A.C.T.'s 2008?09 Season Gala, Illuminate The Night, Raised $715,000

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) is proud to announce that A.C.T.’s 2008–09 season gala, Illuminate the Night, raised $715,000 to benefit A.C.T’s acclaimed conservatory programs. The elegant gala event, co-chaired by Carla Crane and Chandra Geiger Gordon, was attended by over 300 of San Francisco’s cultural, corporate, and philanthropic communities, as well as alumni of A.C.T.’s Master of Fine Arts Program such as Tony Award–winning actor Anika Noni Rose. The black tie event took place Sunday, April 19, 2009, at San Francisco’s Four Seasons Hotel and featured an exclusive performance by Judy Kaye, Tony Award–winning star of A.C.T.’s Sweeney Todd and Souvenir.  Students from A.C.T.’s own Master of Fine Arts Program and Young Conservatory also performed in musical numbers directed by John Carrafa, the Tony Award–nominated choreographer of Urinetown, the Musical. Along with a cocktail hour and elegant dinner, Illuminate the Night featured a live auction, a paddle raise, and a special raffle drawing for a Smart Car with an exclusive parking spot in front of the American Conservatory Theater all year long.

“We are grateful to A.C.T’s large family of supporters for making this evening a success in these difficult economic times,” said gala co-chairs Carla Crane and Chandra Geiger Gordon. “We also greatly  appreciate the extraordinary creativity of everyone who worked behind the scenes. The delicious food, exquisite flowers, and breathtaking lighting made the perfect backdrop for the stunning performances of Judy Kaye and our gifted conservatory students.”

The co-chairs added: “The night really was all about our students, who illuminate our world through their work as performing artists. The funds raised will support A.C.T.’s conservatory programs, which help to keep the magic of theater alive in this generation and for generations to come. It has been our great pleasure and honor to work in support of these programs and the exceptional students they benefit.”

Proceeds from the gala benefit A.C.T.’s acclaimed conservatory, led by Melissa Smith and George Thompson, which annually serves more than 2,500 students through its heralded actor-training programs, and represents an integral part of A.C.T.’s mission. Ranked as one of the top programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the A.C.T. Master of Fine Arts Program functions as the cornerstone of the A.C.T. Conservatory, which also includes the Summer Training Congress, Studio A.C.T., and the Young Conservatory. Elizabeth Banks, Benjamin Bratt, Annette Bening, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, and Denzel Washington are among the conservatory's distinguished former students. With its commitment to excellence in actor training and to the relationship between training, performance, and audience, the A.C.T. Conservatory has moved to the forefront of America’s actor training programs, while serving as the creative engine of the company at large. For more information, please visit www.act-sf.org/conservatory.

Now in its 42nd season, American Conservatory Theater is a Tony Award–winning theater and educational institution dedicated to nurturing the art of live theater through dynamic productions, intensive actor training in its conservatory, and an ongoing dialogue with its community. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Carey Perloff and Executive Director Heather Kitchen, A.C.T. embraces its responsibility to conserve, renew, and reinvent its relationship to the rich theatrical traditions and literatures that are our collective legacy, while exploring new artistic forms and new communities.