Park City Institute to Host Evening of Mischief and Merriment at Saints & Sinners Ball

Prepare for an evening of mischief, mayhem and merriment, as the sixth annual Saints & Sinners Ball entices all heroes, gangsters, despots, angels, villains, cherubs... to gather at St. Regis Deer Valley for a delightful soirée on St. Patrick's Day, Friday, March 17. Proceeds from this celebration benefit Park City Institute's Student Outreach Program. The revelry begins at 6 p.m. Dressing the part is encouraged, but not required.

"This is a devilishly good time," says PCI Executive Director, Teri Orr. "Our Student Outreach programs are at the core of our mission to entertain, educate and illuminate. This year alone, the Park City Institute has already served thousands of students through outreach programs connected to the Criminal Justice Reform Panel, Jessica Lang Dance, and the Sundance Film Festival. This is all made possible because of support from our community."

The evening's alchemy includes cocktails, dinner, and an auction, filled with fiendishly clever goods and adventures that are curated, exclusively, for the Park City Institute. You won't find these items at any other fundraiser in Utah. And, yes, there will be shenanigans . . .

The secret sauce of Student Outreach has been a vital part of PCI's mission since the organization's inception. Bill Cosby was the first artist to perform as a part of the program in 1998. Since then, hundreds of world-renowned dancers, musicians, actors, filmmakers, tech-savvy production artists, comedians, authors and cultural groups have worked with students in Summit County. These performers and innovators put on workshops, classes, lecture-demonstrations and student-only performances.

"Without the support of saints and sinners among us -and the St. Regis is in the 'saints' category for countless reasons - we couldn't offer these free, student outreach events, which are integral to our organization," says Orr. "Student outreach is about forging a connection between young people and the arts - the magic, the hard work, the inspiration, the limitlessness of creativity. It's transformative. And it's necessary. We can't thank our supporters enough for keeping this program going strong for 19 years."

Over the years, students have learned about the law from Edward Snowden's ACLU attorney, Ben Wizner, studied master classes with dance companies like Grupo Corpo, and Bill T. Jones. Drama students have gleaned insights from the actor-writer-composer team of "Witness Uganda." English and ethics students have learned from speaker/economist Mark Anderson. "Not Impossible's" Mick Ebeling gave a talk to architecture and leadership classes; Choo-Choo Soul chugged into a first grade classroom; Green River Ordinance jammed with high school jazz students; dance students of all ages learned from Ailey II, Parsons and MOMIX professionals in a series of master classes. They have watched Tibetan monks create a sand mandala; learned ribbon dancing from Chinese dancer, Lily Cai; rocked out with The Bacon Brothers (Kevin and Michael); brainstormed songwriting techniques with rock band Delta Rae; conducted a Q&A with actor Jeff Daniels; and glimpsed the gravity-defying art of cirque acts. These experiences continue to inspire our students toward bigger dreams, and larger leaps of faith.

Another aspect of PCI's Student Outreach Program, The After-School Tech Program, allows students to learn the backstage ropes from experts in the field. In some cases, the weekly program has given those "at risk" a creative outlet and a sense of belonging. For others, it has led to college scholarships and career opportunities. Working towards a journeyman's certification, many technical theater students leave the program equipped to work the lights, sound and stage management of theaters around the country. Today, these former tech program students are some of PCI's most valued crew members.

PCI's Student Outreach captures imaginations, broadens horizons and inspires careers. The Saints & Sinners Ball on March 14 is a wickedly fun way to keep this program going strong. https://www.facebook.com/pg/parkcityinstitute/videos/?ref=page_internal

Tickets to the Saints & Sinners Ball are $200 per person or $1,800 for a table of 10. Please call The Eccles Center box office at 435-655-3114 or purchase tickets online at www.ecclescenter.org.

ENTERTAINING, EDUCATING AND ILLUMINATING SINCE 1998

Park City Institute is a non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing world-class performances and new ideas to the community. Since 1998, PCI has presented internationally renowned and cutting edge musicians, actors, authors, comedians, dancers, speakers and film at The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center for the Performing Arts (a joint-use facility with the Park City School District). The organization will embark on its 14th season of headliner concerts at Deer Valley Resort next summer. PCI is dedicated to introducing young people to the arts through free student outreach workshops, shows and demonstrations. Since 2010, PCI has offered a free after-school literacy program to students in grades one through 12 at the thinky and fun retail-fronted tutoring hub, the Mega-Genius Supply Store and IQ HQ (located at 435 Swede Alley in Old Town). The organization continues to illuminate with Curiosities evenings and the Saints and Sinners Ball.