WP Theater's 2017 Gala, Hosted by Lena Hall, Will Honor Debra Messing and More

WP Theater (formerly Women's Project Theater), under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty and Managing Director Michael Sag, has announced WP Theater's 32nd Annual Gala, honoring game-changing women with the Women of Achievement Awards. The gala will honor Emmy Award-winning actress and activist Debra Messing ("Will & Grace," Outside Mullingar) and trailblazing media executive, President of BBC Worldwide North America, Ann M. Sarnoff.

Hosted by Tony Award-winning actress and musician Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Kinky Boots), with special performances and appearances by award-winning actress, comedian & activist Kathy Najimy (Sister Act, Hocus Pocus), writer, theater producer and philanthropist Kate Lear (Of Mice and Men), composers of WP & Ars Nova's upcoming production Sundown, Yellow Moon, the indie-rock duo The Bengsons (Hundred Days), two time Drama Desk Award nominee Christina Bianco (The Marvelous Wonderettes), and Theatre World Award winner Ana Villafañe (On Your Feet!), the Gala will take place on Monday, March 27, 2017 at 6:30pm at The Edison Ballroom, 240 W 47th Street.

Each year WP honors truly outstanding women who have taken risks, pushed limits, and broken ground in a wide variety of fields, celebrating their unique accomplishments at the WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS. Over the past 31 years, WP Theater has paid homage to luminaries such as Gloria Steinem, Whoopi Goldberg, Audra McDonald, Eve Ensler, Dame Judi Dench, Kerry Washington, Vanessa Redgrave, and Chita Rivera, to name but a few. The WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS delivers an inspiring, entertaining, star-studded night that celebrates the accomplishments of vital women across many disciplines in New York and beyond.

WP Theater is the nation's oldest and largest theater company dedicated to developing, producing and promoting the work of women in theater at every stage in their careers. WP Theater supports female-identified theater artists and the world-class, groundbreaking work they create, and provides a platform where their voices can be heard and celebrated on the American stage.

The 2016-17 WP Theater season kicked off in the fall with two- time Grammy award nominated comedian Lisa Lampanelli's hit play, Stuffed, which extended its run at the WP Theater due to popular demand. This spring, along with adventurous theater company Ars Nova, WP Theater presents the world premiere of award-winning playwright Rachel Bonds' Sundown, Yellow Moon, featuring music and lyrics from The Bengsons, additional lyrics by Rachel Bonds, and directed by Drama Desk Award, Lortel Award and two-time OBIE Award winner Anne Kauffman (The Nether). Starring Eboni Booth (Ultimate Beauty Bible), Lilli Cooper (Spring Awakening, tick, tick...BOOM!, The Spongebob Musical), Peter Friedman (Twelve Angry Men, Ragtime, The Heidi Chronicles), and Anne L. Nathan (It Shoulda Been You, Once, Assassins), previews will begin on February 28, 2017 at the WP Theater. This season WP is also working with contemporary dance/theater company Monica Bill Barnes & Company (Happy Hour), site-specific, immersive theater company PopUp Theatrics (Broken City Trilogy), and cross-cultural artistic collective, The Semitic Root (The Strangest), as part of their newly launched Domestic Partner Program, which focuses on supporting fellow organizations developing work by female artists.

Sponsorship and support of WP's premiere event complements WP Theater's unwavering commitment to develop, produce, and promote the work of female theater artists at every stage in their careers. For information regarding tickets to the GALA, visit wptheater.org/special-events or contact 917-818-0572.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Debra Messing Debra Messing is best known for her role on NBC's Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated comedy series "Will & Grace." This January, NBC ordered ten episodes of a "Will & Grace" revival with the entire original creative team, which is scheduled to air during the 2017-18 television season. Most recently, Messing starred in the NBC series "The Mysteries of Laura," which premiered in 2014. In 2012 and 2013, Messing starred as Julia Houston in NBC's "Smash," a musical drama about the creation of a new Broadway show. In 2014, Messing made her own Broadway debut in the Tony Award-nominated production of John Patrick Shanley's Outside Mullingar. Other theater credits include Donald Marguiles' Pulitzer Prize finalist Collected Stories, and Paul Rudnick's Off-Broadway play The Naked Truth. Messing's film work includes the box office hit Along Came Polly and The Wedding Date. Messing starred in The Women and the family comedy, Nothing Like The Holidays. She also co-starred in Woody Allen's Hollywood Ending, and The Mothman Prophecies. Messing won a Best Featured Actress Award for her work in the 2015 Indie drama Like Sunday Like Rain. In 2017, Messing will star as Marjorie Houseman in ABC's three-hour remake of Dirty Dancing, premiering May 24th. Messing is the Global Health Ambassador for Population Services International (PSI) focusing on HIV/AIDS. She has traveled extensively in Africa in this role and in 2010 testified before the House Foreign Affairs sub-committee on Africa and Global Health. She was also a key speaker at the 2012 AIDS conference in DC. Other charities Messing supports include HRC (Human Rights Campaign), Everytown for Gun Safety, and Joyful Heart Foundation. She was honored with The Trevor Life Award for her contributions to the LGBT community. Messing attended Brandeis University and received her MFA from NYU. She resides in New York.

ANN M. SARNOFF As President, BBC Worldwide North America, Ann Sarnoff is responsible for leading the company's businesses in the U.S. and Canada which includes two studios BBC Worldwide Productions - producers of smash hit "Dancing with the Stars" - and Adjacent Productions, linear and digital program sales, home entertainment, licensing, live events, film and BBC.com ad sales. She also oversees the amplification of BBC Worldwide's global brands "Top Gear," "Doctor Who," and the natural history brand BBC Earth. Previously Sarnoff was President of Dow Jones Ventures and Senior Vice President of Strategy where she was responsible for leveraging the assets of Dow Jones to create new businesses, while overseeing corporate strategy and business development. Before that she was COO for the Women's National Basketball Association. During her ten years at Viacom, Sarnoff was Nickelodeon's Executive Vice President for Consumer Products and Business Development, and subsequently, became COO for VH1 and CMT. While at Viacom, Sarnoff helped launch new cable channels TV Land, Noggin and VH1 Classic, and built Nickelodeon consumer products into a multi-billion-dollar business at retail.

Sarnoff holds a BS from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She sits on the board of HSN, Inc., a $3B interactive multi-channel retailer and recently joined the board of Georgetown University. She is the vice president of The Women's Forum of New York and the vice-chair of the advisory board of the McDonough School of Business.. She also serves on the board of the Harvard Business School Women's Association of New York, the advisory board of British American Business, the Digital Task Force for New York Public Radio and is a former board member of ART:21. For the past six years, Sarnoff has been named one of the Most Powerful Women in Cable by CableFAX Magazine.

Lena Hall Lena Hall is a Tony Award winner and Grammy nominee for her critically acclaimed performance in Hedwig and The Angry Inch on Broadway. Hall has toured the US and Canada with Josh Groban on the Stages tour and is currently starring alongside Oscar Winner Marisa Tomei in Lincoln Center's How To Transcend A Happy Marriage. TV and Film includes "Girls", "Good Girls Revolt" and "Sex and the City". Her sold out solo show "Sin and Salvation" recorded live at The Carlyle is available on iTunes. @LenaRockerHall

Kathy Najimy is an actor, director, writer, producer, and activist known for her memorable performances in over 25 films and over 100 television projects. Najimy is very proud to have been named Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year and The NY Lilly Award for Actress/Activist of the Year 2016. Najimy is internationally known for her award-winning portrayal of "Sister Mary Patrick" in the Sister Act films, Hocus Pocus, Rat Race, Pixar's Oscar and Golden Globe winning WALL-E, Madea Christmas, Say Uncle, Hope Floats, Zack and Reba, Soapdish, The Hard Way, The Wedding Planner, The Guilt Trip with Barbra Streisand and more. Najimy starred as a series regular on A&E's cop show, Unforgettable as the Captain of NYPD Major Crimes. She currently frequents the TV show "Younger" and HBO's Multi Emmy Award winning "Veep" as Wendy. She voiced Peggy Hill for fourteen seasons on the Emmy Award-winning "King of the Hill" for which she received several awards and starred as Olive on NBC's "Veronica's Closet" for 3 seasons with Kirstie Alley. In addition, she has appeared on several television shows such as: "ELLEN," "Desperate Housewives," "Ugly Betty," "Elementary," "Graves," "Cinderelmo", "Drop Dead DIVA," "Make It or Break It," "The Big C," "Numb3rs," "Chicago Hope" and a gazillion cartoons. Najimy wrote and starred in The Kathy and Mo Show, with Mo Gaffney, her long-running feminist comedy off-Broadway play, which became two award-winning hit HBO specials. Kathy co-created and directed the acclaimed off-Broadway hit Back to Bacharach and David, directed and co-wrote These Girls with Olivia Wilde, Chelsea Handler, Zosia Mamet, Amy Schumer, Debra Messing, Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Gabby Sidibe, Debra Messing and Rosie Perez~~ and has helmed several other stage projects. In the theater, Najimy starred as the legendary Mae West in the hit Broadway play Dirty Blonde, and later at The Old Globe Theatre (Outer Critics Circle Best Actress). As a proud feminist and social justice advocate, Najimy has been recognized with numerous honors for her enthusiastic work supporting women's, girls and LGBT rights, AIDS, animal rights, and reproductive rights. She frequently travels the country as a keynote speaker on these issues. She was thrilled to be surrogate speaker on behalf of Hillary Clinton. She is currently helping give voice to the movement to reverse the ban on Immigrants, preserve reproductive rights, abolish the NYC carriage horses, and reintroduce the ERA. She has won over $300,000 dollars on game shows (her obsession) for her charitable foundations. Kathy lives in NYC with her husband Dan Finnerty of The Dan Band and their daughter, singer/songwriter/actor, Samia.

Kate Lear is a writer, theater producer and philanthropist. As a Trustee of the Frances Lear Foundation, she supports work in the areas of the arts, the environment and juvenile justice. She is the proud board chair of Ballet Hispanico of New York and a member of the Committee for the Jerome Robbins Dance Division at the New York Public Library.

The Bengsons Married duo The Bengsons have appeared across the country and around the world at such venues as Joe's Pub (NYC), NYU's Skirball Center (NYC), MASS MoCA (North Adams, MA), On The Boards (Seattle), FlynnSpace (Burlington, VT), and the Market Theater (Johannesburg, South Africa). Their indie folk opera, Hundred Days (Z Space, San Francisco; Know Theatre, Cincinnati) was awarded the TBA Award for Best New Musical. They have had three singles featured on national television on "So You Think You Can Dance" (FOX). Most recently their music was featured in Anne Washburn and Rachel Chavkin's Iphigenia in Aulis at Classic Stage Company. They are founding members of the Real Make Collective with Sonya Tayeh and Jo Lampert. Abigail Nessen Bengson has toured as a member of tUnE-yArDs, including an appearance on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." Upcoming works include commissions with Ars Nova & WP's Sundown, Yellow Moon and New York Live Arts.

Christina Bianco Two-time Drama Desk Award nominated actress, singer and impressionist Christina Bianco has become a YouTube sensation with her diva impression videos. A woman of a thousand versatile voices, Christina has gained 23 million views worldwide, leading to performances on major television programs such as "The Ellen Degeneres Show" and "The Today Show". West End: The Menier Chocolate Factory's hailed production of Forbidden Broadway. New York credits include: The Marvelous Wonderettes, Application Pending (Drama Desk Award Nomination), Newsical the Musical, Forbidden Broadway; Goes To Rehab (Drama Desk Award Nomination), Raffi On Broadway at the Gershwin Theatre, Tony and Tina's Wedding (Tina) and It Must Be Him. Christina originated the role of Dora in the long-running National Tour of Dora The Explorer Live, including a sold-out run at Radio City Music Hall. TV credits include "Impress Me", 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' and VH1's 'I Love The 2000's'. As a cabaret artist, Christina performed weekly in an unprecedented eight-month run of 11 O'Clock Numbers at Feinstein's at Loew's Regency in New York City. She has performed her critically acclaimed solo shows, Diva Moments and Party Of One, to sold out crowds at NYC's Birdland and regionally across the U.S. Abroad, Christina has sold out extended runs headlining at London's famed Hippodrome, Royal Albert Hall's prestigious Elgar Room and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

ANA VILLAFAÑE is currently making her Broadway debut as Gloria Estefan in ON YOUR FEET! after originating the role at Chicago's Oriental Theatre. (Astaire, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nominations; 2016 Theatre World Award winner.) Film credits: Magic City Memoirs (executive producer Andy Garcia), Hiding (Anchor Bay) and the 2016 Max Steele franchise (Mattel). Select TV: "Los Americans", "Rizzoli & Isles", and "South Beach". Training: Jeanette Hopkins, Joan Lader, Neal Harrelson. BA in music (vocal pedagogy) from Loyola Marymount University. Twitter: @aanavee, IG: @anavillafaneofficial

Lisa McNulty (Producing Artistic Director, WP Theater). Lisa is in her third season as Producing Artistic Director of WP Theater. Lisa comes to WP from Manhattan Theatre Club, where she served as Artistic Line Producer for eight seasons, working on more than 30 productions both on and off Broadway, including plays by Lynn Nottage, Sarah Treem, Terrence McNally, and Tarell Alvin McCraney, among many, many others. Lisa has a long history with WP Theater. She was originally hired by the company's founder, Julia Miles, as the Literary Manager from 1997-2000, where she dramaturged work by María Irene Fornés, Julie Hébert, and Karen Hartman, among others. In 2004, she returned to WP as its Associate Artistic Director where she served as the company's casting director and literary manager and again ran WP's Playwrights Lab. Her independent producing career includes projects with Sarah Ruhl, Todd Almond, and Lucy Thurber, all at 13P. Lisa has also served as the Producing Associate at the McCarter Theatre, acting as Line Producer on McCarter's mainstage, as well as developing McCarter's commissioned short series.

MICHAEL SAG (Managing Director, WP Theater). Michael is in his first season as Managing Director for WP and was most recently the general manager for Williamstown Theatre Festival's 62nd season which included four world premieres, one American premiere and two revivals. Prior to that, Michael worked in commercial general management on and off Broadway since 2001 including: It's Only A Play; Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella (Broadway/Tour), The Visit; Blithe Spirit (Broadway/Tour), You Can't Take It With You, All The Way, Mothers and Sons, Bullets Over Broadway, Under My Skin; The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (Broadway/Tour), Bronx Bombers, The Glass Menagerie; Becoming Dr. Ruth; Anything Goes (Tour), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Anarchist, A Life in the Theatre, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Enron, Born Yesterday, La Bete, The Mountaintop, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, The Scottsboro Boys, Relatively Speaking, Chinglish, Driving Miss Daisy, Gore Vidal's The Best Man, Race, Superior Donuts, August: Osage County (Broadway/Tour), The Producers, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, Sweeney Todd, Company and Stomp.

WP THEATER (Formerly known as Women's Project Theater) is the nation's oldest and largest theater company dedicated to developing, producing and promoting the work of female-identified theater artists at every stage in their careers. For nearly four decades we have served as leaders at the forefront of a global movement towards gender parity, and the example we set and the artists we have fostered have grown into to a robust and thriving community of female writers and directors in theater and beyond.

WP empowers female-identified artists to reach their full potential and, in doing so, challenges preconceptions about the kinds of plays women write and the stories they tell. As the premiere launching pad for some of the most influential female theater artists today, our work has had a significant impact on the field at large. Nearly every prolific female theater artist has been through our doors, including Eve Ensler, María Irene Fornés, Katori Hall, Pam Mackinnon, Lynn Nottage, Leigh Silverman and Anna Deveare Smith. These powerful female artists found an early artistic home at WP, and are a testament to our role as a driving cultural force.

WP was founded in 1978 by visionary producer, Julia Miles, to address the significant under-representation of women in theater. Today, WP accomplishes its mission through several fundamental programs, including: the WP Lab, a two-year mentorship and new play development program for women playwrights, directors, and producers; the Playwright In Residence commissioning program; the Developmental series; and the Main Stage series, which features a full season of Off-Broadway productions written and directed by extraordinary theater artists.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride