Curt Columbus, Artistic Director Michael Gennaro, Executive Director 201 Washington Street Providence Rhode Island 02903 www.trinityrep.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2014 CONTACT: Marilyn Busch, Director of Marketing & PR, (401) 453-9228 mbusch@trinityrep.com Myah Shein, Public Relations & Advertising Manager, (401) 521-1100 ext. 226 mshein@trinityrep.com
RICHARD & SHARON JENKINS TO RECEIVE 2014 PELL AWARDS FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ARTS MARY PAULA HUNTER TO BE HONORED WITH CHARLES SULLIVAN AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE IN THE ARTS 18th annual Pell Awards Celebration to be held on June 9, 2014 PROVIDENCE, RI – Trinity Rep announced today that former artistic director and Academy-award nominated film, stage and TV actor Richard Jenkins and his wife Director/Choreographer Sharon Jenkins will be honored with the 2014 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. The theater also announced that nationally known dance educator and choreographer Mary Paula Hunter will receive the 2014 Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts. The 18th annual Pell Awards will be held on Monday, June 9, 2014 at Trinity Rep with a reception to follow next door at the Providence Public Library.
Richard L. Bready Artistic Director Curt Columbus is thrilled to award this year's Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Pell Award the couple. "As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary season, it was especially important to all of
us to honor Richard and Sharon Jenkins for their combined body of work. They have been transformational figures in the history of Trinity Rep. Their work, both onstage and off, has influenced how audiences have looked at theater; from Shakespeare to American classics to new work to musicals, they both have made theater that is immediate, beautiful, and bold." He goes on to add, "Their commitment to community and place make them exceptional recipients in the spirit of the great Senator Claiborne Pell." The theater's annual gala event will be co-chaired by Clay Pell and Michelle Kwan alongside Barbara and Larry Schoenfeld. Mrs. Nuala Pell will serve as the event’s honorary chair. Together with business, political and social leaders, guests at this creative black tie affair will mix, mingle, and enjoy delicious food and desserts provided by Russell Morin Fine Catering.
Individual tickets to the full event are $500; a limited number of individual tickets to the ceremony and postshow reception are $250, and corporate sponsorships are available. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Trinity Rep at (401) 453-9237. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit Trinity Rep’s artistic programs.
The Pell Awards honor Senator Claiborne Pell and recognize artistic excellence in Rhode Island and the New England region as well as on the national level. Throughout his life, Senator Pell worked to support the arts and provide new opportunities for artists. He sponsored the landmark legislation that established the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities in 1965, and chaired the Senate Education and Arts subcommittee.