Westport Country Playhouse to Host Hirschfeld Exhibit and Film, 6/29

Westport Country Playhouse will host "Hirschfeld at the Playhouse," a one-night-only celebration of the artistry of Al Hirschfeld on Monday evening, June 29, with an exhibition of his works and a screening of the documentary about his life and career, "The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story." The 1996 Academy Award-nominated film, directed and written by Susan W. Dryfoos, was produced by Times History Productions, a division of The New York Times Company.

"Hirschfeld at the Playhouse" coincides with the New-York Historical Society Museum and Library exhibition "The Hirschfeld Century: The Art of Al Hirschfeld," running now through October 12, and its companion book "The Hirschfeld Century: Portrait of an Artist and His Age," recently published by Alfred A. Knopf. The exhibition has been organized by Louise Kerz Hirschfeld, president of The Al Hirschfeld Foundation, and is guest curated by David Leopold, creative director of The Al Hirschfeld Foundation.

Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003) began his performance portraiture in 1926. His signature work, defined by a linear calligraphic style, made his name a verb. To be "Hirschfelded" was a sign that one has arrived. To a great extent, Hirschfeld documented the history of the performing arts in the twentieth century and beyond.

"It's significant that this iconic one-of-a-kind artist will be honored at this iconic theater, which has been such a vivid part of America's theatrical history," said Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director. "Hirschfeld saw it all during his long, productive life-- and you can too in this stunning collection, studded with works that have never been shown together."

The American Masters' 52-minute version of "The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story" will be screened in the Playhouse's Jason Robards Theater at 8 p.m. A Q&A will follow, moderated by Lamos, with Mrs. Hirschfeld and. Ms. Dryfoos. Guests will then move to the Sheffer Studio to view the exhibition. Author David Leopold will be on hand to sign copies of his book "The Hirschfeld Century: Portrait of an Artist and His Age." Tickets are $20.

Patron-level tickets, at $125, will offer the opportunity to dine with special guests in the midst of the art in the Sheffer Studio, followed by commentary on each piece, beginning with cocktails at 6 p.m. Patrons will move to the theater for the documentary screening at 8 p.m.

The Hirschfeld display at the Playhouse will feature art from private collections. Many of the works are originals, some of which have never been publicly seen. Among the Playhouse friends loaning their Hirschfelds to the exhibit are Christopher Plummer, James Earl Jones, Joanna Gleason, Jill Eikenberry, Maureen Anderman, Jake Robards, and Edwin Schloss.

The Playhouse exhibition is organized by Mrs. Hirschfeld, and Edwin Schloss, vice president of The Al Hirschfeld Foundation, with generous support from Joanne Woodward, and special thanks to Julian Schlossberg.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

Westport Country Playhouse is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, professional theater under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos and management leadership of Michael Ross. The Playhouse creates five live theater experiences, produced at the highest level, from May through October. Its vital mix of works---dramatic, comedic, occasionally exploratory and unusual---expands the audience's sense of what theater can be. The depth and scope of its productions display the foremost theatrical literature from the past---recent as well as distant---in addition to musicals and premieres of new plays. In 2013, the Playhouse was named Theater Company of the Year by The Wall Street Journal. During the summer, the Playhouse is home to the Woodward Internship Program, renowned for the training of aspiring theater professionals. Winter at the Playhouse, from November through March, offers events outside of the main season---Family Festivities presentations and Script in Hand play readings. In addition, businesses and organizations are encouraged to rent the handsome facility for their meetings, receptions and fundraisers.

As an historic venue, Westport Country Playhouse has had many different lives leading up to the present. Originally built in 1835 as a tannery manufacturing hatters' leathers, it became a steam-powered cider mill in 1880, later to be abandoned in the 1920s. Splendidly transformed into a theater in 1931, it initially served as a try-out house for Broadway transfers, evolving into an established stop on the New England straw hat circuit of summer stock theaters through the end of the 20th century. Following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005, the Playhouse became a state-of-the-art producing theater, preserving its original charm and character.

Today, the not-for-profit Westport Country Playhouse serves as a cultural resource for patrons, artists and students and is a treasure for the State of Connecticut. There are no boundaries to the creative thinking for future seasons or the kinds of audiences and excitement for theater that Westport Country Playhouse can build.

Westport Country Playhouse's 2015 season: "The Liar," by David Ives, May 5 - 23, an update of Pierre Corneille's classic comedy, weaves an increasingly intricate web of lies that leads to hilarious romantic misadventures, directed by Penny Metropulos; "And a Nightingale Sang" by C. P. Taylor, June 9 - 27, paints a gently funny and moving portrait of a working-class family in Northern England as the world rushes toward the brink of war in 1939, directed by David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director; the world premiere of A. R. Gurney's "Love and Money," pointedly explores the trials of class, family, legacy, and race, July 21 - August 8, directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director; Alan Ayckbourn's "Bedroom Farce," August 25 - September 13, offers a delightful comedy confection about the messiness of adult relationships, directed by John Tillinger; and Arthur Miller's "Broken Glass," October 6 - 24, celebrates the playwright's 100th birthday with his powerful drama about New York Jews suffering from afar as they read accounts of atrocities in Nazi Germany, directed by Mark Lamos.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

Photo by Peter Chenot

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