Stephen Colbert Hosts Lookingglass Theatre's GGLASSQUERADE Tonight

Lookingglass Theatre's Board of Directors and Gala Committee announce one of Chicago's highly anticipated events of the season, the 2013 Lookingglass gglassquerade, which will celebrate 25 years of ensemble collaboration, transformation and invention. Host Stephen Colbert, of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, will be presented with the Lookingglass Civic Engagement Award at the event. gglassquerade will be held tonight, March 2, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. at The Four Seasons, 120 East Delaware Place in Chicago.

"The fact that Stephen is uncannily brilliant, desperately funny, and irritatingly good-looking is not particularly important, or something we should hold against him (but we do so anyway)," quips Artistic Director Andrew White. "What is important is from his early days doing improv with Lookingglass founders at Northwestern to his current role as host of the award-winning show The Colbert Report, Stephen has been a great friend to Lookingglass and a champion of, and ambassador for, the City of Chicago. We are so pleased to have him as the host of our 25th Anniversary gglassquerade and to present to him the Lookingglass Civic Engagement Spirit Award."

Each year gglassquerade attracts Chicago's corporate, cultural, and social leaders. With the funds raised through gglassquerade, Lookingglass will advance its commitment to new theatrical works and increase its work with Chicago-area students and families through educational and community programming reaching thousands of community members annually.

The gglassquerade Co-Chairs are Jon Harris of Hillshire Brands, Jill Reznick Meier of Goldman Sachs, and Diane Whatton of BMO Harris Bank.

The Co-Chairs of the 25th Anniversary Committee are Les Coney of Mesirow Financial and Lookingglass Immediate Past Chairman Lisa Naparstek Green.

BMO Harris Bank and Richard A. Ditton & Incredible Technologies, Inc. are the Platinum Sponsors of the 25th Anniversary Lookingglass gglassquerade.

The Lookingglass Board of Directors are Richard Ditton, Chairman, Joseph A. Brady, President, Paul Gray, Vice President, Nancy Timmers, Vice President, John McGowan, Vice President, Rocque E. Lipford, Treasurer, Edward L. Filer, Secretary, Andrew White, Artistic Director, Rachel E. Kraft, Executive Director, Lisa Naparstek Green, Immediate Past Chairman, Alex Miller, Immediate Past President, Ernie Arias, Leigh Buchanan Bienen, David Catlin, Richard H. Chapman, Frank M. Clark III, Thomas J. Connolly, Al DeVaney, Tai Duncan, Kathy Fanning, Roe Faraone, Charles Frankel, Julie Gardziola, Lee Golub, Jon Harris, Michael Jacobson, Dr. Elena Kamel, Laura Matalon, Melinda McMullen, Jill Reznick Meier, Thomas O'Neill, Robert Palffy, Jane Quinn, Dr. Abbie Roth, Matthew Smith, Darren Snyder, Jeffrey Steigelman, Diane Whatton and Charlotte B. Whitaker.

Table sponsorships can be purchased by calling the Lookingglass Development office at (773) 477-9257, ext. 116, or by emailing events@lookingglasstheatre.org. Ticket levels are as follows: Platinum Sponsor, Presenting Sponsor, Grand Benefactor, Eminent Supporter, and Gala Patron. The gala is expected to sell out through table sponsorships. If availability remains, single tickets will be offered mid-November.

Lookingglass Theatre Company, recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award, was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students. 2012-2013 marks the company's 25th anniversary season. Lookingglass is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. Lookingglass has staged 58 world premieres at 23 venues across Chicago, and garnered 52 Joseph Jefferson Awards and Citations.

Work premiered at Lookingglass has been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, Philadelphia, Princeton, Hartford, Kansas City, Washington D.C., and St. Louis. Lookingglass original scripts have been produced across the United States.

The Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago's landmark Water Tower Water Works opened in June 2003. In addition to developing and presenting ensemble work, Lookingglass Education and Community programs encourage creativity, teamwork and confidence with thousands of community members each year.

Lookingglass Theatre Company continues to expand its artistic, financial and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Andrew White, Executive Director Rachel Kraft, Producing Artistic Director Philip R. Smith, Artistic Director of New Work Heidi Stillman, a 22-member artistic ensemble, 15 artistic associates, 11 production affiliates, an administrative staff and a dedicated board of directors led by Chairman Richard Ditton of Incredible Technologies, Inc. and President Joe Brady of Jones Lang LaSalle. For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.

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