Liz Callaway to Perform at The Acting Company's Gala

On Monday, October 17, Liz Callaway, the Emmy Award-winning actress, singer and recording artist, will perform as part of The Acting Company's annual gala. A cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. will be followed by a silent auction, dinner, entertainment and award ceremony.

The Acting Company will honor legendary theatrical director Mark Lamos and distinguished patron of the arts J. Barclay Collins at its annual gala at New York's Metropolitan Club, 1 East 60th St. The event, starting at 6:30 p.m., features cocktails, silent auction, dinner, entertainment and award ceremony.

"This year's award recipients, Barclay Collins and Mark Lamos, truly embody the spirit, commitment and dedication of John Houseman and Joan Warburg's contributions to The Acting Company and the theatrical world," Executive Director, Elisa Spencer-Kaplan said.

Known for her work on stage in "Merrily We Roll Along," "Baby," "Miss Saigon," "The Three Musketeers," and "The Look of Love," Callaway has also released five solo recordings: "Passage of Time," "The Beat Goes On," "The Story Goes On: Liz Callaway On and Off-Broadway," "Anywhere I Wander: Liz Callaway Sings Frank Loesser" and "Merry and Bright." Her film work includes singing in "Anastasia," "Aladdin and the King of Thieves/ The Return of Jafar," "The Swan Princess," "Lion King 2: Simba's Pride" and "Beauty and the Beast."

An industry-filled audience of producers, directors, entertainers and other notables is expected to attend, including Dana Ivey, former NJ Gov. Thomas H. Kean, Edgar Lansbury, and Richard Thomas. The Acting Company Alumnus, Stephen DeRosa, will host the event.

The Acting Company is America's most honored touring repertory theatre, having reached four million people in the U.S. and abroad with 140 classic and new works. Proceeds from the gala support the Company's repertory of theatrical productions and arts education for underserved audiences.

Lamos will be presented with The Acting Company's John Houseman Award by Richard Thomas. The award honors Lamos' profound commitment to the development of actors and arts education in America. He has helped to shape the careers of some of the finest classical actors in recent generations, with numerous alumni of The Acting Company among them.

Collins will receive The Acting Company's Joan M. Warburg Humanitarian Award for his deep and longstanding dedication to giving back to the community, from supporting the arts and education, to helping raise funds for innovations in health care and new protections for the environment. The Award will be presented by former NJ Governor Thomas H. Kean.

Now artistic director of the Westport Country Playhouse, Lamos has directed innumerable plays, musicals and opera in regional theatre and on Broadway. The New York Times has called him "a poet of the theatre" for his outstanding career achievements. His work has received a chapter in Samuel L. Leiter's "The Great Stage Directors: 100 Distinguished Careers of the Theater."

As artistic director of Connecticut's Hartford Stage, it won a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.
Collins, a long-time executive in the energy business, has served on the board of The Acting Company for nine years. He is former executive vice president and general counsel of Hess Corporation, the New York-based global energy company.

Throughout his business and professional life, Collins has been a committed volunteer leader in health care, education and the arts, as well as with organizations in the protection of the environment and historic preservation. Event chairs are Tim Saunders, Christopher Shyer, Angela Pierce and Dana Ivey. Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks will provide music.

Founded in 1972 by Oscar winner John Houseman and producer Margot Harley, The Acting Company brings live classical theatre to those who might otherwise never get a chance to enjoy and learn from it. Its education programs reach students who have limited access to arts, education and live theatre.

Since its inception, The Acting Company has developed the talents and skills of more than 400 actors, including the young Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Rainn Wilson, Harriet Harris, Frances Conroy, Jesse L. Martin, Jeffrey Wright, David Ogden Stiers, David Schramm, Keith David, Stephen DeRosa and Hamish Linklater, all of whom began their careers with it.