Kate Flannery Of “The Office” To Host Chicago Dramatists' First Ever Virtual Fundraiser

Chicago Dramatists, one of the nation's premiere centers for developing new plays for stage and screen, is announcing that Kate Flannery (Meredith Palmer of NBC's The Office) will be the celebrity host of its annual fundraising gala, La nuit d'amour dramatique, Saturday, August 29 at 7:00 p.m. The event celebrates dramatic writers and the love affair audiences have with fictional characters they create. This year's event will focus on the story behind the story, taking a deep look at what was going on in the writers' mind when creating characters.

"I'm very excited to help Chicago Dramatists celebrate the creative process that goes into developing memorable characters," says Kate Flannery who began her career in Chicago performing with The Second City and the Annoyance Theater. "I know how diligently the writers of The Office worked to make every character on the show unique and memorable. As an actor, I am grateful to have played a role that continues to have a loyal fan following."

The virtual event is free and will feature a packed schedule of insider interviews, original songs, and a performance of a scene from Sue Pak's play, Miguk Saram, which was chosen to be a National Playwrights Conference 2020 finalist at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.

"The event is designed to pay homage to the creative process and how we relate to each other," says Chicago Dramatists board chair, Michael J. Keating. "Last year, we had a huge successful custom ball event where attendees dressed as their favorite fictional character. This year, due to the pandemic, we are inviting guests to come as they are (costumes optional!) and join us from the comfort of their computer."

We are so fortunate to have a number of well-respected writers and actors participate in this year's event," says Caron Becker, Artistic Director of Chicago Dramatists. "We will go on a creative journey of personal passion in character development. This is a rare opportunity for true theater lovers to hear writers describe the challenges they face as they create characters who make an impact."

The event includes one-on-one interviews with Martyna Majok, a Polish-American playwright who won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Cost of Living; Alice Austen, who's work script was made into the award-winning film Give Me Liberty; Lydia R Diamond, who's play Stick Fly was produced on Broadway by Alicia Keys; and Sue Pak, who's play Miguk Saram is a National Playwrights Conference 2020 finalist at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. The event will also include a performance of scene from Miguk Saram as well as a conversation among the playwright, actors, and director, as well as several performances of songs from musical plays that are currently in development.

Following the pre-recorded portion of the event, there will be a live Q&A session which will feature Kate Flannery as well as several playwrights and actors. Live interaction is encouraged and questions from the audience will be answered by the panel.

To register for the event, go to www.ChicagoDramatists.org. This is a free event, however, donations are being accepted. 100% of funds raised will go directly towards funding many of the exciting programs Chicago Dramatists offers.