The Acting Company’s Annual Reimagined Renaissance Gala Honoring Rainn Wilson and Dakin Matthews

Awards, Benefits, Dance, Performances, Photography, Theater

Ezra Knight. Photo by Lia Chang

On April 24, Ezra Knight hosted The Acting Company’s annual Reimagined Renaissance Gala honoring Rainn Wilson and Dakin Matthews at Capitale in New York.

Honoree Rainn Wilson, Margot Harley and Allen Gilmore. Photo by Lia Chang

Dakin Matthews, Bartlett Sher. Photo by Lia Chang

The evening featured special performances by Grammy Award winner, Tony and Emmy nominee Sara Bareilles, Toree Alexandre, Kelley Curran (“The Gilded Age”), Allen Gilmore (Objects in the Mirror), Derek Smith, Stephen DeRosa, Tom Alan Robbins, and Chelsea Williams (Death of a Salesman).

Kelley Curran, Allen Gilmore, Toree Alexandre, Derek Smith. Photo by Lia Chang

Allen Gilmore, Toree Alexandre, Derek Smith. Photo by Lia Chang

Allen Gilmore. Photo by Lia Chang

Allen Gilmore. Photo by Lia Chang

Allen Gilmore, Toree Alexandre, Derek Smith, Kelley Curran. Photo by Lia Chang

Toree Alexandre, Derek Smith, Kelley Curran. Photo by Lia Chang

Sara Bareilles. Photo by Lia Chang

Sara Bareilles. Photo by Lia Chang

Sara Bareilles. Photo by Lia Chang

Sara Bareilles. Photo by Lia Chang

Sara Bareilles. Photo by Lia Chang

Stephen DeRosa and Tom Alan Robbins. Photo by Lia Chang

Timothy K. Saunders Jr. and Tejal P. Wadhwani served as Co-chairs for the event.

Co-chairs Timothy K. Saunders Jr. and Tejal P. Wadhwani.

Dakin Matthews, one of the company’s founding artists, was presented with The John Houseman Award for his work as an actor, playwright, translator and dramaturg for five decades in theatre, film and television,” by Bartlett Sher.

Kelley Curran, Dakin Matthews, Bartlett Sher. Photo by Lia Chang

Joe Dowling presented Rainn Wilson with the Joan M. Warburg Civic Engagement Award,”  named for the longtime President of The Acting Company’s Board of Directors, recognizing Rainn’s philanthropy and leadership, including his work with climate nonprofit Arctic Basecamp, and as founder of The Lidè Foundation, an educational initiative in rural Haiti that empowers women and girls through the arts.”

Honoree Rainn Wilson. Photo by Lia Chang

Joe Dowling, David Costabile, Siobhan Cleary. Photo by Lia Chang

Allen Gilmore and Rainn Wilson. Photo by Lia Chang

Chelsea Lee Williams, Margot Harley, Allen Gilmore. Photo by Lia Chang

Bartlett Sher, Allen Gilmore and Kate Forbes. Photo by Lia Chang

Kate Forbes, Allen Gilmore, The Acting Company’s Artistic Director Kent Gash, Oskar Eustis and Bartlett Sher. Photo by Lia Chang

Kate Forbes with her son, Nate. Photo by Lia Chang

Allen Gilmore and The Acting Company’ Artistic Director Kent Gash. Photo by Lia Chang

Stephen DeRosa, a guest, Allen Gilmore and Nella Vera. Photo by Lia Chang

The Acting Company’s Managing Director Erik Schroeder, Sara Bareilles, Allen Gilmore and Joe Tippett. Photo by Lia Chang

Sara Bareilles, The Acting Company’s Artistic Director Kent Gash. Photo by Lia Chang

Sam Encarnación. Photo by Lia Chang

Max Gonzalez and Sophia Huisken. Photo by Lia Chang

Allen Gilmore, Kate Forbes, Nate, Julia Knight, Ezra Knight. Photo by Lia Chang

Kelley Curran, Dakin Matthews, Bartlett Sher. Photo by Lia Chang

Stephen DeRosa, Kevin Isola. Photo by Lia Chang

The Acting Company’s Managing Director Erik Schroeder and his wife, Nina. Photo by Lia Chang

The Acting Company’s Managing Director Erik Schroeder, Desmin Borges, David Constabile. Photo by Lia Chang

David Constabile, Julia Knight, Ezra Knight. Photo by Lia Chang

Ian Belknap, Margot Harley, Allen Gilmore. Photo by Lia Chang

Dancing the night away. Photo by Lia Chang

Julia Knight, Ezra Knight and Allen Gilmore. Photo by Lia Chang

Luis Rodriguez, Allen Gilmore, Sam Encarnación. Photo by Lia Chang

Allen Gilmore, Lia Chang and Marcus Paul James.

Lia Chang, Marcus Paul James. Photo by Lia Chang

The Acting Company’s Producing Director Devin Brain and Allen Gilmore. Photo by Lia Chang

The Gala Committee includes J. Barclay Collins II, Peter H. Darrow, John N. Gilbert, Margot Harley, Dana Ivey, Jessie Kelly, Ezra Knight, Dakin Matthews, Angela Pierce, Richard Reilly, Louis Rodriguez, Jean-Luc Sinniger, Earl D. Weiner, and Lori-Ann Wynter.

The Acting Company’s Board of Directors includes Earl D. Weiner (Chair), Timothy K. Saunders, Jr. (Vice Chair), Robert T. Goldman (Vice President), Lori-Ann Wynter (Secretary), Jean-Luc Sinniger (Treasurer), Mary Ann Fribourg, Edgar Lansbury (Directors Emeritus), and Margot Harley (Founder).

About The Acting Company
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Kent Gash, Producing Director Devin Brain and Managing Director Erik Schroeder, The Acting Company brings professional productions and education programs, in-school residencies, and teacher training workshops to thousands of audience members and students in underserved communities and schools each year. Founded by John Houseman and Margot Harley, the company seeks to develop emerging actors and build enthusiastic, knowledgeable audiences for the theater in towns across the United States. The Acting Company launched the careers of nearly 500 actors, including Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Mary Lou Rosato, Keith David, Rainn Wilson, Lorraine Toussaint, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, Lisa Banes, Jeffrey Wright, Hamish Linklater, Jesse L. Martin, Roslyn Ruff, Jimonn Cole, and Kelley Curran.

Among many accolades, The Acting Company received the 2003 Tony Award for Excellence in the Theater, and recently won the 2019 Audelco Award for Best Play for its production of Nambi E. Kelley’s Native Son, directed by Seret Scott.

Since 1972, The Acting Company has performed for over 4 million people in 48 States, 10 foreign countries, on and Off-Broadway, and at leading resident theaters including The Guthrie and The Kennedy Center. New works commissioned by the company include plays by William Finn, Marcus Gardley, Rebecca Gilman, John Guare, Beth Henley, Tony Kushner, Lynn Nottage, Meg Miroshnik, Ntozake Shange, Maria Irene Fornés, Spalding Gray, Marsha Norman, Charles Smith, Samm-Art Williams, and Wendy Wasserstein.

Allen Gilmore and Lia Chang. Photo by Nate

Lia Chang. Photo by Kalin Ivanov

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer, activist, documentarian and an Award winning filmmaker and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Lia is also the host and Executive Producer of BACKSTAGE PASS WITH LIA CHANG, an Arts and Entertainment and Lifestyle program that airs on Sundays at 1:30pm and 6:30pm on FIOS 34, RCN 83, Spectrum 56/1996 and streams on MNN2. Lia was recently profiled on Asian American Life. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. www.liachang.com www.liachangphotography.com

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