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Los Angeles, CA (September
19, 2017) – Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks hosted The Shakespeare
Center of Los Angeles (SCLA) 27th Annual Simply
Shakespeare benefit September 18, 2017, at the Freud
Playhouse, on the UCLA Campus.
The hilarious Forbidden
Shakespeare The Tempest offered an evening of improvised
Shakespeare and song featuring three-time Grammy Award
winner singer/songwriter Ben Harper. Charles Richard Lester
wowed the crowd with his theremin instrument and was joined
by an intergalactic star-studded cast which included Rita
Wilson (Ariel), Tom Hanks (Stephano), Alfred
Molina (Prospero) William Shatner Gonzalo),
Kyle MacLachlan (Alonso), Michael Chiklis (Caliban),
Evan Handler (Antonio), David Cross (Trinculo),
Sheldon Donenberg (Boatswain) Finn Wittrock
(Sebastian), Susannah Fielding (Miranda) and Glenn
Howerton (Ferdinand) who improvised their way through a
condensed version of The Tempest. Thomas Dunbar
of Louisville, Kentucky was the eBAY winning bidder of a
once-in-a-lifetime walk-on role.
The evening was sponsored by
the Entertainment Industry Foundation and included a
pre-show wine reception provided by the Gallo Family of
Wines, followed by a post performance reception with the
cast. All proceeds from the event support the SCLA and its
arts-based employment programs for chronically unemployed
veterans and urban youth, that blend White House
award-winning immersive arts engagement for youth living at
the poverty threshold, chronically unemployed vets and
award-winning professional productions supported by a
veteran workforce.
A highlight of the evening
was the presentation of the inaugural Bright Future Award to
US Army Veteran Ariel Bell, SCLA Veterans in Art
Programs Coordinator. The Bright Future Award was proudly
presented by BBVA Compass, a Sunbelt-based financial
institution that operates 651 branches in the United States,
including 61 branches in California.
Under the direction of SCLA
founding Artistic Director Ben Donenberg, William
Shakespeare’s endearing tragic comedy not only gave the
bard’s words additional hilarity through the on-stage
delivery and antics of its all-star cast, but wove in six
songs from Ben Harper. Met with wild applause from the 500
guests, Harper’s renditions included “Glory and
Consequence,” “Waiting on an Angel,” “Forever,” “Don’t Talk
About Murder While I’m Eating,” “Having Wings,” and “Rock
and Roll is Free.”
About the Entertainment
Industry Foundation:
Founded in 1942, the
Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) is a multifaceted
organization that occupies a unique place in the world of
philanthropy. By mobilizing and leveraging the powerful
voice and creative talents of the entertainment industry, as
well as cultivating the support of organizations (public and
private) and philanthropists committed to social
responsibility, EIF builds awareness and raises funds,
developing and enhancing programs on the local, national and
global level that facilitate positive social change. For
more information, visit
www.eifoundation.org.
About Shakespeare Center Los
Angeles:
Since 1985, The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles has been a
vibrant hub of unique programs, performances and events
designed to make Shakespeare accessible and engaging to
all. Veterans In Art, SCLA’s successful transitional
veterans employment initiative, provides for unemployed
veterans and vets enrolled at Santa Monica College and East
Los Angeles College transitional employment in tandem with
college accredited technical theater training. SCLA
enrolled 23 chronically unemployed veterans in technical
theater training course at SMC while hiring those veterans
and providing them on-the-job training backstage. Will
Power to Youth a White House awarded youth employment
and academic enrichment program that immerses urban Los
Angeles youth living at the poverty threshold in hands-on
artistic experience with paid summer jobs, and training in
the rigors of theater art making. The program has been
nationally recognized for its effectiveness in reducing high
school dropout rates and instilling a lifelong appreciation
for Shakespeare and live theater. For more information on
the Simply Shakespeare benefit performance or SCLA,
please visit
www.ShakespeareCenter.org. |