students in every borough of New York City. The Monday, May 16 event began at 6:30pm with a reception and silent auction, followed by a seated dinner at 7:30 pm with live music by the Jazz Museum in Harlem All-Stars.

Check out photos below!

Theatre for a New Audience's elegant and entertaining Gala is attended by many of New York's leading arts patrons and has been hosted by eminent theatre artists such as Jessica Hecht, Alfred Molina, Kristine Nielsen, and Maggie Siff. This year, in addition to emcee Maurice Jones (Prince of Morocco/Duke/Tubal in TFANA's recent production of The Merchant of Venice), the Gala included the attendance of some extraordinary theater-makers and friends of TFANA including Julie Taymor, Elliot Goldenthal, Arin Arbus, Awoye Timpo and many others from the cast of TFANA's recent production of The Merchant of Venice. For more information about the Gala, visit TFANA.org.

Each year, TFANA honors a great artist with the Samuel H. Scripps Award for Extraordinary Artistic Achievement, named after the visionary philanthropist who made a leadership gift to enable Theatre for a New Audience to expand its body of work in Shakespeare and classical drama and increase its season from two to three annual productions. At the 2022 Gala, TFANA celebrated acclaimed actor Harry Lennix with the award, presented by Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor. Lennix, who hosted last year's virtual gala, has a long, rich history with TFANA: in 1994, he played Aaron in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus directed by Taymor-and reprised the role in the 1999 film Titus, again directed by Taymor with Jessica Lange and Anthony Hopkins. In 2001, he played Iachimo in TFANA's Cymbeline, directed by Bartlett Sher, which premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He currently serves on the Artistic Council of the Board of Theatre for a New Audience.

TFANA's Life in Art Award was given to Sally Brody, a celebrated painter and an Emerita Board Member who served on the Theatre's Board for 26 years. The award-which honors the achievements of individuals whose support for the arts has set the standard for leadership and generosity, was presented to Brody by Jeffrey Horowitz. The award, a signed giclée print by Paul Davis, is named for the autobiography by the great theatre artist Constantin Stanislavski, My Life in Art.

The Gala Co-Chairs were Kathleen C. Walsh and Robert E. Buckholz. Gala Vice Chairs include Alan Beller and Stephanie Neville, Ben E. Campbell, Constance Christensen, Seymour H. Lesser, Larry M. and Maria-Luisa Loeb, Audrey Heffernan Meyer and Danny Meyer, Susan Stockel, and Josh and Jackie Weisberg.

Photo credit: Gerry Goodstein & Travis Emery