Alfre Woodard, Billie Allen and Arthur French will be honored at the Classical Theatre of Harlem's annual benefit on Monday, February 27th at St. John the Divine (1047 Amsterdam Avenue).
The benefit, which will begin at 6 PM, will include cocktails, dinner and entertainment in addition to the awards ceremony.
Woodard, who has appeared on Broadway in
Drowning Crow and
Me and Bessie, will receive the Josephine Premice Award for Sustained Excellence in the Theatre. The actress has also been seen off-Broadway in plays such as
The Winter's Tale and
A Map of the World, and in many films and TV shows, including
Something New, Miss Evers' Boys, Crooklyn and "Desperate Housewives," on which she plays Betty Applewhite.
Allen, who starred in the original production of Adrienne Kennedy's
Funnyhouse of a Negro and who directed the recent revival at CTH, will be presented with Rose McClendon Trailblazer Award. Her Broadway credits include
Blues for Mr. Charlie, Critic's Choice, A Raisin in the Sun and
Four Saints in Three Acts, while her off-Broadway credits include directing
Saint Lucy's Eye and performing in plays such as
Bohikee Creek and
Black Monday.
French, a founding member of the Negro Ensemble Company, will be honored with the Ira F. Aldridge Award for Sustained Excellence in the Theatre. His many Broadway credits include
Mule Bone, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Design for Living, The Iceman Cometh and
Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, while he has appeared in over two dozen off-Broadway shows, including
A Last Dance for Sybil, Driving Miss Daisy and
Playboy of the West Indies.Tickets are $200 and are available by calling 212-868-4444. For more information, visit
www.classicaltheatreofharlem.org.
