David And Betsy Epstein, Peter DuBois Honored At Huntington Theatre Company Gala

Huntington Theatre Company Board Chairman David Epstein, Education Committee Chair Betsy Banks Epstein, and Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director Peter DuBois will be honored with the Wimberly Award at the 2019 Spotlight Spectacular on Monday, May 6, 2019 at 6pm at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts. The Spotlight Spectacular co-chairs are Cokie and Lee Perry and Linda and Daniel Waintrup.

The 2019 Spotlight Spectacular will be designed by Rafanelli Events featuring set design by Tony Award nominee Alexander Dodge, an award-winning scenic designer and frequent collaborator of Peter DuBois. The event will feature a cocktail reception, a live auction offering one-of-a-kind items, a seated dinner provided by MAX Ultimate Food, the presentation of the Wimberly Awards, and performances by some of Broadway and Boston's best talent. The Gerard & Sherryl Cohen Award for Excellence will be given to two Huntington staff members who consistently go above and beyond in their contribution to the company: Individual Giving Manager Annalise Baird and Costume Crafts Artisan Denise Wallace-Spriggs. Guests will also have the opportunity to "Sponsor a Class" in support of the Huntington's student matinee series and other education programs. For more information on the event please visit huntingtontheatre.org/gala.

The Huntington's festive annual event raises money to support the Huntington's programs, including its award-winning youth, education, and community programs that reach more than 30,000 annually. The 2018 Spotlight Spectacular honored Neal Balkowitsch and Tony Award-nominee director of the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic, Liesl Tommy. The event raised over $1,000,000 and was attended by over 500 guests.

David and Betsy Epstein have been Huntington Theatre Company supporters for almost 20 years. Currently, David is the chairman of the Huntington's Board of Trustees and Betsy is a trustee and chair of the Huntington's Education committee. David is president and founding partner of The Abbey Group, a Boston-based real estate development company, and a managing partner of the Boston Celtics. Betsy is a freelance writer and published author. Her work includes features in The Boston Globe, Cambridge Chronicle, several anthologies, and the recent book Still Becoming: Conversations with People in Their Sixties, co-authored with her sister-in-law Elinor Svenson. Both reside in Boston and together have three children and eight grandchildren. Both David and Betsy Epstein, through their philanthropic endeavors and fervent passion for the city of Boston, have demonstrated an unyielding commitment to the Huntington, their community, and the thriving future that lies ahead.

"The Epsteins' dedication to the Huntington has been extraordinary," says Managing Director Michael Maso. "We are tremendously grateful for David's visionary leadership of the Huntington Board of Trustees during this moment of monumental transformation for the company, and for Betsy's passion for and support of the Huntington's education programs. While David is working to create a new Huntington, Betsy is serving young people and building future audiences. And through their generous leadership gift to our comprehensive campaign, both Betsy and David Are ensuring that our work will continue for generations."

Peter DuBois is in his eleventh season as the Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director of the Huntington Theatre Company, where his directing credits include Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music; numerous world premieres such as Fall, Smart People, and Sons of the Prophet, and revivals of the classics Romeo and Juliet and Tartuffe. He has directed critically acclaimed productions and world premieres in New York, Boston, and London's West End. Peter has directed many talented, award-winning actors including Greg Kinnear (The Power of Duff), Sutton Foster (Modern Terrorism, Becky Shaw, Trust), Bobby Cannavale (Trust), Peter Dinklage (Richard III), Zach Braff (All New People), and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Jack Goes Boating). Peter has directed multiple episodes of the podcast "Modern Love," including its debut with Lauren Molina. His productions have been on the annual top ten lists of The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The New Yorker, The Evening Standard, The Boston Globe, and Improper Bostonian. During his time as Artistic Director of the Huntington Theatre Company, Peter has been a devoted advocate of new work, giving burgeoning artists a home on Huntington stages and allowing their voices to be heard by our audiences.

"Peter DuBois is a dynamic and passionate leader. Over the past 10 years, he has brought new meaning to classic productions, new plays and musicals, brought some of the country's finest theatre artists to Boston and championed the work of local writers, women and artists of color. He has developed and produced important new plays, creating a new generation of American theatre artists and celebrating Boston's wonderful acting community," says Maso. "We honor Peter with a sense of joy and gratitude as he shapes the future of the Huntington in this exciting new chapter."