Ma-Yi Theater Company Hosts 28th Anniversary Gala This Evening

Ma-Yi Theater Company and Producing Artistic Director, Ralph B. Peña and Executive Director, Jorge Z. Ortoll have announced the 28th Anniversary Gala honoring legendary prima ballerina of Ballet Philippines and Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Elizabeth Roxas Dobrish, and creators and patrons of the arts, Frank and Lolita Valderrama Savage.

The Ma-Yi Theater Gala is scheduled for tonight, April 24th, 2017 at 6:00pm, and will mark the many achievements of the honorees and toast the accomplishments of the Ma-Yi Writers Lab, the nation's largest collective of professional Asian American Playwrights.

THREE SIXTY in Tribeca, is a spacious and exciting venue overlooking New York City, The Hudson River and New Jersey. Guests of the Gala will enjoy premium hors d'voeurs, cocktails, dinner, live music performances and a silent auction to make this year the most memorable and joyous yet.

The Ma-Yi Theater Gala will include silent auction, premium beverages, live music, and fine dining. Tables are $15,000, $10,000, $7,500, $5,000 and $3,000, and individual tickets are $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500 and $300. Tickets can be purchased online at mayitheater.org or calling 212.971.4862.

Joining the evening's festivities are, comedian Joel Kim Booster, choreographer Mercedes Ellington, Giuseppe Bausilio (Hello Dolly!), Mercedes Ellington and magician Mark Mitton who will be doing magic.

The Gala Auction will include unique experiences, such as VIP Hamilton, Warpaint, & Der Rosenkavalier (Renée Flemming's farewell performance) tickets. Also Roundtrip airfare and accommodations to Paris, deluxe hotel accommodations in Paris, Buenos Aires, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro among others. Dinners for 2 at top NY restaurants.

ABOUT THE HONOREES:

Elizabeth Roxas-DOBRISH was born in Manila and was the youngest member of Ballet Philippines. She danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Ohad Naharin and Joyce Trisler Dance Company. She then joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as the first "Filipina", where she was a principal dancer from 1984-1997. While dancing, Roxas worked with many of the most significant choreographers, including, Alvin Ailey, Katherine Dunham, Jerome Robbins, Talley Beatty, Lar Lubavitch, John Butler, Ulysses Dove and Judith Jamison. Roxas performed in the Emmy award-winning PBS specials "Two by Dove" and Judith Jamison's "A Hymn for Alvin Ailey". In 1997, she was featured in Dance Magazine's cover article and named by Avenue Magazine as one of the 500 most influential Asian-Americans. She performed on Broadway in The King and I as Eliza. She has worked with Anna Deavere Smith at the Graduate School of New York University and was the Movement Coordinator for Smith's last show "Let Me Down Easy." She teaches at Tisch School of the Arts through CAP21 and was guest faculty at Harvard University in 2010. She is continuously involved in re-staging ballets of Alvin Ailey's works and is an integral part of the Ailey legacy. In July of 2014, she choreographed a solo for Yabin Wang, as part of Beijing's "Dream in Three Episodes". She is married to Robert Z. Dobrish, a prominent matrimonial attorney in Manhattan.

Lolita Valderrama Savage is an internationally recognized artist who has exhibited her artwork across Europe, Asia and the U.S. Born in Manila, Philippines, she received her degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas and was granted a scholarship by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence where she received her Licenza in Pittura. She was one of the acclaimed artists presented at the 1999 World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. Her one-woman exhibition at the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi Museum in Florence in 2013 was sponsored by the Comune di Firenze, Bloomberg, the Philippine Embassy in Rome,the U.S. Consulate General in Florence and the Provincia di Firenze. In 2014, Lolita was honored by Philippine President Benigno Aquino III for her distinct cultural and artistic accomplishments. Her commitment to art is combined with her passion for languages, diverse cultures, and a tireless dedication to humanitarian causes raising awareness and tolerance for other cultures and creating artistic and educational scholarships for disadvantaged youth. Lolita has contributed her time to various community organizations like the Forum for World Affairs,

LOLITA AND FRANK SAVAGE (Outstanding Contribution to Arts and Education), Stamford Historical Society, Alliance Francaise, YWCA of Greenwich, The Urban League of Southwestern Connecticut, The Friends of the Ferguson Library and the Stamford Cultural Development Corporation. She worked at the United Nations and has served many other local and international philanthropic and arts organizations. She was awarded an official citation from the State of Connecticut for her work in the arts and community affairs for creating awareness of high level of culture and education and was among 125 Significant Women of Influence in Stamford by the Historical Society. Presently, Lolita serves as Honorary Chairperson for The Foundation for Filipino Artists, Inc, and on the Advisory Board of Ma-Yi Theater Company. Lolita is an active member of the Societa di Belle Arti Casa di Dante and the American International League of Florence. She lives in Stamford, CT, and in Florence, Italy with her husband, Frank.

FRANK SAVAGE has maintained a distinguished career in internation banking and investment management working around the globe. A native North Carolinian, Frank earned his B.A.from Howard University and he received his M.A from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). In 1963, he joined Citibank as the first African American in its International division serving in New York, the Middle East and Africa. Since then he has held executive positions in Equitable Life Assurance (now AXA), TAW International Leasing, and Alliance Capital Management. He was the Chairman of Alliance Capital Management International and is currently CEO of Savage Holdings. Frank serves as Trustee emeritus of Johns Hopkins University and Chairman emeritus of Howard University's board of trustees and on the boards of Bloomberg LP having previously served on the boards of the New York Academy of Medicine, Lockheed Martin, Qualcomm, and the New York Philharmonic. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Hofstra University and an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Howard University. Throughout his career, he has dedicated much of his time and assets to various philanthropic organizations. Presently he devotes much of his resources and time to assisting low income and disadvantaged youth, helping them in receiving a quality college level education and developing successful career tracks. He is married to Lolita Valderrama Savage. The couple are supportive and active in each others' careers and causes, and are known for their strong support of the arts and cultural and community development.

Ma-Yi is an award-winning, nationally recognized not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose primary mission is to develop and produce new and innovative plays by Asian-American writers. Since its founding, Ma-Yi has distinguished itself as one of the country's leading incubators of new work shaping the national discourse about what it means to be Asian-American today.

Ma-Yi was founded to develop new plays that explore and affect Asian-American experiences, and challenge the perceptions of what culturally specific theater should be by producing forward-thinking plays by today's emerging playwrights. Ma-Yi strives to address the cultural and artistic needs of the Asian American communities and artists in the tri-state area. Although most initiatives are basically Asian-American, Ma-Yi forges ties with groups from other cultural backgrounds and experiences. The company believes that theater can play an important part in breaking down barriers and increasing the understanding and appreciation of the cultural and ethnic diversity of our contemporary society.

Recent productions include Among the Dead by Hansol Jung, House Rules by A. Rey Pamatmat, Washer/Dryer by Nandita Shenoy, Soldier X by Rehana Lew Mirza, Carlos Celdran's Livin La Vida Imelda, Chairs and A Long Table by Han Ong, Jesus in India and the New York Times Critics' Pick The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go!, by Lloyd Suh, Bike America and Microcrisis by Mike Lew, The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G by Qui Nguyen, The Sugar House at the Edge of the Wilderness by Carla Ching, Flipzoids by Ralph Peña, Rescue Me by Michi Barall, the Drama Desk-nominated, Off-Broadway premiere of Tony Award-winner Warren Leight's No Foreigners Beyond This Point, Mr. Miyagi's Theatre Company's Sides: The Fear Is Real, Sung Rno's wAve, Han Ong's Middle Finger and Watcher, and Mia Chung's You For Me For You in association with Woolly Mammoth Theater in Washington D.C. The company's best-known production is multiple OBIE Award-winner The Romance of Magno Rubio by Lonnie Carter.

Ma-Yi Theater Company won the 2010 Special Drama Desk Award for more than two decades of excellence and for nurturing Asian-American voices in stylistically varied and engaging theater. Over the course of its 24-year history, Ma-Yi and its affiliated artists have garnered 9 OBIE Awards, and numerous Henry Hewes Award nominations. Ma-Yi Theater Company is under the guidance of Ralph B. Peña, Artistic Director, and Jorge Z. Ortoll, Executive Director. For more, visit www.ma-yitheatre.org, or follow Ma-Yi Theatre Company online on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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