Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Honors Christopher Plummer at 2013 Gala Tonight

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center is set to honor Christopher Plummer at a gala event tonight, April 15th in New York City. The 13th Annual Monte Cristo Award will be presented to Mr. Plummer by fellow stage and film legend Kevin Spacey. Mr. Spacey was the recipient of the Monte Cristo Award in 2009. Red carpet and cocktails begin at 6:30pm at the Edison Ballroom on West 47th Street, followed by dinner, and a program celebrating the honoree.

Directed by Marc Bruni, the evening will feature musical tributes, readings, clips from Chris' iconic stage roles, and remarks by close friends and colleagues paying homage to a titan of stage, film, and television. Spacey, who shares affection for America's only Pulitzer-prize willing playwright Eugene O'Neill, will commemorate Plummer's legacy with his presentation. O'Neill Executive Director Preston Whiteway and Chairman Tom Viertel will host the evening.

The Monte Cristo Award is given to a prominent theater artist in recognition of a distinguished career exemplifying Eugene O'Neill's "pioneering spirit, unceasing artistic commitment, and excellence." Including Spacey, past recipients of the Award include Michael Douglas, James Earl Jones, Kevin Spacey Harold Prince, Wendy Wasserstein, and Karl Malden.

Whiteway remarked "Christopher Plummer's unmistakable footprint upon stage and screen truly defines the Monte Cristo Award - artistic excellence and a lifelong commitment to theater. His fondness for Eugene O'Neill's work and impact on the American stage is profound, and we are honored to present him with this award."

The Honorary Committee includes Spacey, Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones, Julie Andrews, Alec Baldwin, Emanuel & Lani Azenberg, André Bishop, Ric Burns, Zoe Caldwell, Antoni Cimolino, Brian Dennehy, Helen Mirren, Jordan Roth, James Schamus, Dean Vanech, Harvey Weinstein, Barry & Fran Weissler. O'Neill Founder George C. White, Betsy White, O'Neill Chariman Tom Viertel, Pat Daily, and O'Neill Executive Director Preston Whiteway are also on the committee.

Sponsorship for the 13th Annual Monte Cristo Award provided Ruth & Stephen Hendel; Olympus Pictures & Dean Vanech; The Geier Group; Nederlander Productions; The Weinstein Company; The Joyce & Seward Johnson Foundation; Marshall Ruben and Carolyn Greenspan; Frederick B. & Marion Whittemore; and Thomas Viertel.

Limited tickets still available. For more information about the 13th Annual Monte Cristo Award or the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, visit www.theoneill.org.

Founded in 1964, the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center honors the work of Eugene O'Neill, four-time Pulitzer Prize Winner and America's only playwright to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and is the recipient of two Tony Awards, in 2010 for Regional Theatre, and in 1979 for Theatrical Excellence.

The O'Neill is the country's preeminent organization dedicated to the development of new works and new voices for American theater. It has been home to more than 1,000 new works for the stage and to more than 2,500 emerging artists. Scores of projects developed at the O'Neill have gone on to full production at other theaters around the world, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, and major regional theaters.

O'Neill programs include the National Playwrights Conference, National Music Theater Conference, National Critics Institute, National Puppetry Conference, Cabaret & Performance Conference, and National Theater Institute which conducts semester-long intensive theater training and includes Theatermakers, a six-week summer program; academic credits are awarded for all NTI programs.

The O'Neill owns and operates the Monte Cristo Cottage as a museum open to the public. Childhood summer home of Eugene O'Neill, the Cottage is a National Historic Landmark.

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