The Play's The Thing! | MTC's 51st Annual Fundraising Gala
  • 2023-10-08

The Play's The Thing! | MTC's 51st Annual Fundraising Gala

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2018

MARIN THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES
GALA 51: THE PLAY’S THE THING!
2018 ANNUAL FUNDRAISING BENEFIT

Fashionable Fare and Philanthropy at
MTC’s 51st Season Benefit
Celebrating Ten Years of New American Plays
Saturday, April 7, 2018

MILL VALLEY, CAMarin Theatre Company (MTC) is excited to announce its 51st Anniversary Season benefit—Gala 51: The Play’s the Thing!—on Saturday, April 7, 2018. This year, MTC will be celebrating a ten-year legacy of producing vital, groundbreaking, nationally recognized new American plays—and honoring the renowned playwrights who have partnered with us to bring their stories to our stage!

This benefit celebrates MTC’s tenth year of offering two annual prizes for new American plays from emerging artists, which has brought the organization national recognition:

The Sky Cooper New American Play Prize is awarded to an American playwright at any career stage for an outstanding new work that shows a visionary understanding of the theatrical form. The winner receives a $10,000 cash prize, a professional workshop as part of MTC's New Play Reading Series, and consideration for production on MTC's main stage. Past winners include Sarah DeLappe—who won in 2016 for her break-out hit, The Wolves, which MTC is currently producing—and Dominique Morisseau—who won in 2014 for her lyrical drama, Skeleton Crew, also produced by MTC this season.

The David Calicchio Emerging American Playwright Prize is awarded to an American playwright who is professionally unproduced for an outstanding new work that shows promise and a distinctive new voice. The winner receives a $2500 cash prize and a professional workshop as part of MTC's New Play Reading Series. Past winners of the Calicchio prize include Martyna Majok for her widely successful play, Ironbound, and Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig for her dark political drama, Lidless.

The gala will take place at the Mill Valley Community Center, featuring a delectable catered sit-down dinner courtesy of Stacy Scott Fine Catering and wine provided by Brooks Note Winery and Upper Five Vineyard. Exclusively procured for MTC, the live and silent auction items will be up for bid throughout the evening—including a once in a lifetime walk-on role in MTC’s production of the Tony Award-winning new play, Oslo, by J.T. Rogers in the 2018-19 season, as well as exclusive and enticing trips to Italy, New York, and Palm Springs—all in addition to a carefully curated wine auction and more.

This annual event sells out every year, attracting over 225 prominent community members, corporate professionals, and philanthropic leaders from throughout the Bay Area, and raising critical funds for the organization to benefit MTC’s new play and education programs. A full list of MTC Gala 51’s committee members, comprised of MTC Board members, Advisory Board members and supporters, can be found below.

More About MTC’s New Play Program
Marin Theatre Company is committed to exploring and developing new work for the American theater, supporting playwrights with their creative process from conception to production and engaging audiences with the best contemporary new plays. Through multiple programs, MTC seeks out writers and champions projects for continued life on the MTC stage and beyond. With our commissioning program, new play prizes, new play series of staged readings, playwright residencies and a commitment to world premiere and second productions, MTC promotes the future of the American theater.

More about MTC’s Education Programs
Marin Theatre Company’s education programs reach more than 10,000 youth each year with in-school teaching residencies, student matinee performances and in-theatre instruction and year-round camps and workshops. Through the Artist in Residency program MTC is able to provide both MLK Jr. Academy in Marin City and Davidson Middle School in San Rafael with theatre education uniquely planned in coordination with curriculum and the needs of the schools. At the MLK Jr. Academy, MTC’s theatre education through the Artist in Residency program is the only arts education provided to students.

CALENDAR LISTING
Annual Gala | Fundraiser

WHAT
MTC Gala 51: The Play’s the Thing!

Marin Theatre Company’s 51st Anniversary Season Benefit

WHEN
Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 5:30 pm

WHERE
Mill Valley Community Center

180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941

TICKETS
$295 per person
$595 per couple

$2,300 per table (8)
Sponsorship tables also available for up to 10 guests.
Call the Box Office, or visit our ticketing website to purchase | (415) 388-5208

GALA 51 COMMITTEE
Co-Chairs:
Kathleen Taylor
Connie Oclassen

Host Committee Chairs:
Bob and Paula Reynolds

Wine Auction Chairs:
Fred Taylor
Brian Haughton

Committee Members:
Cheryl Brandon
Beverly Butler
Suzanne Darley
Kipp Delbyck
Diana Gay-Catania
Susan Holdstein
Madeleine Langeveld
Vera Meislin
Stacy Scott

ABOUT MTC
Marin Theatre Company is the Bay Area’s premier mid-sized theatre and the leading professional theatre in the North Bay. We produce a six-show season focused on new American plays. We are committed to the development and production of new plays, with a comprehensive New Play Program that includes productions of world premieres, two nationally recognized annual playwriting awards and readings and workshops by the nation’s best emerging and established playwrights. Our numerous education programs serve more than 10,000 students from over 40 Bay Area schools each year. MTC strives to create intimate, powerful and emotional experiences that engage audiences to discuss new ideas and adopt a broader point of view. We believe in taking risks and inspiring people to participate in live theatre, regardless of personal means. MTC celebrates the intellectual curiosity of our community, and we believe that theatre is an important tool to help build empathy. MTC was founded in 1966 and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

PRESS CONTACT
Kate Robinson, Communications & Public Relations Associate
(415) 322-6029 | kater@marintheatre.org

 

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