Tectonic Theater Project To Honor Broadway Cares' Tom Viola at A Tectonic Cabaret

Tectonic Theater Project will recognize Tom Viola's extraordinary contributions to the performing arts community with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” at their annual benefit, A Tectonic Cabaret, on Monday, October 21, 2024. Viola will join the evening's previously announced honorees Gigi Pritzker and Colman Domingo. Directed by Timothy Koch, under the artistic supervision of Moisés Kaufman, with musical direction by Anna Ebbesen, A Tectonic Cabaret will take place at Current (Pier 59 Chelsea Piers) starting with a 6:30 PM cocktail hour and performances from Broadway's best beginning at 7:30 PM.

Tickets are now on sale here. 

“Tom Viola's profound impact across his remarkable career of service is astounding, saving and bettering countless lives with his tireless dedication. His war on HIV and AIDS and its ravages is the stuff of legend,” said Moisés Kaufman, Founding Artistic Director of Tectonic Theater Project. “Tom's kindness, compassion, and generosity make him one of our most beloved living heroes. I am overjoyed to celebrate this remarkable individual and his incredible achievements at this year's gala.” 

In July, Tom Viola announced his retirement from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, ending an impressive and accomplished 36-year tenure as the organization's Executive Director (effective December 31, 2024). Under Viola's leadership, Broadway Cares persevered through two pandemics and emerged as one of the most impactful fundraising and grant-making organizations in the country, awarding more than $300 million: $142 million to the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) and another $160 million to 450 local organizations nationwide through its National Grants Program providing meals and medication, health care and hope to countless individuals and families.

As previously announced, the evening will also honor Gigi Pritzker, award-winning theater and film producer and the Founder and CEO of Madison Wells, with the James C. Hormel Spirit of Tectonic Award and trailblazing star of stage and screen, Colman Domingo with the Jane Fonda Award, as an artist who has demonstrated a deep commitment to activism for social justice.

The A Tectonic Cabaret Benefit Committee is chaired by Aaron Walton and includes Michael Graziano, Erika Kramer, Jeff LaHoste, Scott Johnson, George Slowik, and Tim Wu. A Tectonic Cabaret is underwritten by generous sponsor Perry McKay.

Tickets for A Tectonic Cabaret start at $375 and are available online at TectonicTheaterProject.org. Proceeds from the cabaret will benefit Tectonic Theater Project's development of new works and education through the  Moment Work Institute. 

Based in New York City and guided by founder and artistic director Moisés Kaufman, Tectonic Theater Project develops new plays using the company's trademarked theater-making method, Moment Work, and through a rigorous process of research and collaboration in a laboratory environment. Since its founding in 1991 the company has created and staged over twenty plays and musicals, including Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, The Laramie Project, Doug Wright's Pulitzer Prize-winning I Am My Own Wife, the Tony Award-winning 33 Variations, and the Drama Desk Award-winning Seven Deadly Sins. Tectonic Theater Project's newest world-premiere plays include Pulitzer Prize for Drama Finalist Here There Are Blueberries, which just completed a record-breaking run at New York Theatre Workshop, Las Aventuras de Juan Planchard written and directed by Moisés Kaufman based on Jonathan Jakubowicz's best-selling book, and Velour: A Drag Spectacular in collaboration with legendary drag queen and performance artist Sasha Velour, opening at La Jolla Playhouse this August.

BIOS

Tom Viola

is the executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the philanthropic heart of Broadway. Under Viola's leadership and guidance, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has persevered through two pandemics and emerged as one of the most impactful fundraising and grant-making organizations in the country. Since 1988, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has awarded more than $300 million in grants to help people in the entertainment community and those living with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. Viola leads Broadway Cares' National Grants Program and fosters its unique relationship with the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) which has provided $106 million for the Fund's safety net of social services for all entertainment professionals. A native of Pittsburgh, Viola is a graduate of the College-Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati. He performed in dinner theaters and regional theaters and worked as a freelance writer until 1987 when he was hired by Actors' Equity Association for what was to be a temporary assignment. He became then-president Colleen Dewhurst's executive assistant and, in 1988, also became the administrative director of the then-fledgling Equity Fights AIDS, until its merger with Broadway Cares in 1992. He's been executive director since 1997. In 2010, Viola was recognized by the Tony Awards with the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre for “the leadership, advocacy and creativity through which he has mobilized the theater community's response to AIDS and other critical health issues.” He's also been honored with the Howard Ashman Award from GMHC, the Patrick Quinn Award for Distinguished Service from Actors' Equity, the Sandy Fund Award from the Humane Society of New York and The Mosaic Award for Distinguished Alumni from the University of Cincinnati. He never forgets that before all that he was also one hell of a cater-waiter.

Gigi Pritzker

Through her long history as a producer, Gigi Pritzker has championed the voices of both established and up-and-coming storytellers. As the Founder and CEO of Madison Wells, Pritzker's studio focuses on developing, producing, and funding projects in film, television, and theater. The company believes in telling stories by, and about, badass women, as well as people who love pushing boundaries. Widely considered one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, she has turned Madison Wells into one of the most respected independent producers in Hollywood. Pritzker currently holds a position on The Sundance Institute Board of Trustees and is deeply involved in a diverse portfolio of philanthropic endeavors. From award-winning films (Hell or High Water, Eyes of Tammy Faye) and Broadway plays and musicals (Jaja's African Hair Braiding, Hadestown and Shucked) to National Geographic's anthology series Genius and the immersive theater experience Seven Deadly Sins, Pritzker has produced projects with partners who are aligned in the belief that good storytelling can provoke, inspire, and move audiences around the world.

Colman Domingo

Colman Domingo has been nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG, Tony, Critics Choice, Independent Spirit, Gotham, Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, & Drama League awards. He has won an Emmy, AAFCA, NAACP Image, and Black Reel Award. In 2023, Domingo starred as Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin in Netflix and Higher Ground's film Rustin, for which he received an Academy Award Nomination, Golden Globes, and SAG nominations. He can also be seen as Mister in the Warner Bros production of The Color Purple, which received a SAG Ensemble nomination and a NAACP award nomination. Domingo produced and stars in Greg Kwedar's film Sing Sing, which premiered at TIFF this past September and will have its theatrical release in July 2024. Domingo is well known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Ali in HBO's “Euphoria” as well as his roles in Zola, If Beale Street Could Talk, Selma, Candyman, and many more. Domingo and his husband Raul Domingo have produced a myriad of work under their Edith Productions banner including It's What's Inside, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and will be released by Netflix later this year. He also co-produced the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-nominated play Fat Ham. This fall Domingo will be seen as the lead in The Madness, created by Clement Virgo for Netflix. He is currently in production on the Lionsgate film Michael playing Joe Jackson, directed by Antoine Fuqua.

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