Page 73 to Honor Quiara Alegría Hudes at 20th Anniversary Gala, Daphne Rubin-Vega to Host

Page Seventy-Three Productions (Page 73) (Michael Walkup, Producing Artistic Director; Jennifer Lagundino, Managing Director; Liz Jones and Asher Richelli, Founding Directors) announced today that the 2018 Spring Celebration will honor Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes (Elliot, a Soldier's Fugue) and Page 73 supporters Mary Lee and David Jones. The Spring Celebration will be held on Tuesday, May 15 at Tribeca Rooftop (2 Desbrosses Street).

Daphne Rubin-Vega (Tony nominee, Rent; Miss You Like Hell) will serve as master of ceremonies for the celebration, which will also feature music by 2018 Interstate 73 member Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop). Musical selections will be performed by Liz Lark Brown and Cicily Daniels.

The evening will also feature appearances from director Morgan Gould (Kentucky) and participants in the Page 73 New Play Bake Off. Artists are given one hour to write page 73 of a brand new play based on three "ingredients" given the night of the benefit, and this year's Bake Off will feature playwrights John J. Caswell Jr., Leah Nanako Winkler and Keelay Gipson. Marinda Anderson, Megan Hill, David Ryan Smith and Mary Testa will perform these new scripts.

For the past twenty years, Page 73 has become the premiere organization for producing New York and world premieres that mark a playwright's professional New York debut. Page 73 has supported, developed, and produced over 100 playwrights whose works have gone on to earn MacArthur Genius grants, Obies, Pulitzers, and critically acclaimed productions nationally and worldwide.

Dinner tickets for the evening are sold out, but General Admission Tickets can be purchased for $200 by calling 718-398-2099 or emailing benefit@page73.org.

You can become a Page 73 Page Turner by visiting www.page73.org or by calling 718-398-2099 and benefits include a VIP seat and after-party for each Page 73 production, a year of readings and workshops of Page 73 playwrights' newest work, an invitation to the fruit-cake free Page 73 holiday party, and the opportunity to celebrate alumni writers with invitations to Page 73 nights at colleague theaters' premieres of their work.

ABOUT PAGE 73 PRODUCTIONS

Page 73 is celebrating its 20th year producing and supporting the most talented early-career playwrights and introducing them to New York audiences by producing their professional Off-Broadway debuts in the city. Most recently, Page 73 produced the world premiere of Susan Soon He Stanton's TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY, directed by Kip Fagan. Page 73's 2016-17 season included the world premieres of Caroline V. McGraw's ULTIMATE BEAUTY BIBLE, directed by Stephen Brackett, and Basil Kreimendahl's ORANGE JULIUS, directed by Dustin Wills. Their season also fostered the work of Hansol Jung and John J. Caswell, Jr. through the prestigious P73 Playwriting Fellowship, now in its 15th year of singling out exceptional talent. The 2018 Fellow is C.A. Johnson.

Prior Page 73 seasons have included world and New York premieres of Leah Nanako Winkler's KENTUCKY, directed by Morgan Gould; Max Posner's JUDY, directed by two-time Obie Award winner Ken Rus Schmoll; Clare Barron's critically acclaimed YOU GOT OLDER, which was recognized at the 2015 Obies with awards for Playwright, Performance (Brooke Bloom), and Direction (Anne Kauffman) - each artist was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award, along with co-star and Tony Award winner Reed Birney; the first New York City production of George Brant's critically acclaimed GROUNDED, directed by Ken Rus Schmoll and starring Drama Desk nominee Hannah Cabell; and Cori Thomas' WHEN JANUARY FEELS LIKE SUMMER, directed by Daniella Topol. They have co-produced from time to time with such renowned new play theaters as Soho Rep, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, and Ensemble Studio Theatre.

Today, Page 73 annually serves twelve to fifteen early career playwrights through its productions and development programs. Each year, Page 73 produces New York City or world premieres by early-career playwrights and offers a slate of new play development programs: the P73 Playwriting Fellowship, Interstate 73 writers group, and a week-long Summer Residency.

Close to two-thirds of the over 100 playwrights they've supported have enjoyed New York or regional theatre productions after receiving a Page 73 premiere or development support. These include, among others, writers whose professional debuts in New York City were produced by Page 73, such as Samuel D. Hunter (2015 MacArthur "Genius" Grant), Quiara Alegría Hudes (2012 Pulitzer Prize), Dan LeFranc (2010 New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award), Heidi Schreck (2014 Tow Playwright in Residence at Playwrights Horizons), and Clare Barron (2015 Obie Award).

FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.page73.org

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos