The Wilma Theater Sets 2016 Theater Lovers Fete Fundraiser

The Wilma Theater will hold its annual Theater Lovers Fe?te on Monday, June 13 at 5:00pm, honoring Philadelphia actor and philanthropist Leonard C. Haas. Leonard's generosity has been fundamental in allowing the Wilma to reach more deeply into Philadelphia communities and engage with first-time theatergoers.

The Fe?te, the Wilma's much-loved annual fundraising party, will begin at 5:00 PM with a cocktail reception and dinner on the Roof Deck at the DoubleTree by Hilton Center City. The celebration will then move to The Wilma Theater for the presentation of the Wilma Star Award and performances by the band ILL DOOTS, saxophonist Michael Pedicin, and members of our Wilma HotHouse resident acting company.

The Wilma Theater is thrilled to honor Leonard C. Haas with the Wilma Star Award, in recognition of all that he has done for the Wilma and Philadelphia's theater community as a whole. As Leonard explained at a recent Wilma event, "This new moment for the Wilma is truly transformational to Philadelphia, at a time when it can have enormous impact." The Wilma's transformation began two years ago with Wilma WynTix, our deeply-subsidized ticketing initiative funded at Leonard's recommendation by the Wyncote Foundation, where he serves on the Board of Directors. WynTix broadens our audience by providing four-week mainstage-run tickets for $25, with $10 tickets for students and theater artists. Furthermore, the Wilma recently announced a $5 million gift from the Wyncote Foundation to transform our theater's fac?ade on the Avenue of the Arts, its lobby layout, and its artistic model of developing and producing content.

Born and raised in the Philadelphia region, Leonard is a long-time professional actor and philanthropist. Having started acting at a very early age (some say the day he was born), he has followed that passion from then on and continues still. He lived in New York for a few years after college, but relocated to the Philadelphia area in the late 1980s to start a family and teach Drama at his alma mater, Friends' Central

School. After getting his professional start in acting at People's Light & Theatre, he branched out into Philadelphia's theatre scene, and has performed with many companies in the area (the Wilma included).

As satisfying as theatre has been, Leonard has also become more involved in his family's philanthropic endeavors. He is on the board of The Wyncote Foundation, and is the Vice Chair of the Board of The William Penn Foundation. He and his wife Mary Lee love to travel and perform together when they get the chance. His son Nick is now 29, and is about to open his own bar in Singapore, after having lived and worked there for more than five years. His daughter Catherine splits her time between here and New York, where she is finishing her graduate degree in Film Studies and History at Columbia University. Not bad for two home-schooled kids!

As Leonard expressed, "I am very proud and honored to be recognized by The Wilma Theater, a theatre that I have watched grow from its humble beginnings at the Adrienne to the powerhouse it is now! Thank you to everyone who has supported me through all these years."

Wilma Board member Tim Sabol serves as Chair of the Theater Lovers Fe?te Committee. Proceeds from the Theater Lovers Fe?te will support the Wilma's mission to create living, adventurous art, and the educational outreach programs that serve students in the School District of Philadelphia. This support allows The Wilma Theater to cultivate audience members who are uniquely invested its art and its offerings.

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