Turner, Daly, Glover And More Set For PTC Gala June 6

Philadelphia Theatre Company will conclude its 35th Anniversary season celebration with a Gala honoring long-time board member Kenneth S. Kaiserman of Kaiserman Company, Inc. and PTC Producing Artistic Director Sara Garonzik on Monday, June 6 at 6PM in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt at the Bellevue. The evening will feature appearances by multiple Tony and Emmy award winner Tyne Daly, star of the upcoming revival of Terrence McNally's Master Class on Broadway, Broadway and film star Kathleen Turner who starred in PTC's world premiere of Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass of Molly Ivins; Tony Award winner and frequent PTC performer John Glover; and Quentin Darrington, star of the recent revival of Ragtime. The evening will be hosted by former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. Other star performers will be announced shortly.
A highlight of the Gala will be the announcement of the establishment of the Terrence McNally New Play Award presented by Philadelphia Theatre Company annually starting in 2012 in honor of great American playwright, Terrence McNally. The award recipient will be a playwright who has written a full-length work that celebrates the transformative power of art. Philadelphia Theatre Company premiered Master Class and Golden Age, two of McNally's works that capture the spirit of this award, which consists of a cash prize for the playwright as well as development support from PTC.

Sara Garonzik, Producing Artistic Director, has directed and produced for Philadelphia Theatre Company since 1982, and introduced more than 140 world or regional premieres of major new American plays and musicals to Philadelphia. Sara is listed in "Who's Who of American Women" and was named one of Business Philadelphia's and Philadelphia Magazine's "People to Watch." She currently serves as a Board Member of the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, as President of the Board of the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and on the Advisory Board of PlayPenn, a new play development organization.

Kenneth S. Kaiserman has served on Philadelphia Theatre Company's Board of Directors for 34 years, and chaired PTC's Capital Campaign to build the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. Ken is also a Board Member of Brandeis University, Friends of Rittenhouse Square, North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Ken is President of Kaiserman Company, Inc., a real estate development firm which owns and operates commercial and multi-residential property in the tri-state region.

Chaired by Brigitte F. Daniel, Carol Saline and Paul Rathblott, the Gala combines an entertainment-filled evening and an opportunity to bid on tokens of affection including romantic get-aways, candlelight dinners for two at some of the area's finest restaurants, one-of-a-kind experiences, jewelry, crafts, and VIP tickets to sports and cultural events. For further information and tickets, please call 215-985-1400, ext. 110.

Founded in 1974, Philadelphia Theatre Company is a leading regional theater company whose mission is to produce, develop and present entertaining and imaginative contemporary theater focused on the American experience that both ignites the intellect and touches the soul. By developing new work through commissions, readings and workshops PTC generates projects that have a national impact and reach broad regional audiences. Under the leadership of Sara Garonzik as PTC's Producing Artistic Director since 1982, PTC supports the work of a growing body of diverse dramatists and takes pride in being a home to scores of nationally recognized artists who have participated in more than 130 world and Philadelphia premieres. PTC has received 45 Barrymore Awards and 147 nominations. In October 2007, PTC moved into a home of its own, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Center City Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts, solidifying the Company's status as a major player on the American theater scene. In October 2010, Kathleen Nolan joined PTC as its Interim Managing Director.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos

To post a comment, you must register and login.