Every year the Princess Grace Foundation awards emerging talent in the theatre, dance and film industry by allowing them the means and ability to pursue their dreams through scholarships, grants and fellowships. Over the years, the Foundation has granted nearly 500 recipients over $5 million in grants! This amazing foundation has made success possible for people who may have never had the chance to make it.
Famous Honorees
The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a not-for-profit, publicly-supported foundation headquartered in New York City founded more than 26 years ago by Prince Rainier III of Monaco in to honor Princess Grace Kelly.
Glenn Close Speaking
This year, on June 26th 2009, The Princess Grace Foundation will be hosting a special benefit performance in conjunction with Steppenwolf Theatre. The production of Up, written by Princess Grace Awards winner Bridget Carpenter (Playwriting, 1997) and directed by Princess Grace Awards winner Anna D. Shapiro (Directing, 1996) will be the showcase for the benefit!
Both of these women have truly flourished in the professional industry and are making it a point to work with a foundation that gave so much to them. Anna D. Shapiro is a Tony Award winning director and Bridget Carpenter is a renowned playwright who has produced at theatres such as: Arena Stage, Lincoln Center, and Humana Festival at Actors Theater of Louisville.
Glenn Close
Recently, Steppenwolf and PGF-USA have teamed up to allow a past PGF award winner, Alex Torra, the chance of a lifetime to travel to Chicago and be the Assistant Director for the production of UP. This is an opportunity that any young and aspiring director could only hope to have the chance at! This is truly a unique and life changing opportunity. According to a recent press filing UP is, “described as a quirky, bittersweet tale about escaping the boundaries of everyday life and how we dream ourselves into a future “. Prior to the show a dinner at Vinci’s on Halsted will be served. Afterwards the show will be allowing the audience to partake in a post performance discussion with the production team and actors.
Steppenwolf Theatre is committed to the principle of ensemble performance through the collaboration of a company of actors, directors and playwright. The Company's mission is to advance the vitality and diversity of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable creative relationships and contributing new works to the national canon.
Award Recipients
Since the company’s inception in 1976 by a collective of actors, Steppenwolf has been dedicated to pursuing an ethic of mutual respect and the development of artists through on-going group work. Steppenwolf has evolved into an internationally renowned company of 42 artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking and textual adaptation. It is only suitable that Steppenwolf and The Princess Grace Foundation have worked hand in hand on this incredible benefit.
HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco attends the Princess Grace Awards
This event is a must attend for any of Chicago’s patron’s of the arts. It is destined to be an evening of great food, great theatre and great times. The Chicago media sponsor for the event will be Michigan Avenue Magazine. Dinner is set to begin at 5:30 pm – Reception and Dinner at Vinci* (1732 N. Halsted Street). The performance will take place at 7:30 pm –with post-performance discussion to follow Tickets are $125.00 – Dinner + Performance and $50.00 – Performance Only. To purchase tickets, contact Yolanda F. Johnson at 212-317-1470
