Urban Stages Hosts 25th Anniversary Gala 5/18 At Central Park Boathouse

On May 18th, Urban Stages Founder and Artistic Director Frances Hill, Managing Director Lauren Schmiedel and the dedicated Urban Stages Board of Directors will tip their hats to the talented collection of actors, designers, and playwrights that have brought exciting new work to the stage for the past 25 years.

This Black-Tie/ Festive dress event will take place at the breathtaking Central Park Boathouse. The honorary chairs for this event are Urban Stages Alumni, the celebrated newscaster, novelist and playwright, Jim Lehrer and award winning actress of stage and screen, Tonya Pinkins, will honor other distinguished members of the Urban Stages' and the NY theatre community including Terence Archie, Trezana Beverly, Tina Chen, Eisa Davis, Bruce Graham, Antoinette LaVecchia, Susan Louise O'Connor, Felix Pire, Paul Sparks, Roman Tatarowicz and Stanton Wood. The evening will include cocktails, boat rides on the lake, music, entertainment and an exciting live auction.

For 25 years, Urban Stages has been producing award-winning new plays Off-Broadway. Our plays are uniquely American: a rich, diverse mix of the world's cultures as brought and re-interpreted by waves of immigrants that have settled in our gateway city. Bulrusher, by Eisa Davis, was one of three plays nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2007.

The Urban Stages Outreach Program has grown from two readings in libraries in 1991 to over 200 booked performances and arts education classes this year in 92 public libraries and 5 schools. Urban Stages' Teaching Artists teach Visual Arts, Dance and Playwriting to Harlem Day Charter School After- School students 4 days a week. Our diverse performers bring their talents directly into under-served neighborhoods in 43 of 51 Council Districts in New York, across all 5 boroughs of New York City. They are the heartbeat of our company.

Urban Stages' Summer Theatre Camp brings 9 to 14 year olds, college interns and professional dance, theatre, and playwriting teachers to our theatre for five weeks. Students create, write and produce their very own musical performance presented on a real Off-Broadway stage.

URBAN STAGES 25TH ANNEVERSARY GALA

Monday, May 18, 7-11pm at the Central Park Boathouse

Individual tickets range from $350- $10000; with table ranging from $5000-$10000

Special tickets for those under 30 years old.

$150 for dinner and dancing; $35 for cocktails and dancing after 9:30pm

And are available www.urbanstages.org or by call 212421 1380