Theatre Forward's Chairman Awards Gala to Honor Bryan Cranston and More

Theatre Forward and Chairman John Thomopoulos will lead a celebration to support American theatre at the annual Chairman's Awards Gala on Monday, April 8, 2019 at The Pierre (2 East 61st Street). The Chairman's Awards Gala supports the work of Theatre Forward, which recently celebrated its 40th Anniversary season, and is dedicated to advancing American theatres and its communities through its Educating Through Theatre and Advancing Strong Theatre initiatives.

Academy Award Nominee, Tony, SAG, Emmy, Golden Globe and Olivier Award winner Bryan Cranston will be honored this spring with the Theatre Artist Award. Dorsey And Whitney LLP will receive the Corporate Leadership Award, accepted by Partner Robert A. Rosenbaum. Theatre Forward Board Member, Pamela Farr and Buford Alexander will be honored with the Theatre Forward Leadership Award.

Guthrie Theater Artistic Director Joseph Haj, will present the Corporate Leadership Award to Dorsey and Whitney LLP. The Old Globe Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, will present the Theatre Forward Leadership Award to Pamela Farr and Buford Alexander.

The Gala will include cocktails, dinner, and performances, as well as a live and silent auction. Auction proceeds will benefit Theatre Forward's work in equity, diversity and inclusion and support theatre education programs across the country serving 500,000 students. The Patron and Co-Chair Tables are priced at $25,000. Benefactor Tables are priced at $15,000 and Sponsor Tables are priced at $10,000. Ticket pricing is as follows: $2,500 (Patron Ticket), $1,500 (Individual Ticket). Journal ads and Sponsorships are also available.

For ticket information contact Em Atkins at (212) 750-6895 or eatkins@theatreforward.org

ABOUT THE HONOREES

Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston is an Academy Award nominee, and Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, Tony and Olivier Award winner. Cranston most recently appeared as a guest star on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series." Additionally, Cranston voiced the character of "Chief" in Wes Anderson's stop-motion animated film Isle of Dogs, which premiered at the 2018 Berlin Film Festival and was released by Fox Searchlight on March 23, 2018. The film features an ensemble voice cast including Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban, Scarlett Johansson and Frances McDormand, among many others. Cranston just wrapped production on Disney's, The One and Only Ivan, starring opposite Helen Mirren, Angelina Jolie, Sam Rockwell, and Danny DeVito. Cranston recently made his West End debut starring in Network at the National Theatre. Based on the iconic film by Paddy Chayefsky, which won four Academy Awards in 1976, director Ivo van Hove brings the story of Network to the stage with Cranston in the principal role of Howard Beale. Cranston recently won a Critics Circle Award for "Best Actor" and won an Olivier Award for "Best Actor" for his performance. The play also received an Olivier Award for "Best New Play." Cranston made his Broadway debut in 2014 as President Lyndon B. Johnson in All The Way by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan. He won the 2014 Tony Award for his performance, as well as a Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Theater World Award for "Outstanding Actor in a Play." Cranston went on to produce the film adaption of the play through his Production Company, Moonshot Entertainment, along with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Tale Told Productions. It premiered on HBO in May 2016 and was nominated for eight Emmy Awards including "Outstanding Television Movie" and an individual nomination for Cranston for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie." All The Way was nominated for four Critics' Choice Awards, including "Best Television Movie," and an individual nomination for Cranston for "Best Actor in a Television Movie." Additionally, Cranston was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Actor in a Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television" and won the SAG Award for "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series." In addition to All The Way, Moonshot Entertainment has developed three television series for Amazon including Sneaky Pete (season three is currently in production), The Dangerous Book for Boys, and Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams. Moonshot also developed the animated series SuperMansion for Crackle, which received two Emmy Award nominations, and season three premiered in May 2018. In 2015, Cranston starred as the title character in Jay Roach's Trumbo. His performance garnered him nominations for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, SAG Award, BAFTA Award, and Critics' Choice Award in 2016 for "Best Actor." Cranston's other feature film credits include: Richard Linklater's Last Flag Flying, Robin Swicord's Wakefield, Dean Israelite's Power Rangers, John Hamburg's Why Him?, Brad Furman's The Infiltrator, Gareth Edwards' Godzilla, Ben Affleck's Argo, Len Wiseman's remake of Total Recall, Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive, Steven Soderbergh's Contagion, Brad Furman's The Lincoln Lawyer, Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris' Little Miss Sunshine, Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, and Tom Hanks' Larry Crown and That Thing You Do!, among others. Bryan has also lent his voice to Dreamworks Animation films Kung Fu Panda 3 and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. On television, Cranston's portrayal of Walter White on AMC's Breaking Bad garnered him four Emmy Awards, four SAG Awards and a Golden Globe Award. He holds the honor of being the first actor in a cable series and the second lead actor in the history of the Emmy Awards to receive three consecutive wins. As a producer on Breaking Bad, Cranston won two Emmy Awards and a Producers Guild of America (PGA) Award for "Outstanding Drama Series." Behind the camera, Cranston was nominated for the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award for Breaking Bad (in 2014) and Modern Family (in 2013 and 2014). Cranston also wrote, directed, and acted in the original romantic drama Last Chance as a birthday gift for his wife and star of the film, Robin Dearden. Cranston's career began with a role on the television movie Love Without End, which led to him being signed as an original cast member of ABC's Loving. He went on to appear as Hal on FOX's Malcolm in the Middle, which ran for seven seasons and for which Cranston was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and three Emmy Awards. Aside from his acting career, Cranston is a New York Times bestselling author of A Life In Parts. In his riveting memoir, Cranston traces his zigzag journey, with great humor and much humility, from his chaotic childhood to mega stardom by vividly revisiting the many parts he's played on and off camera. Cranston shares his thoughts about innate talent, its benefits, challenges, and proper maintenance, but ultimately A Life in Parts is about the necessity and transformative power of hard work. Cranston is also a spokesperson and longtime supporter of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC is the leading nonprofit organization in the U.S. working with law enforcement, families and professionals on issues related to missing and sexually exploited children.

DORSEY AND WHITNEY LLP

Clients have relied on Dorsey since 1912 as a valued business partner. With locations across the United States and in Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, Dorsey provides an integrated, proactive approach to its clients' legal and business needs. Dorsey represents a number of the world's most successful companies from a wide range of industries, including leaders in banking & financial institutions, development & infrastructure, energy & natural resources, food, beverage & agribusiness, healthcare and technology, as well as major non-profit and government entities.

PAMELA FARR AND BUFORD ALEXANDER

Pamela Farr and Buford Alexander spread their time across Greenwich, Connecticut, Rancho Santa Fe, California and Amsterdam, and are patrons of the arts everywhere they go. Pam and Buf have served as Chair of the Theatre Forward Gala for the past four years, and Pam joined Theatre Forward's Board of Directors in 2012 and has served on the Strategic Planning and Rebranding Committees.

Since 2005, Pam has also been a member of the Board of Directors at The Old Globe in San Diego, one of ten founding member theatres of Theatre Forward. Pam is also a member of The Old Globe's Executive, Audit, Finance and Governance Committees. Pam's relationship with The Old Globe goes back much further, however; as an amateur actress and dancer, she performed at the Globe when she was in high school and college.

Pam has also been involved with many other performing arts organizations over the years, including Board Chair of the National Dance Institute (NDI), New York and board member of Washington Performing Arts, Washington D.C.

Beyond the arts, Pam has served the American Red Cross as Chair of the Greenwich Chapter and as National Chair of Volunteers, and she received the Harriman Award for Distinguished Volunteer Service. The award, based solely on accomplishments, is the highest national award from the American Red Cross and recognizes a volunteer who has provided extraordinary service that extends to people and places beyond the local community.

Pam and Buford met at McKinsey & Company, where Buford spent 32 years, 24 of which in Europe. Buford founded McKinsey's European corporate finance and M&A practice. He is now recognized as a Senior Partner Emeritus at the firm. In recognition of his not-for-profit work to enhance cultural, business and educational relations between the U.S. and the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix recognized him with the Royal Distinction of Officers in the Order of Oranje-Nassau.

Theatre Forward is devoted to advancing the American theatre and its communities by providing funding and other resources to the country's leading nonprofit theatres. Through its network of leading corporate, foundation and individual funders, as well as regional theatres, Theatre Forward aims to increase access and opportunity for all to experience theatre that builds community and sets the stage for individual achievement by advancing strong theatre and educating through theatre.

For more information, please visit theatreforward.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos