Kushner, Miller and Brando Honored Nov. 8

The legacy of the late legendary actor, director and teacher Stella Adler, will be celebrated with a gala fete and awards ceremony, Stella By Starlight, Monday November 8, in The Grand Ball Room, Pierre Hotel, New York. The evening benefits The Stella Adler Studio of Acting's scholarship programs, inner-city outreach and facilities expansion. The event's co-chairmen, Michael Medavoy, Roy Scheider and Benicio Del Toro head a committee of luminaries from the worlds of theater, film, television and business, many of them alumni of the famed school.

Highlights of the evening will be the presentation of the 2004 Stella Adler School of Acting Awards and a specially created entertainment "A Salute to Musical Theater". Slated to be honored this year are: Tony Kushner with The Jacob Adler Award for courageous contributions to Jewish and American culture presented by Mike Nichols; Arthur Miller with The Group Theater Award for prolific achievement in theater, film, television arts and for community and social commitment presented by Zoe Caldwell, and posthumously Marlon Brando, former honorary chairman of the famed acting school, with The Stella Adler Award for consummate artistic achievement and interpretation. Arthur Penn will make a special tribute to Brando. The new honorary chairman of The Studio, fellow alumni, Warren Beatty will accept the award on Brando's behalf.

The evening will begin with cocktails at 6:30 p.m. followed by "A Salute to Musical Theater" conceived by Gordon Hunt and Roy Scheider and directed by Mr. Hunt. The musical tribute will feature a host of stage and screen stars including Melissa Errico, Brent Barrett, Marin Mazzie and other guest performers.

Cocktail Reception at 6:30 and Dinner to be served at 7:30p.m. with the awards presentation and special tributes at 9:15 p.m. Among those participating are Whoopi Goldberg, Matthew Broderick and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Vice-Chairman of The Studio Ellen Adler (daughter of Stella Adler) and her son Tom Oppenheim, President and Artistic Director of The Studio have formed a "stellar" committee for this years gala including: Peter Bogdanovich, Al Boland, Eileen Finletter, Rita Fredricks, Donald MacPherson, Pamela Newman, Donna Soloway and Lisa Vioni.

Tickets for the event are: Tables of 10 - $25,000, $10,000 and $5,000. Individual tickets are $1,000. To purchase please contact: Scott Perrin – Lorelei Enterprises – 212-838-2660 ext 22.

For over a century, beginning with Jacob and Sarah Adler, famed tragedians in the Yiddish theater, the Adler name has resonated throughout the world of the performing arts. The second generation, brother and sister Luther and Stella Adler, made the transformation from the Lower East Side to Broadway and Hollywood and brought international fame to the family. Stella, a founding member of the acclaimed Group Theater along with Harold Clurman, Lee Strasberg and Cheryl Crawford, established one of the world's foremost acting schools, after studying with the world renowned Stanislavski.

Tom Oppenheim, the fourth generation of the famed family, currently teaches, directs and performs. Continuing the vision of his grandmother and step-grandfather, Harold Clurman, Oppenheim plans to raise funds to extend scholarships to the studios two-year conservatory program to worthy candidates as well as to expand the budding teen program, making it more accessible to gifted inner-city youth. This year, under his guidance, the Teen Outreach Program was inaugurated, providing free actor training at four locations in New York; Grand Street Settlement, Hudson Guild, and Brandeis High School. As well, The Studio has entered into a unique partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation offering the Teen Program to members of the Chelsea Recreation Center. He also plans to develop more fully The Stella Adler Studio as a cultural center for the community and to support touring teaching and performance programs that convey to the public at large the unique vision of school founders, Stella Adler and Harold Clurman. The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is located at 31 W. 27th Street, New York.

The Stella Adler Studio of Acting is a not for profit 501C (3) organization.