Robert Redford to Host Sundance Institute Benefit, 3/12

Sundance Institute has announced the first-ever New York benefit celebrating its Theatre Program, the leading play development program in the United States. Taking place on the evening of Monday, March 12 at venues in lower Manhattan, the event will be hosted by Sundance Institute President & Founder Robert Redford and feature performances by some of the theatre world's top talent, who are also Sundance Institute alumni.

The evening will begin at 7:00 p.m. at New York Theatre Workshop (79 East 4th St) with a private performance of An Iliad, a solo piece written by Denis O'Hare and Lisa Peterson. The performance will star Mr. O'Hare and be directed by Ms. Peterson. Immediately following, the evening will continue with a dinner party on the terrace of The Bowery Hotel (335 Bowery – private entrance). Theatre Program alumni Christine Ebersole and Scott Frankel (collaborators on Grey Gardens) will perform live, as will Jeanine Tesori and Georgi James (collaborators on Fun Home).

Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute, said, "The experience of theatre, to me, is incomparable. The audience can participate in the live and immediate unfolding of story and character with no filter in between. The fact that our Theatre Program has contributed to the success of some of the most compelling American theatre of the past three decades makes me obviously proud."

Individual tickets are $750. For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit www.sundance.org/nybenefit, email celebratetheatre@sundance.org or call 310-360-1981.

Since 1981, Sundance Institute has evolved to become an internationally-recognized nonprofit organization that actively advances the work of risk-taking storytellers worldwide. Originally founded by Robert Redford in the mountains of Sundance, Utah, Sundance Institute has always provided a space for independent artists to explore their stories free from commercial and political pressures. By providing year-round creative and financial support for the development of original stories for the screen and stage, Sundance Institute remains committed to its mission to discover and develop independent artists and audiences across the globe.

The Theatre Program has been a core component of Sundance Institute since Robert Redford founded the Institute in 1984. The Theatre Program identifies and assists emerging theatre artists, contributes to the creative growth of established artists, and encourages and supports the development of new work for the stage. Under the guidance of Producing Artistic Director Philip Himberg and Associate Director Christopher Hibma, the Theatre Program is the leading play development program in the United States. Titles such as Spring Awakening, An Iliad, I Am My Own Wife, The Good Negro, Circle Mirror Transformation, Passing Strange, Grey Gardens, Crowns and Marie Antoinette have gone from Theatre Program Labs to production from coast to coast and internationally, garnering multiple Pulitzers, Tonys, Obies and other recognition. The Theatre Program hosts a range of creative Labs throughout the year and around the world, including the Theatre Lab at the Sundance Resort and Playwrights Retreat at Ucross. The Theatre Program's East Africa initiative is the only professional program of its type on the continent, offering Labs, cross-cultural exchange, mentorship and exposure to artists in six African countries. Past activities have also included a Theatre Lab at White Oak, a Theatre Lab at MASS MoCA and a Theatre Lab on Governors Island in New York.

Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. www.sundance.org

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos