Tony Winner Reed Birney to Speak at EAG's 2017 Memorial Service

Since 1923, EAG's Annual Memorial Service has brought together members of the performing arts community on an afternoon in November to celebrate the lives and work of our colleagues who have passed away in the previous year.

This unique event features music, reflection, and a reading of the names of those being remembered, which is always followed by a heartfelt standing ovation.

EAG has announced that Tony Award winning actor Reed Birney has agreed to make this year's memorial address.

"I remember watching the 2016 Tony Awards and marveling at [Reed Birney's] honest description and beautiful celebration of the craft [in his Best Actor acceptance speech]," says EAG Executive Director Karen Lehman Foster. "Some of distinguished guests at our Annual Memorial Service have had similar sentiments and I hoped we might be lucky enough to have Mr. Birney speak at our celebration some day."

Past speakers have included Sam Waterston, Marni Nixon, Arthur Anderson, Joan Fontaine, Celeste Holm, Earle Hyman, Barney Hughes, and Frank Langella.

EAG's 2017 Annual Memorial Service takes place on Sunday, November 12 at 3:00pm at The Church of the Transfiguration (also known as The Little Church Around the Corner). It is free and open to people of all beliefs and faiths and will be followed by a reception. Donations collected during this special service will benefit EAG's Children's Holiday Fund which provides grants to NYC actors in need with children to address holiday needs.

The Episcopal Actors' Guild (est. 1923) is a charitable organization dedicated to helping performers "of all faiths, and none" who are experiencing financial crisis. Throughout the year, EAG also hosts events and fundraisers including concerts, variety shows, play readings, and professional workshops. Visit www.actorsguild.org for more information.

Reed Birney won the 2016 Tony Award for his role as Erik in Stephen Karam's play, The Humans. He has just finished playing O'Brien in the Broadway production of George Orwell's 1984. Recent New York appearances include Tracy Letts' Man from Nebraska (Lortel and Drama League nominations) at Second Stage, Halley Feiffer's I'm Gonna Pray For You So Hard (Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk Award nominations) at Atlantic Theater Company, and Clare Barron's You Got Older (Drama Desk nomination) at HERE Arts Center. He won a Drama Desk award and was nominated for a Tony for his performance as Charlotte in Harvey Fierstein's Casa Valentina. He is Rep. Donald Blyth on the Netflix series House of Cards and can be seen as Patti LuPone's husband in HBO's Girls. Other recent TV appearances include Blue Bloods, Madame Secretary, HBO's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and as Tom Connolly on The Blacklist.