Primary Stages 40th Anniversary Gala

Our 40th Anniversary Gala took place on Monday, October 7, 2024 at Sony Hall.

Honoring
Primary Stages Board President Marla Persky
with the Einhorn Mentorship Award
and
The Laurents/Hatcher Foundation
with the Andrew Leynse Commitment to New Plays Award

With Performances By
Jay Armstrong Johnson, Jen Cody, Judy Gold, Deidre Goodwin, Julia Murney, Brad Oscar, Matthew Saldívar, and Joy Woods

and Tributes By
Betsy Aidem, Shireen Barday, Tina Beamon, Zahreen Ghaznavi, Kate Hamill, Samantha Heberton, Marsha Indych, Ellen McLauglin, Sandy Podesta, BD Wong, and Florence Zhang

The Primary Stages Gala is the largest fundraiser of our season, and its income provides critical support for our free educational programs benefiting over 1,000 teens and teachers annually. The event included a cocktail hour, seated dinner, and live performances by Broadway's biggest stars. Performers for our 40th Anniversary Gala included Jay Armstrong Johnson (Parade, On the Town), Jen Cody (Ibsen’s Ghost, Shrek the Musical), Judy Gold (Yes, I Can Say That!, 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother), Deidre Goodwin (Chicago, A Chorus Line), Julia Murney (Wicked, The Wild Party), Brad Oscar (The Producers, Something Rotten), Matthew Saldívar (Peter and the Starcatcher, The Wedding Singer), and Joy Woods (The Notebook, Six)!

We were thrilled to present the Einhorn Mentorship Award to Marla Persky, who has been our Board President since 2020. The Einhorn Mentorship Award is awarded each year to someone in the Primary Stages community who has been a true mentor and inspiration to those who work with them. Past recipients include Carl Andress, Charles Busch, Jeanine Tesori, Kimberly Senior, Judy Gold, Adam Gwon, Sharon Washington, and Kate Hamill. As Board President, Marla has led Primary Stages through pandemic recovery, mentored our senior staff with deep care and commitment, and built a career of empowering women in the legal field.

We were also honored to present the Andrew Leynse Commitment to New Plays Award to The Laurents/Hatcher Foundation. Created in memory of Primary Stages’ late Artistic Director Andrew Leynse, this award is given annually to a member of the Primary Stages community who has been a dedicated champion of new plays and new playwrights. Our inaugural award was given last year to theater agent Beth Blickers. Created in honor of Tony Award–winning playwright Arthur Laurents (Gypsy, West Side Story) and his partner, Tom Hatcher, The Laurents/Hatcher Foundation awards $150,000 each year to an unproduced full-length play by an early-career playwright and $1.5 million in grants supporting new work at theaters across the country. 

GALA BENEFIT COMMITTEE:
Sue Breger, Jamie deRoy, Eleanor Holtzman, Carol Roaman, and Mary Susnjara