Dialog Title

×

Your cart is about to expire.

GALA ON THE GREEN 2022

THE 2022 PUBLIC THEATER ANNUAL GALA ON THE GREEN
EMCEED BY LIEV SCHREIBER
FEATURING PERFORMANCES BY RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY, OSCAR ISAAC, JULIA MURNEY, KELLI O'HARA, AND KIMBER ELAYNE SPRAWL.
SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY DANAI GURIRA


Tuesday, May 24, 2022
6:00PM ET
Cocktails
7:00PM ET
Dinner & Performance
The Delacorte Lawn in Central Park



ABOUT THE SHOWS.

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
written and directed by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson, boldly reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan, including “Hurricane,” “I Want You,” “Slow Train Coming,” “Forever Young,” and “Like A Rolling Stone” as they’ve never been heard before.This spiritually uplifting and beautiful story is set in Duluth, MN, in 1934, when a group of wanderers’ lives intersect at a house full of music, life, and hope. GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY made its United States premiere at The Public in the Fall of 2018, before transferring to Broadway February 2020. It is now doing a strictly limited season at the Belasco Theatre until June 19. 

INTO THE WOODS
is a modern twist of intertwining plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a beautiful musical format, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. With music and lyrics by our beloved Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, this musical played our very own Delacorte stage in the summer of 2012, in the fitting greenery of Central Park.

TWO GENTELMEN OF VERONA
Based on the Shakespeare comedy of the same name, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA follows lifelong friends Proteus and Valentine as they leave their rural hometown to experience life in urban Milan. In an ongoing effort to make the great works of Shakespeare relevant to contemporary audiences, Joe Papp brought together John Guare, Mel Shapiro, and Galt MacDermont to create a new musical version of TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA that premiered at The Delacorte, toured with the Mobile Unit and then was the first show to transfer to Broadway with LuEsther T. Mertz’s incredible backing and support. This show was envisioned for the people of New York City and toured the five boroughs in 1971.

A CHORUS LINE
A seminal musical that opened at The Public on April 15, 1975, A CHORUS LINE charts the emotional journeys of 17 dancers, as they spend the day auditioning for a Broadway chorus line. After its run in The Public’s Newman Theater, the show went on to play 6,137 performances on Broadway—becoming Broadway’s longest-running production, until 1997. For its run at the Shubert Theatre, A CHORUS LINE won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

CAST & CREATIVE.

Image of Renée Elise Goldsberry

Renée Elise Goldsberry

Artist

is a multi-hyphenate actress and singer who has delivered award winning performances both on Broadway and on the screen. She is perhaps best known for her role as Angelica Schuyler in the musical phenomenon Hamilton, which has become a cultural touchstone for the ages. Renée’s performance earned her a Tony Award, Grammy Award, Drama Desk Award, and a Lucille Lortel Award. In July 2021, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for the Disney+ film adaptation. Renee currently stars in Tina Fey’s new Emmy nominated series for Peacock, “Girls5eva.”. Up next, she will be seen in Billy Porter’s film directorial debut What If. Other highlights from her film and television career include co-starring in A24’s critical darling Wavesopposite Sterling K. Brown, the Netflix series “Altered Carbon,”, “Documentary Now!”’s cult favorite episode, “Original Cast Album: Co-Op”, “The Good Wife,” , The House with a Clock in Its Walls,, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,, “The Get Down,” and her creation of the beloved character Evangeline Williamson on ABC'S “One Life to Live,” for which she received two Daytime Emmy nominations and two NAACP Image Award nominations. Renée's appearances on stage include her Outer Critics Circle Award nominated performance opposite Frances McDormand in the play Good People , and the original Broadway version of The Color Purple . She made her Broadway debut as Nala in The Lion King , and her performance as Mimi in Broadway's closing cast of RENT was immortalized on film. As a solo artist, Renée garners rave reviews performing to packed crowds in concert halls and symphony spaces all over the country. Her debut album will be released this year!

Image of Danai Gurira

Danai Gurira

Speaker

is an award-winning playwright and actress. Distinguished as the first African female writer to have a play on Broadway, and to bring the perspective of African women to mainstream theater, her stage plays give voice to untold narratives. They include In the Continuum (OBIE Award, Outer Critics Award, Helen Hayes Award), Eclipsed (Tony nomination: Best Play, NAACP Award, Helen Hayes Award: Best New Play, Connecticut Critics Circle Award: Outstanding Production of a Play), and The Convert (six Ovation Awards, L.A. Outer Critics Award). Her newest play, Familiar, received its world premiere at Yale Rep and premiered in New York at Playwrights Horizons in February of 2016. Commissioned by Yale Rep, Center Theatre Group, Playwrights Horizons, and the Royal Court, she is a recipient of the Sam Norkin Award (2016 Drama Desk Awards), a Whiting Award as well as a Hodder Fellowship.

As an actor, Gurira starred as General Okoye in Marvel’s 2018 Academy Award-winning blockbuster film Black Panther, for which she won a People’s Choice Award (Favorite Action Movie Star), an NAACP Image Award (Outstanding Supporting Actress/Motion Picture) and a shared SAG Award (Outstanding Performance by a Cast/Motion Picture). Later that year she reprised her role in Avengers: Infinity War and again in Avengers: Endgame, which went on to become the #1 top grossing film in history.

She most recently starred in her final season as Michonne on AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” which remains a top-rated cable program in its tenth season. Her other acting credits include the feature films All Eyez on Me, Mother of George, The Visitor, and Shakespeare in the Park’s stage production of Measure for Measure (Equity Callaway Award). This summer Gurira will star as the title character of Richard III for Shakespeare in the Park’s 60th anniversary season. The Public Theater production will be directed by Robert O’Hara. In November she will reprise her role of Okoye in the highly anticipated Black Panther sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Born in Iowa to Zimbabwean parents and raised in Zimbabwe, Gurira holds an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. An ambassador for Bono’s ONE campaign, she is co-founder of Almasi Arts Alliance, which works to give access and opportunity to African dramatic artists. With a personal dedication to effect tangible change in gender equality and push global leaders toward real policy transformation, she is founder of Love Our Girls, which spotlights the specific challenges faced by women and girls while celebrating the courageous work by organizations seeking to make a difference. In December 2018 she was also named a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women, supporting its mandate of gender equality and women’s rights and leveraging her celebrity as an amplifier of other women’s voices.

Twitter/Instagram: @DanaiGurira, Facebook: @DanaiGuriraOfficial.

Image of Oscar Isaac

Oscar Isaac

Artist

is a critically acclaimed and award-winning actor, producer and musician. In 2016, he earned a Golden Globe for his role on the HBO miniseries “Show Me A Hero” in the Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film category as well as a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Actor in a Movie or Miniseries. Two years prior, he scored an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead and a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of the title character in the Coen Brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis. He additionally was featured on numerous songs on the film’s soundtrack. That same year, Isaac led J.C. Chandor’s action-packed drama, A Most Violent Year, for which he earned the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor with the film earning the Best Film nod. The following year, Isaac starred in Ex Machina written and directed by Alex Garland. The National Board of Review recognized the film as one of the ten best independent films of the year. In 2015, Isaac starred as the Resistance pilot, Poe Dameron, in the highly awaited Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), the seventh installment in the main Star Wars film series. Directed, co-produced, and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was the first of a trilogy planned by Disney. Isaac returned as Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) and in the final chapter Stars Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Other acting credits include The Promise (2016), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Suburbicon (2017), Annihilation (2018), Operation Finale (2018) of which he also is credited as a producer, Life Itself (2018), Triple Frontier (2019), At Eternity’s Gate (2019), and The Addams Family (2019). Issac also starred in The Letter Room, a short film directed by Elvira Lind, which was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2021 Oscars. Most recently, the Screen Actors Guild nominated Isaac in the “Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series” category for his performance in HBO’s “Scenes from a Marriage.”

In 2017, Isaac headlined The Public Theater’s summer production of Hamlet with Sam Gold at the helm. Off-Broadway, Isaac appeared in Zoe Kazan’s play We Live Here at Manhattan Theatre Club, as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, and in Two Gentlemen of Verona, the latter productions for The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. Isaac also appeared in Beauty of the Father at Manhattan Theatre Club and in MCC Theater’s Grace. Additional theatre credits include: Arrivals and Departures, When It’s Cocktail Time in Cuba, and Spinning into Butter.

In 2021, Isaac starred in three separate projects that each debuted at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival. Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, with Martin Scorsese as an executive producer, starred Isaac alongside Tiffany Haddish and hit theaters this past September. Isaac also appeared in the much-anticipated reboot of Dune, an adaption of the bestselling novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, which hit theaters and HBO Max in October. Oscar’s third project to debut in Venice was HBO’s five part miniseries “Scenes from a Marriage,” an adaption by Hagai Levi of Ingmar Bergman’s classic Swedish series of the same name and co-starring Jessica Chastain. Additionally, Isaac reprised his role as the voice of Gomez Addams in The Addams Family 2, which was also released in October.

Most recently, Isaac starred in Marvel Studio’s “Moon Knight,” which aired its finale episode this past week. Isaac also served as an executive producer on the project.

Next up, Isaac is set to produce Lionsgate’s upcoming film London, under his Mad Gene Media Banner, with Ben Stiller set to direct and will star in James Gray’s period drama Armageddon Time, alongside Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland, Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett.

Isaac is also set to star in and produce the adaptation of Brian K. Vaughn’s Ex Machina comic retitled The Great Machine. Also in the comic realm, Oscar has partnered with Legendary Comics to produce Head Wounds: Sparrow, a graphic novel based on an idea developed by Oscar and his childhood friends Bob Johnson and John Alvey. The graphic novel is written by Brian Buccellato (Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, DC's “The Flash” and Injustice: Gods Among Us), with art by Christian Ward (Invisible Kingdom, Marvel's Black Bolt) and is expected to hit stores on June 21st.

Image of Julia Murney

Julia Murney

Artist

can be seen in the new musical Between The Lines at the Tony Kiser Theatre starting this June. She appeared on Broadway as Elphaba in Wicked after playing the role on the national tour for which she received an Acclaim Award. Other New York credits include Lennon, The Wild Party (Drama Desk nomination), The Vagina Monologues, Falling (Drama Desk nomination), Crimes of the Heart, Baby, A Class Act, The Landing, Queen of the Mist, and Time and Again (Lucille Lortel nomination). She’s been seen regionally all over the U.S.: Signature, MUNY, Sacramento Music Circus, and in concert she has performed solo shows nationally as well as in NYC at Feinstein's/54 Below, Birdland, Joe's Pub & Ars Nova. Symphony appearances have ranged from Carnegie Hall to The Kennedy Center, Caramoor to Town Hall, from Malaysia to Maui & a lot of spots in between. Among her TV credits are “Madam Secretary,” “30 Rock,” “Sex and the City,” “Succession,” “Brothers and Sisters,” all the “Law and Orders,” “First You Dream” and about a gazillion voiceovers. Films: The Report, Big Time Adolescence, First One In. A Syracuse University graduate, her recordings include the original cast albums of The Wild Party and A Class Act, the Grammy nominated Actor’s Fund Benefit of HAIR and her first solo album I’m Not Waiting, which is available on iTunes. Twitter: @juliamurney Instagram: @pepamama

Image of Kelli O'Hara

Kelli O'Hara

Artist

 star of stage and screen, has established herself as one of Broadway's greatest leading ladies. Her portrayal of Anna Loenowens in The King and I garnered her the 2015 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, along with Grammy, Drama League, Outer Critics and Olivier Nominations. She reprised the role while making her West End debut, and performed a limited engagement at Tokyo's Orb Theatre. Kelli also received an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Katie Bonner in Topic's hit web series,” The Accidental Wolf.” Other film and television credits include: Season 2 of Netflix's “13 Reasons Why,” “All the Bright Places,” “Peter Pan Live!,” Sex and The City 2, Martin Scorsese's The Key to Reserva, Showtime's “Master of Sex,” “The Good Fight,” “Blue Bloods,” “N3mbers,” and the animated series “Car Talk.” Other Broadway credits include Kiss Me Kate (Tony, Drama League, OCC nominations), The Bridges of Madison County (Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, OCC nominations), Nice Work if You Can Get It (Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, OCC nominations), South Pacific (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), The Pajama Game (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), The Light in the Piazza (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), Sweet Smell of Success, Follies, Dracula, and Jekyll & Hyde. She was awarded the prestigious Drama League's Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award in 2019. In 2015, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Lehar's The Merry Widow opposite Renée Fleming and returned as Despina in Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. Her concerts have gained international acclaim, spanning from Carnegie Hall to Tokyo. She is a frequent performer on PBS's live telecasts, The Kennedy Center Honors and performs often alongside The New York Philharmonic. Along with her two Grammy nominations, her solo albums, Always and Wonder in the World, are available on Ghostlight Records. Kelli can be seen in HBO's new hit series, “The Gilded Age” and has returned to her Emmy nominated role of Katie Bonner in the second season of Topic's “The Accidental Wolf,” streaming now.

Image of Liev Schreiber

Liev Schreiber

Emcee

Liev Schreiber is best known for Showtime's "Ray Donovan," for which he earned
five Golden Globe nominations and three Emmy nominations. His film credits
include the Scream trilogy, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Manchurian Candidate,
Spotlight, Isle of Dogs, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The French Dispatch,
and the narrator for Don’t Look Up. His stage credits include Glengarry Glen Ross,
for which he won a Tony Award, A View from the Bridge, (Drama Desk Award), Talk
Radio, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Cymbeline (Obie Award), Hamlet, Henry V, and
Macbeth. Upcoming projects include Across the River and Into the Trees, Asteroid
City, and Ray Donovan: The Movie. Liev is a co founder of Bluecheck Ukraine an
NGO whose mission is to identify, vet, and fast track financial support to Relief
groups on the ground in Ukraine. To donate please go to usukraine.org/bluecheck.

Image of Kimber Elayne Sprawl

Kimber Elayne Sprawl

Artist

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Kimber Elayne Sprawl originated the role of Marianne in Girl From The North Country at The Public Theater. Broadway credits include: A Bronx Tale (Jane), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (swing). National tour: Disney’s The Lion King (Sarabi, u/s Nala). Regional: The Niceties (Zoe, Milwaukee Repertory), Memphis (Felicia, Walnut Street Theatre). Social: @kimberelaynesprawl.

Mary-Mitchell Campbell
Music Director
Martha Donaldson
Production Stage Manager
Jordan Peters
Guitar
Chelsea Smith
Violin

HONOREES.

Image of GIL SHIVA

GIL SHIVA

Honoree

This year, it is our joy to honor the singular Gil Shiva, whose leadership, integrity, and stewardship of the Susan Stein Shiva Foundation, have guided The Public Theater for decades. A long-time Public Theater Trustee and passionate champion of the arts, Gil’s commitment to a theater that is accessible to all can be felt in every corner of New York City.

Image of JAMIE MALESZKA

JAMIE MALESZKA

Community Honoree

The Annual Community Leadership Award recognizes a member of The Public Theater who has provided exemplary service to their community by establishing meaningful relationships and enhancing the lives of their neighbors. The recipient opens sustainable pathways for all New Yorkers to express their creative power, embodying the belief that culture belongs to everyone. Their leadership leaves lasting impact on their community, The Public Theater, and the city of New York.

The Public is thrilled to present the second annual Community Leadership Award to Jamie Maleszka, Director of Creative Arts at The Fortune Society, in recognition of her extraordinary collaboration with The Public and in celebration of her efforts in community artmaking.

CO-CHAIRS & BENEFIT COMMITTEE.

Co-Chairs

Mercedes Bass

Jason Blum & Lauren Schuker Blum

Julio Peterson

Benefit Committee

Barry Diller & Diane von Fürstenberg

Peter Dinklage & Erica Schmidt

Nora Ephron & Nicholas Pileggi Foundation

Princess Firyal of Jordan

Ryan & Ethan Hawke

Kenneth B. Lerer

Lynn Nesbit

Elyse & Michael Newhouse

Elizabeth Peabody

Richard Roth

Liev Schreiber

Julie Turaj & Robert Pohly

DONORS.

Empire State Package

Julia Pershan & Jonathan Cohen

Select Equity Group, L.P.

Alexandra Shiva & Jonathan Marc Sherman

Teresa Tsai

Manhattan Plaza Package

Michael Bosworth

Kurt Chauviere & William Juster Sullivan

Barbara Cohen

Jonathan D. Cohen

Continental Grain Company

Nora Ephron & Nicholas Pileggi Foundation

Yorke Construction Corporation

Mychal Harrison

Hans & Kate Morris

Elyse & Michael Newhouse

No Guarantees

Elizabeth T. Peabody

Michael Price

Janice Cook Roberts

Evan Sacks

Hamilton

Alexa & Marc Suskin, The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation

The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation

Tiger Baron Foundation

Risë & Quentin Van Doosselaere

Frances & Frank Wilkinson

Ted & Anne Clarke Wolff

Empire State Ticket

Atlantic Development Group, LLC

Peggy C. Davis & Gordon J. Davis

Yrthya Dinzey-Flores & Antonino P. D'Ambrosio

Susan & David Edelstein

Hilary & Joseph Feshbach

Amie & Tony James

Ashley Leeds & Christopher M. Harland

05 Gramercy Park Ticket $1.5K

baker & Dr. Nadine Chang

Caitlin & Greg Behrman

CCS Fundraising

Gray Coleman / Carrie Casselman, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

sa E. Davis/Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

Envoie Projects

Dr. Heidi Snyder Flagg

Arielle Goren & Andrew Goldstone

Hudson Valley Eye Surgeons

Kasirer

Marina Mahamid & Deniece Dykes

Julio Peterson

Theresa Piliero

Poetry Shack

Manny Sanz

Karen Sartorius

Natalie & Jonathan Silverstein

Felicia Snead, MD

Sheila&Lee Stewart

Jane Toll

Delores Underwood

Susan Golden & Michael Volpe, Venable LLP

Alisa Amarosa Wood & Alastair Wood

Anonymous (1)

Ellington Room Young Partner Ticket

Natalie & Aaron Gibralter

Jessica Rivkin

Michael Roberts

Anonymous (1)

Hell's Kitchen Ticket

Mary G Campbell

Joanna Ebizie

Judy Ferber

Open Society Foundations

Jefrey Pollock & Deborah Brown

Barry F. Schwartz

Anonymous (4)

Cocktail Reception Ticket

Dr. Casilda Luck

Monique Gabriela Curnen

Susan & Anthony Go

Alva Greenberg

Gail Merrifield Papp

Phil Sarna

Andrew Siegel & Hillary Herskowitz

Anonymous (1)

04 Manhattan Plaza Ticket $3K

Ilene H Lang & H Neil Berkson

Kate Lear & Jon LaPook

Anonymous (1)

SPECIAL THANKS

The Public Theater extends our deepest thanks to everyone who made this evening possible, including, but not limited to:

Helen Bennett; BLUMHOUSE; John Breglio; Brooklyn Academy of Music; Central Park Conservancy; Joan Chiverton; Sarah Douglas; Sean Flahaven; Foresight Theatrical; Glam Picnics & Events; the Irish Repertory Theater; JetBlue Airways; Joe’s Pub; Robert Krulwich; MaryAnne MacDermot and family; The Modern Museum of Art; Sarah and Taylor Nederlander; The New York Botanical Gardens; New York City Department of Parks & Recreation; Rick Pappas; The Public Theater Props Department; The Shed; Amy Sherman-Palladino; Betsy Smith, President and CEO (CPC); Stan Steen, Director of Film and Events (CPC); Tavern on the Green; Third Act Digital, LLC.; Union Square Hospitality Group; and W South Beach on behalf of Susan Edelstein.

Special thanks to The Community Spirit Co. for providing vodka and Brooklyn Brewery for providing this evening's selection of beer.

   Brooklyn-Brewery-Logo-Black250.jpg