Imagination Stage's 2013 Gala Honors Author Judith Viorst with Imagination Award Tonight

Imagination Stage will host its 2013 gala, Stories Make the World Go 'Round, chaired by Jane Fairweather andSusan Lacz, tonight, October 19. At the heart of the event is the power of storytelling, both in connecting individuals with one another and in helping everyone, child and adult alike, to embrace their own stories.

The Stories Make the World Go 'Round Gala begins at 6:30 pm tonight, October 19 with pre-show cocktails and a silent auction, followed by an original performance by Imagination Stage students and professional actors, and a buffet reception generously provided by Ridgewells Catering.

Individual tickets are $250, and sponsorship packages begin at $1,000. To request more information or to purchase tickets, contact Rachel Garmon at 301-280-1626 or rgarmon@imaginationstage.org.

"We want to show that kids get their identity from the arts, and that everyone has a story to tell," explains Janet Stanford, Imagination Stage artistic director and the writer of the gala performance. "The arts encourage children to be the hero in their own lives."

The performance, directed by Imagination Stage's associate artistic director Kathryn Chase Bryer, will include characters from theproductions sharing the stage in the 2013-2014 professional theatre season, with Imagination Stage students portraying Lyle from Lyle the Crocodile and Cinderella from Cinderella: the Remix, among others.

Judith Viorst, a local author perhaps best known worldwide for her picture book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, will be honored following the performance with the Imagination Award. Heralded by Stanford as the "ultimate storyteller," Viorst is the author of Lulu and the Brontosaurus, as well as the musical adaptation that will kick off the upcoming professional theatre season at Imagination Stage.

Judith Viorst was born and raised in New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University, moved to Greenwich Village, and has lived in Washington, DC, since 1960, when she married Milton Viorst, a political writer. They have three sons and seven grandchildren. Viorst's writing encompasses many different genres: science books, children's picture books, adult fiction and nonfiction, poetry for children and adults, and musicals, which are still performed on stages around the country.

The Imagination Award spotlights creativity and provides an occasion to celebrate and honor those who ignite young imaginations.Past recipients include Dennis Haysbert (2003), Christopher Reeve (2004), Dr. Jane Goodall (2005), Joe Fab (2006), Maureen McGovern (2007), Deborah Phelps (2008), Joan Cushing (2011), and Mario Bonds (2012). Mario will also be performing at the 2013 Gala.

The 2013 Gala has a fundraising goal of $312,000, and all proceeds benefit Imagination Stage's theatre and arts education programs, which reach more than 100,000 children and families each year. Imagination Stage is the largest and most respected multi-disciplinary theatre arts organization for young people on the east coast. It offers a year-round season of professional shows (adult actors performing for families and schools); after-school programs and summer camps for ages 1-18; and arts-integration professional development training for teachers, students, schools, and families. All of its programs are informed by a core belief in making the arts inclusive and accessible to all children, regardless of their physical, cognitive, or financial status.

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