HB Studio Announces UTA HAGEN AT 100 Gala

HB Studio, one of New York's oldest acting studios, will celebrate the legacy of Uta Hagen, long-time HB Studio master teacher, with the Uta Hagen AT 100 GALA, on Monday, June 10 at Tribeca Rooftop (2 Desbrosses Street). The evening will begin at 6pm with cocktails, followed by a dinner at 7pm.

The gala, which takes place two days prior to Ms. Hagen's 100th birthday, will benefit HB Studio's world-renowned training and development programs for professional and emerging actors, playwrights, and directors. The evening, to be hosted by David Hyde Pierce and Katie Finneran, will honor actress Marlo Thomas with the Uta Hagen Legacy Award, actor John David Washington with the HB Next Generation Award, and long-time HB Studio supporter Alexander Bernstein with the HB Community Leader Award. Gala co-chairs are Jessica & Sebastien Douieb and David C. Rich & Scott Smith.

Gala tickets (beginning at $500) and tables can be purchased by visiting www.uta100gala.givesmart.com, or by calling Megan Foehr at 212-675-2370 Ext 39.

Uta Hagen was one of the most renowned and respected acting teachers of the 20th century. A transcendent actor, life-changing teacher, and blazingly honest advocate for the relevance and power of theater, she was highly sought-after and influential among actors she trained at HB Studio. She was the author of two best-selling acting texts, the seminal Respect for Acting and the definitive A Challenge for the Actor, both still used by theater students today, and her most substantial contributions to theatre training were a series of "object exercises" that remain prominent training for acting professionals. The many notable actors who studied under Uta Hagen include Katie Finneran, Liza Minnelli, Whoopi Goldberg, Jack Lemmon, Debbie Allen, F. Murray Abraham, Rita Gardner, Steve McQueen, Amanda Peet, Marlo Thomas, Jerry Stiller, Charles Nelson Reilly, and Hal Holbrook.

HB STUDIO was founded in 1945 by the Broadway actor and director Herbert Berghof. Uta Hagen joined Berghof as his partner at the Studio soon after it began and continued to lead the Studio as master teacher until her death in 2004. As one of the original New York acting studios, HB Studio supports vigorous, lifelong practice in the theater, based on a solid foundation of practical training. The Studio offers a variety of classes and workshops for actors, directors, and playwrights. Through the Uta Hagen Institute, HB Studio offers intensive acting training programs with the Hagen Core Training, the Hagen Summer Intensive, and the Hagen Teacher's Lab. As the Studio's production and performance space, the HB Playwrights Theatre offers artists in residence and students of the Studio a safe, creative space to perform and develop their works. The HB Studio faculty is comprised of practicing theater artists recognized for their professional work on and off the stage and screen. Its students, faculty, and alumni form a vibrant community of actors, playwrights, and directors, active in all aspects of the performing arts.