Second Stage Theatre Will Honor Producer David Stone at 37th Anniversary Gala

Second Stage Theatre's 37th Anniversary Gala celebration will honor Producer David Stone, celebrating his ongoing 12 year relationship with the Off-Broadway Company. The evening's Honorary Chair is James M. Nederlander and the Co-Chairs are Marc Platt, Patrick Catullo, and Nancy Coyne. The gala evening, which will be directed by James Lapine, will be held on Monday, May 2, 2016 at Cipriani 42nd Street. The evening's entertainment, which will feature stars who have appeared in Stone's productions over the years, will be announced at a later date. This is the first time Second Stage's annual gala will be honoring a Broadway producer.

Stone's commitment to new work has led to several collaborations with Second Stage Theatre, resulting in the successful Broadway transfers of the smash-hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal, as well as the Lucille Lortel Award-winning Dogfight.

"Over the past twelve years, David Stone has been a dedicated supporter, an insightful collaborator, and most importantly, a loyal friend to me and Second Stage Theatre, and we are thrilled to celebrate our ongoing relationship with him at our spring gala," said Second Stage Theatre Artistic Director Carole Rothman. "Anyone who knows David knows he shuns the spotlight, so I am doubly excited that he has agreed to let us put him center stage and celebrate his remarkable career for one special night, featuring the many incredible artists he has nurtured."

DAVID STONE is represented around the world by Wicked. He has also produced If/Then, Next to Normal, The 25thAnnual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Three Days of Rain, Man of La Mancha, The Vagina Monologues, Fully Committed, Lifegame, The Diary of Anne Frank, Full Gallop, The Santaland Diaries, and Family Secrets. David serves on the boards of The Broadway League and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He also serves on the advisory boards of V-Day and Second Stage Theatre. David has lectured on theatre at NYU, Yale, Columbia and his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania.

Tables start at $15,000; tickets start at $1,500. For more information, call the Second Stage events office (212) 787-8302, ext.118.

Founded in 1979 under the leadership of Artistic Director Carole Rothman, SECOND STAGE THEATRE produces a diverse range of premieres and new interpretations of America's best contemporary theatre, including Peter and Jerry by Edward Albee; The Good Times Are Killing Me by Lynda Barry; The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane; The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown; The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety by Kristoffer Diaz; Dogfightby Peter Duchan, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul; Sex with Strangers by Laura Eason; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin; A Soldier's Play by Charles Fuller; Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo;Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis; Coastal Disturbances by Tina Howe; Water by the Spoonful andThe Happiest Song Plays Last by Quiara Alegria Hudes; Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants by Ricky Jay; Next to Normal by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey; This Is Our Youth by Kenneth Lonergan; Some Men by Terrence McNally; By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage; eurydice by Sarah Ruhl; Everyday Rapture by Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott;Let Me Down Easy by Anna Deavere Smith; Saturday Night by Stephen Sondheim; Crowns by Regina Taylor;Uncommon Women and Others by Wendy Wasserstein; Trust by Paul Weitz; Spoils of War by Michael Weller; Jar the Floor by Cheryl L. West; Jitney by August Wilson; Serenading Louie by Lanford Wilson; and Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman.

The company has produced three Pulitzer Prize winning plays - Between Riverside and Crazy (2015), Water by the Spoonful (2012), and Next to Normal (2010) - and its productions have received over 130 awards, including the 2009 Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Orchestrations, and Best Actress in a Musical (Alice Ripley) for Next to Normal, the 2007 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed), 2005 Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical (Rachel Sheinkin, ...Spelling Bee) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Dan Fogler, ...Spelling Bee), 2002 Tony Award for Best Director of a Play (Mary Zimmerman for Metamorphoses), the 2002 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Body of Work, 27 Obie Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Clarence Derwent Awards, 12 Drama Desk Awards, nine Theatre World Awards, 14 Lucille Lortel Awards, two NY Drama Critics Circle Awards and 15 AUDELCO Awards.

In 1999, Second Stage Theatre opened The Tony Kiser Theatre, its state-of-the-art, 296-seat theatre, designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. In 2002, Second Stage launched "Second Stage Theatre Uptown" series to showcase the work of up and coming artists at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre. The Theatre supports artists through several programs that include residencies, fellowships and commissions, and engages students and community members through education and outreach programs.

In 2015 Second Stage Theatre purchased the historic Helen Hayes Theatre, located at 240 W. 44th Street. With this new home, Second Stage will be the only theatre company on Broadway dedicated exclusively to the development and presentation of contemporary American theatrical productions. The company will continue to lease and operate their original theatres on the city's Upper West Side and in Midtown Manhattan. Second Stage Theatre has enlisted David Rockwell and The Rockwell Group to make renovations and updates to the 103 year old landmark building. They will begin renovations on the theatre in summer 2016 and plans for its first Broadway production to be staged in the Hayes during the 2017-18 season.

For more information, please visit www.2ST.com