A MAMMOTH RENAISSANCE Fundraising Gala Breaks Fundraising Record

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company's gala, A MAMMOTH RENAISSANCE, was a night to remember, as more than 350 attendees at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library joined in honoring social activist, political strategist, philanthropist, and modern "Renaissance man" Luis A. Miranda, Jr. More than $565,000 - the most in Woolly's history - was raised to support its work towards a radically inclusive theatre industry.

"What an evening!" shares Artistic Director Maria Manuela Goyanes. "We danced on the rooftop with the collective Black in Space, enjoyed incredible cuisine curated by Chef José Andrés, watched DC's own National Bearded Empress Vagenesis command the room, heard from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Luz Miranda-Crespo about their remarkable dad, and then Luis Miranda himself gave the speech of a lifetime! We are grateful for all who made our gala such a success, and that they believe so deeply in the future of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company."

The evening, which was co-chaired by Maria Cardona, Kristin Ehrgood and Vadim Nikitine, and Jane Fishkin, included a celebration of the Miranda Family Fellows Program, a partnership with Luis Miranda and the Miranda Family Fund launched in Spring 2021. The program is designed to provide talented candidates from historically excluded communities, especially Black, Indigenous, Latiné, and People of Color, with the resources and training necessary to build their careers as theatre-makers. Each fellowship is structured as a paid year-long department-specific entry-level position. Through this program, Woolly Mammoth and the Miranda Family Fund are shining a light on the need for greater equity, diversity, inclusion, and access behind the scenes in the American theatre, and creating a new point of entry into the field for the next generation of arts leaders.

Luis A. Miranda, Jr. has committed four decades to being a leader in the public, private, political, and advocacy sectors. He is the founding partner of The MirRam Group, founding president of the Hispanic Federation, and board chair of the Latino Victory Fund. He is recognized as a key contributor to the Senate campaigns of Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and former US Senator Hillary Clinton. Most recently he managed Letitia James' successful campaign to become New York State Attorney General.

Kristin Ehrgood and Vadim Nikitine, David Frederick and Sophia Lynn, Sylvia Golden and The Sullivan Family Charitable Foundation were the presenting sponsors for A MAMMOTH RENAISSANCE.

Major sponsorship for this event was also generously provided by Sari Hornstein, Sunny and Bill Alsup, Arnold & Porter, ArentFox Schiff LLP, Katherine and David Bradley, FedEx Corporation, Dana W. and Robert G. Hisaoka, Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, and Fiona and Eric Rudin. Additional support was provided by Dewey Square Group, Linette S. Hwu; Jenny and Chuck Lawson; the Honorable Mary Mochary; Dale A. Mott and Kenneth P. Hyle, Jr.; Verizon; Lori and Martin Weinstein; Nina Weissberg and Stuart Martin; Rachel Moore Weller; and Mary Zients.

Chef José Andrés and ThinkFoodGroup curated the menu for the evening; Total Wine & More was the beverage sponsor. RJ Whyte Event Production was the full-service production company that partnered with Woolly Mammoth on A MAMMOTH RENAISSANCE.

ABOUT WOOLLY

Woolly Mammoth creates badass theatre that highlights the stunning, challenging, and tremendous complexity of our world. For over 40 years, Woolly has maintained a high standard of artistic rigor while simultaneously daring to take risks, innovate, and push beyond perceived boundaries. One of the few remaining theatres in the country to maintain a company of artists, Woolly serves an essential research and development role within the American theatre. Plays premiered here have gone on to productions at hundreds of theatres all over the world and have had lasting impacts on the field. Co-led by Artistic Director Maria Manuela Goyanes and Managing Director Emika Abe, Woolly is located in Washington, DC, equidistant from the Capitol and the White House. This unique location influences Woolly's investment in actively working towards an equitable, participatory, and creative democracy. Learn more at woollymammoth.net.

Woolly Mammoth stands upon occupied, unceded territory: the ancestral homeland of the Nacotchtank whose descendants belong to the Piscataway peoples. Furthermore, the foundation of this city, and most of the original buildings in Washington, DC, were funded by the sale of enslaved people of African descent and built by their hands.

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