Houses on the Moon Gala to Honor Nelle Nugent

Houses on the Moon Theater Company will honor award-winning producer Nelle Nugent at their 7th Annual Gala Fundraiser "Amplify 2019" on Monday evening, October 7, 2019 at The Cutting Room (44 East 32nd Street - between Park and Madison Avenues). The festivities will begin at 6:30pm with an open bar with passed hors d'oeuvres & dessert. The evening will also include Houses on the Moon's annual Leyton Award presentation to the 2019 recipient Prison Families Anonymous, as well as performance excerpts from HOTM productions, and more.

The Gala Host Committee includes Warren Adams, Kevin Benoit, Jane Dubin, Jeremy Handelman, Hal Luftig, Laura Parkin, Paul Thomasset, Cheryl Wiesenfeld, Claudia Zahn and Ruth Zowader (in formation).

Houses on the Moon Theater Company, whose work has been hailed as "potent" and "powerful" (The New York Times), was founded in 2001. Through creative workshops, original performances, and post-show discussions, Houses on the Moon helps communities come together by making meaningful connections through the public sharing of their untold stories. All Houses projects are created through an extensive developmental and research process in collaboration with its community partners, which have included Amnesty International, the AFSC Immigrant Rights Program, Human Rights First and many others. At the core of the developmental process are interviews with real people about their lives, and a creative search for those human stories that yearn for a much wider hearing. Houses on the Moon believes in the power of theater to transform lives and instill empathy. Experiencing other people's emotional lives and journeys through the lens of a character allows the company to connect in a "safe" way and to learn about ourselves and those around us.

The Houses on the Moon Board is R. Erin Craig, Jane Dubin (Board Chair), Rashad Chambers, Amy Gottleib, Jeremy Handelman, Jennifer Isaacson, Aryah Somers-Landsberger, Jenny Paredes, Jeffrey Rosenstock (Board Chair), Jeffrey Solomon, Melissa Springs, and Emily Joy Weiner.

Nelle Nugent (Honoree) has won multiple awards for her work as a producer for theatre, film and television. Her impressive list of theatre credits includes some of the most successful plays on Broadway, including such Tony Award winners and nominees as Amadeus, The Life and Times of Nicholas Nickleby, The Dresser, Home, Mass Appeal, The Gin Game (starring Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn), The Glass Menagerie (also starring Jessica Tandy), Time Stands Still, Stick Fly, Ghetto Klown, The Trip to Bountiful, Love Letters, and, most recently, M. Butterfly and Latin History for Morons, conceived by and starring John Leguizamo, now preparing for a national tour. She is the founding Co-Chair of the Producers Guild of America, East, which looks after the interests of the Producer's Team in film and television. She is a long-time member of The Broadway League, serving on the Diversity Committee. She lives in New York City, with her husband, Jolyon Fox Stern, President and CEO of DeWitt Stern Group an insurance brokerage firm founded by his grandfather in 1899. They have a daughter, Alexandra.

Prison Families Anonymous (Leyton Award Winner) is a self-help organization whose purpose is to help the families and friends who now have or once had a loved one involved in the criminal or juvenile justice system. PFA began in February of 1974 because three women were concerned about the impact on the family when a loved one becomes involved in the system. It was the hope and intent of the founders to provide a way to keep families from facing their fears and trauma alone.

In addition to providing emotional support, PFA educates families about the criminal justice system, about jails and prisons, about re-entry issues, about pending legislation, about resources they might not be aware of. Information is empowering and families need to know that they do have a voice in how the system operates.

PFA cares. PFA is committed to helping strengthen those families who are "doing the time on the outside." PFA feels that the family has been sadly neglected. PFA is dedicated to creating awareness, in the system, of the family and its needs, to filling the gap between the arrest and the eventual release back into the community. PFA believes that the family is a valuable and vital resource for preventing recidivism. Strengthening the family serves to strengthen the offender, both during incarceration and after release.

The Leyton Award, named in honor of Mauricio Leyton, a Chilean born, talented actor and a beloved, committed member of Houses on the Moon. He was a natural leader and activist, dedicated to helping both individuals and communities grow and come together. He tragically passed away December 1st, 2013 of an aortic aneurysm. Following his unexpected death, Houses on the Moon created this award and grant to honor his memory. The Leyton Award is granted annually to an individual or organization that champions the unheard voice through community service. The grant is funded by a percentage of the proceeds from the Houses on the Moon annual fundraising Amplify Benefit and by private donors. Past recipients include New Sanctuary Coalition; Save Our Streets: Bronx; Elaine Lane, Founder of David's Shoes; Susan Goodwillie, Founder of The Creative Solution Symposium Ryder Farms; Libertas Center for Human Rights at Elmhurst Hospital; Judy Sennesh, Board member of PFLAG NYC and Founder of TransFamilies Project; Lenni Benson, Founder and Executive Director of The Safe Passage Project.

Sponsorships, from $1,000 - $5,000, are available now by contacting Chandler Vinton (chandler@housesonthemoon.org). Single tickets, ranging from $150-$275, will be available on August 12th for purchase by visiting www.housesonthemoon.org or by calling (866) 811-4111.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

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