The Civilians to Host 15th Anniversary Benefit in May; Performers, Honorees Announced

Award-winning theater company the Civilians celebrates its 15th Anniversary with a benefit bash on Monday, May 2, 2016 at City Winery. The evening will highlight the Civilians 2015-16 season and the company's 15 years of creating innovative, ground breaking theater.

The Civilians Benefit will honor 2016 Civilians of the Year: Barrow Street Theatre and Bess Wohl in recognition of their impact on the theater landscape and longstanding relationships with the company. Founded in 2003 by Scott Morfee and Tom Wirtshafter, Barrow Street Theatre has produced numerous award-winning shows, including an extended run of the Civilians' original work Gone Missing. Bess Wohl is a Civilians Associate Artist whose most recent collaboration with the company was as bookwriter for the 2015 Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award-nominated musical Pretty Filthy.

The evening will feature a live performance for which Michael Friedman will compose original tributes to the Civilians of the Year, alongside favorite songs from past and current Civilians shows. Performers and presenters include Damian Baldet, Cindy Cheung, Adam Cochran, Harriett D. Foy, Michael Friedman, Jo Lampert, Matthew Dean Marsh, Luba Mason, Grace McLean, Jennifer R. Morris, Stephen Plunkett, Maria Elena Ramirez, Robbie Sublett, Nilaja Sun, and more. Plus, special appearances from Orange Is The New Black stars Marsha Stephanie Blake and Maria Dizzia, as well as, the cast of Another Word for Beauty.

The Civilians 15th Anniversary Benefit is chaired by Rick Dean and Koren Volk and Jessica and Matthew Harris. The Honorary Committee is led by The Honorable Charles E. Schumer, Michael Cerveris, Kathleen and Henry Chalfant, Elissa and Edgar Cullman, Ian Daniel, Kurt Deutsch, Oskar and Laurie Eustis, Luba Mason and Rube?n Blades, Joseph V. Melillo, Chris Meloni, Joely Richardson, Darren Star, and Bronson Van Wyck.

The Civilians also recognizes the support and leadership of the 2016 Benefit Committee: Christopher and Jean Angell, Elizabeth Angell and Victor Brand,

Jeanne Bergman and Anna Kramarsky, Boykin Curry, Cary Davis and John McGinn, Alexander Dodge and Charles Stewart, Henry and Sue Cuddy Donahue, Jody Falco and Jeffrey Steinman, Jeanhee Kim and Luke Melia, Julia and Jeff Lazarus, Miyoung Lee and Neil Simpkins, Beverly Rubin Morris, Jennifer R. Morris, Jonathan Marc Sherman and Alexandra Shiva, David Steward and M. Pierre Friedrichs, and Suzanne Thompson.

The 15th Anniversary Benefit sponsors are KeLSo Beer Company, Spirits Consulting, Tito's Handmade Vodka, and Waterfront Wines & Spirits.

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