Reggie Lee to Be Honored at Annual Gala HOT NIGHT IN THE CITY

Playwrights' Arena, the only theater created and dedicated to producing new works for the stage written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights, will be marking its 25th Anniversary at their annual gala HOT NIGHT IN THE CITY on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, at Barnsdall Gallery Theater in Hollywood.

At the event, they will be honoring actor/choreographer Reggie Lee, star of NBC's "Grimm," along with Nancy Keystone (artistic director of Critical Mass Performance Group) and Scott Freeman (Executive Producer at Bunim/Murray) with the lee Melville Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Los Angeles Theater Community.

Reggie Lee stars as 'Sgt. Wu' on NBC's hit sci-fi police drama "Grimm." Prior to "Grimm," he was best known for his role as 'Secret Service Agent Bill Kim' on the popular FOX show "Prison Break." He was on the road and toured nationally in the musical "Heartstrings," and later in "Miss Saigon," and was in the original company of the 1994 Tony-Award-Winning Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel". In 1997, Lee received a Los Angeles Dramalogue Critics Award for his performance in "F.O.B." at East West Players and continues to be active with the nation's leading Asian American theatre.

NANCY KEYSTONE is a theater director, writer, and visual artist, and the honored recipient of a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award. In Los Angeles, she is the founding artistic director of Critical Mass Performance Group, and functions as the ensemble's chief investigator, writer, director, and scenic designer. Among CMPG's works: "Ameryka," (Shakespeare Center of LA, 7 Ovation Award nominations including best new play and best production); "Alcestis" (Getty Villa & Theatre @ Boston Court, Named in 10 Best Plays by LA Weekly, and winner of 3 Best Adaptation Awards from the LA Drama Critics Circle, the LA Weekly, and Arts In LA); "Apollo" (Kirk Douglas Theatre & Portland Center Stage, Garland Award for Best New Play, named in the Top 10 Plays of 2005 by LA Alternative Press); "The Akhmatova Project," (named one of the 10 Best Productions by the LA Times, four LA Weekly Award nominations including Best Production, winner Best Choreography).

SCOTT FREEMAN is an Executive Producer on The Challenge for MTV and Valerie's Home Cooking for Food Network. Additional EP credits include Pedro (independent film that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and aired on MTV), Stars in Danger: The High Dive (FOX), Saddle Ranch (VH1), Disney TRYathlon (Disney XD), Motor City Masters (truTV), Coming Out (MTV), and Wealth Hunters (TLC). He was also a Co-EP on The Real World Awards Bash (MTV) and has producer credits on several other BMP projects. Before television, Freeman was Director of Publicity and Publications for San Jose Repertory Theatre and was a freelance entertainment writer/reviewer for Los Gatos Magazine and other South Bay Area publications. He is a member of the TV Academy and on the Board of Playwrights' Arena in Los Angeles.

PLAYWRIGHTS' ARENA was founded by Jon Lawrence Rivera and Steve Tyler in 1992 during the Rodney King L.A. Riots. It was created to provide L.A.-based playwrights a place to be nurtured, developed and produced - giving playwrights (and all local artists) an outlet to create art that reflects the diversity of the city we live in. In its 25-year history, Playwrights' Arena has produced over 60 productions with many of them now published. It has partnered with some of LA'S larger arts institutions: The Getty Villa (HELEN, OEDIPUS EL REY), Center Theatre Group (THE HOTEL PLAY) and the Los Angeles Theatre Center (CALLIGRAPHY, BONDED, THE GIRL MOST LIKELY TO). Some of its productions have performed nationally (New York, Chicago, Florida, etc) and internationally (China, Scotland, United Kingdom, Poland). Its productions have received countless awards including The Fringe First Award (Edinburgh), The New York Fringe Awards, Ovations Awards, Stage Raw Awards, and LA Weekly Awards.

HOT NIGHT IN THE CITY

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

VIP Reception begins at 6 PM

Program/Awards at 7:30 PM

Barnsdall Gallery Theater

4800 Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood, CA 90027

Cocktail Attire

VIP TICKETS $125 (includes VIP reception)

GENERAL TICKETS $40

For tickets go to www.hotnight17.brownpapertickets.com or call 800-838-3006

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