Berkeley Rep Announces 2018 OVATION Gala

On Saturday, June 9 Berkeley Repertory Theatre invites guests to OVATION: 50 Years and Glowing, an evening to celebrate the organization's 50th anniversary by honoring the Theatre's past and toasting its future. The event will take place at 6PM at The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

The event is both a spectacular party and an opportunity to celebrate and support the Theatre's innovative work both on and off stage, from its productions and new play development program to its efforts to nurture the next generation of theatre makers and theatre lovers. Guests will reconnect with luminary artists and friends from Berkeley Rep's earliest days, including Charles Dean, Sharon Lockwood, Joe Spano, Tony Amendola, and Judith Marx, to the present - cast members from the 2017 hit production of AIN'T TOO PROUD: The Life and Times of The Temptations will perform.

"We are thrilled to be welcoming back so many artists and friends who have been part of the Theatre's 50-year history," says Managing Director Susan Medak. "We look forward to toasting the future and Berkeley Rep's continuing commitment to artists and the development of new work."

There is still time to reserve a ticket - or an entire table - for Berkeley Rep's OVATION: 50 Years and Glowing. Craft cocktails and fine wines flow all night long as guests savor hors d'oeuvres and a celebratory feast prepared by the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. Exclusive prizes and one-of-a-kind adventures await guests in Berkeley Rep's exhilarating live auction led by "Gavel Girl" DawnMarie Kotsonis. Spectacular auction items include two trips sailing on luxury residential yacht The World, one to the coast of Spain, the other to Ireland, England, and France. Other exciting auction items include a private movie night party with EGOT-winner Rita Moreno at her home during the 2019 Oscar season, and a chance to bid on opening night tickets to see AIN'T TOO PROUD (now the top grossing show in Berkeley Rep history) during its upcoming run in Toronto.

OVATION: 50 Years and Glowing features exquisite wines from Merry Edwards, Hafner Vineyard, Ramsay Winery, WindRacer, Quady Winery, Domaine Carneros by Taittinger, as well as craft beer from Drake's Brewing Company.

OVATION: 50 Years and Glowing is made possible by the generosity of lead sponsors Fossil Group, Rich and Robin Edwards, Bruce Golden and Michelle Mercer, Richard Grand Foundation, The Strauch Kulhanjian Family, and Kelli and Steffan Tomlinson. The planning committee for the event includes Narsai David, Rich Edwards, Robin Edwards, Sandra Eggers, Jill Fugaro, Scott Haber, Sandra McCandless, Stewart Owen, Sudha Pennathur, Margaret Rothschild, Laura Severino, Audrey Sockolov, Jean Strunsky, Deborah Taylor Barrera, and Gail Wagner.

Tickets for Berkeley Rep's OVATION: 50 Years and Glowing begin at $750. Tables are available at several different sponsorship tiers -- $7,500 (Balcony), $12,500 (Mezzanine), $18,000 (Orchestra), $25,000 (Marquee). All proceeds from the event support all of the work on Berkeley Rep's stages, as well as the Theatre's arts education and new play development programs.

ABOUT BERKELEY REP

Berkeley Repertory Theatre has grown from a storefront stage to an international leader in innovative theatre. Known for its core values of imagination and excellence, as well as its educated and adventurous audience, the nonprofit has provided a welcoming home for emerging and established artists since 1968. In five decades, over 5.5 million people have enjoyed nearly 500 shows at Berkeley Rep. These shows have gone on to win five Tony Awards, seven Obie Awards, nine Drama Desk Awards, one Grammy Award, and many other honors. In recognition of its place on the national stage, Berkeley Rep received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 1997. Its bustling facilities - which include the 400-seat Peet's Theatre, the 600-seat Roda Theatre, the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, and a spacious campus in West Berkeley - are helping revitalize a renowned city. Learn more at berkeleyrep.org