William V. Engel To Receive Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award At George Street Playhouse, 5/6

George Street Playhouse's Annual Gala Benefit Evening takes place on Sunday, May 6 beginning at 5 pm at The Heldrich.   Former Governor Thomas H. Kean is scheduled to be on hand to personally present the Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award to William V. Engel, who is being honored as the recipient of the 2012 Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award.  The first award was given to Governor Kean in 1990 and thereafter, named in his honor to pay tribute to an individual, corporation or foundation whose dedication to the arts enhances the cultural life of the citizens of New Jersey.  Mr. Engel is a longtime subscriber and friend of the Playhouse and a noted supporter as well as an advocate of the arts in New Jersey.  In addition, the evening will be dedicated to the memory of longtime friend and renowned playwright Arthur Laurents.  Sean Devlin of Cranford, Mr. Engel’s partner in the law firm Engel & Devlin, serves as Honorary Benefit Chairperson.  Janice P. Haggerty of Bedminster and Gabriella Vajtay of Somerset serve as Auction Co-Chairpersons.  The silent auction is one of the highlights of the Playhouse’s Annual Gala, and offers luxury vacation trips, home furnishings, tickets to hard-to-get Broadway shows and top sports venues and much more.  Commemorative Journal Chairpersons are Kenneth M. Fisher, Jr. and Lora Tremayne, and Ruth Anne Salau Kurkjian serves as Tables Chairperson.

Patrons attending GSP’s Gala have come to expect stellar performances during the evening’s Cabaret and this year should prove no exception.  Past performers have included Rita Moreno, Bernadette Peters, Tyne Daly, Sandy Duncan, Kelly Bishop, Brian D’Arcy-James, Alison Fraser, Penny Fuller, Anne Jackson, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiiller, Lauren Bacall and Chita Rivera, among others.  This year’s performers will be announced at a later date.

The Black Tie affair at The Heldrich (located right across the street from George Street Playhouse)begins at 5 pm with a cocktail reception and silent auction.  Dinner follows at 6:30 pm with the Cabaret performance commencing at 7:30.  Individual tickets as well as tables of ten are available.  For further information contact Justine McCarthy, GSP Manager of Special Events, at (732) 846-2895, extension 144. 

William V.  (Bill) Engel was born in Manhattan, but grew up in Westfield, New Jersey where he attended Westfield public schools through eighth grade.  He then went to The Pingry School from which he graduated in 1967.  He graduated from Princeton University in 1971 with an A.B. with honors in History and a concentration in Afro-American Studies.  He graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 1974.  He received an Honorary Degree from St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey in 1987.  After law school, Bill initially worked as a Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and then returned to New Jersey to go into law practice with his father, Joseph G. Engel.  He has continued that practice, now known as Engel & Devlin, P.C., to the present.  The firm, located in Warren Township, New Jersey, specializes in trusts and estates, private foundation law, and residential real estate transactions. 

Bill’s combined service as a Trustee of five private foundations and one charitable trust collectively totals 181 years, most of which he has been and remains the chief executive and operating officer.  In addition, his service as a Trustee for numerous non-profit organizations adds to a total of 90 years, including seven years as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Pingry.  He has also been a co-Founder and Trustee for sixteen years of New Jersey SEEDS and served for seven years as a Trustee of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers.  He is a longtime personal supporter of various New Jersey arts organizations and a season subscriber to George Street Playhouse and Paper Mill Playhouse.  He resides in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. 

Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint, George Street Playhouse has become a nationally recognized theatre, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. Noted Arts Administrator Norma Kaplan was appointed Managing Director in September 2011. Founded in 1974, the Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway – recent productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger, the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill and the recent Broadway hit and Tony® and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP’s Touring Theatre features four issue-oriented productions that are seen by more than 40,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and by its lead season sponsor, Johnson & Johnson. 

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