Actor Victor Garber Just Added to Recipient Roster; Online Auction Currently Running

Two-time Academy Award-winning actress and writer Emma Thompson (“Howards End,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Angels in America,” “Wit,” “Love Actually,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”), four-time Tony Award-nominated actor Victor Garber (“Alias,” “Titanic,” “Damn Yankees,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Art”) and Theatre School alumnus W. Earl Brown (MFA Acting ‘89, “Deadwood,” “There’s Something About Mary,” “Scream,” “Meatloaf: To Hell and Back”) will be honored at The Theatre School at DePaul University’s 17th Annual Awards for Excellence in the Arts on Tuesday, April 19, 2005, 6 – 10 PM, at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, 120 E. Delaware Place in Chicago. Tickets are available at (312) 553-2000.

Each year this event recognizes selected distinguished artists who have made significant contributions to the arts during their careers as well as for their exemplary professional accomplishments. The Annual Awards for Excellence in the Arts benefits The Theatre School’s Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance to students from all over the United States as well as several countries to train at the Midwest’s leading theatre training conservatory. Since 1989, the Awards benefit has raised more than $2 million, making it the largest single contributor each year to the Scholarship Fund, which dispenses more than $600,000 in financial aid to students annually.

Northern Trust will receive the 2005 Corporate Award for Excellence in the Arts, to be accepted by Frederick H. Waddell, President, Corporate and Institutional Services. This annual Award recognizes exemplary corporate commitment to supporting the arts and other causes in the community.

Theatre School alumnus Scott Ellis (BFA Acting ’78) will be the evening’s host and master of ceremonies. Ellis is the associate artistic director of New York’s Roundabout Theatre Company and a three-time Tony Award nominee for his direction of the musicals “She Loves Me,” “Steel Pier” and “1776.“ Most recently he directed the hit “Twelve Angry Men,” now in an extended run on Broadway.

The Awards benefit is in a new location this year, and the evening includes cocktails, dinner, dancing, student performances, the awards presentation, a live auction (Mr. Marion J. Valle, auctioneer), raffle and dancing. Honorees receive presentation pieces donated by Wedgwood USA. Business attire is requested.

The ticket price for the benefit is $300 per person, with tables for 10 available for $3,000, $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000. To arrange reservations or for more information, call PJH & Associates, Inc., at (312) 553-2000.

Major supporters of the 17th annual Awards include American Airlines; grip design, inc.; Turtle Wax, Inc.; Lord Piers Wedgwood and Wedgwood USA.

Event co-chairs are Joseph Antunovich, President, Antunovich Associates, Architects and Planners; Edward A. Brennan, Retired Chairman, President and CEO, Sears, Roebuck & Co.; Jack M. Greenberg, Retired Chairman and CEO of McDonald’s Corporation; Sondra A. Healy, Chairman, Turtle Wax, Inc.; and Monsignor Kenneth Velo, Senior Executive for Catholic Collaboration at DePaul University.

"The Gala is a wonderful opportunity to showcase and support The Theatre School’s students in the development of their skill and talent," Healy said. "As a nationally renowned conservatory, The Theatre School is an important link in our rich cultural heritage and has proved itself to be a foundation of the city’s thriving theatre scene. It has earned and truly deserves our attention, care and ongoing support."

A pre-event online auction to benefit The Theatre School’s scholarship programs is already under way at http://theatreschool.depaul.edu/AwardsBenefit05. Packages include:

#1, “Broadway, Baby!” – three days in New York City with tickets to “A Streetcar Named Desire” starring alumnus John C. Reilly, and more.

#2, “Curtain Up!” – an exquisite dinner for 20 people on the stage of DePaul University’s historic Merle Reskin Theatre, and more.

#3, “Star Struck” – a day on the Los Angeles set of “Joan of Arcadia” with alumnus Joe Mantegna, and more.

#4, “The West End” – a weekend in London seeing “Death of a Salesman” starring Brian Dennehy and alumnus Howard Witt, and more.

Since the inception of the Awards benefit, nearly 90 honorees have received The Theatre School’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, including F. Murray Abraham, Joan Allen, Gillian Anderson, Blythe Danner, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Franz, John Guare, Julie Harris, Gregory Hines, Celeste Holm, Bonnie Hunt, John Mahoney, Michael Maggio, Karl Malden, Joe Mantegna, Marlee Matlin, Rita Moreno, Edward James Olmos, Estelle Parsons, David Hyde Pierce, Aidan Quinn, John C. Reilly, Zoë Wanamaker, William Warfield, Wendy Wasserstein, George Wendt and Jane Wyman. Corporate Award recipients include American Airlines, Exelon Corporation, Sara Lee Corporation and Kraft Foods North America. A complete list of past honorees can be found at http://theatreschool.depaul.edu/special_programs_awards.php.

The Theatre School at DePaul University educates, trains and inspires students of theatre in a conservatory setting that is rigorous, disciplined, culturally diverse and that strives for the highest level of professional skill and artistry. A commitment to diversity and equality in education is central to the school’s mission. As an integral part of the training, The Theatre School produces public programs and performances from a wide repertoire of classic, contemporary and original plays that challenge, entertain and stimulate the imagination. The school seeks to enhance the intellectual and cultural life of the university community, the city and the profession.

Emma Thompson

In April, Emma Thompson begins filming in Chicago for the feature “Stranger Than Fiction,” directed by Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland,” “Monster’s Ball”) from a script by Theatre School alumnus Zach Helm (BFA Acting ‘96). The film tells the story of an IRS auditor who inexplicably finds himself the subject of a narrator only he can hear, who tells him that events have been set in motion that will lead to his imminent death, and also stars Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah.

A London native, Thompson made her acting debut at Cambridge and in February 1980, she co-produced, directed and performed in the university’s first all women revue, “Woman’s Hour.” After numerous subsequent stage and television performances (including her own series “Thompson”), she won her first BAFTA for Best Actress in “The Fortunes of War.”

Her numerous and multi award-winning roles have included “Howards End” (Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA for Best Actress), “Sense and Sensibility” (Academy Award for Best Screenplay, Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, BAFTA for Best Actress), “Angels in America,” “Wit,” “Love Actually,” “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Henry V,” “Dead Again,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Remains of the Day” (Academy Award nomination for Best Actress), “In the Name of the Father” (Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress), “Carrington” and “Primary Colors.”

Victor Garber

Film, stage, television actor and Canadian native Victor Garber currently stars as Jack Bristow in the ABC drama “Alias,” a role that has earned him Emmy Award nominations for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Perhaps Garber’s most notable film role to date is that of the architect of the ill-fated ship in “Titanic.” Other films include “The First Wives Club,” “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Legally Blonde.”

Garber’s numerous television credits include Richard Benjamin’s “Laughter on the 23rd Floor;” the ABC miniseries “Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows” (Emmy Award nomination); “Meredith Willson’s The Music Man,” the role of Daddy Warbucks in ABC’s musical version of “Annie;” “Invisible Child;” “External Affairs;” and the role of Inspector Philip Millard in the Criminal Instinct Mysteries “Love And Murder,” “Deadly Appearance,” “The Wandering Soul Murders” and “A Colder Kind Of Death,” based on the novels by Gail Bowen. He also performed in ABC’s “The Wonderful World of Disney” film “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Garber received Gemini nominations for his performances in the miniseries “Dieppe” and the TV movie “First Circle.” He received an Emmy Award nomination for his guest appearance on “Frasier.”

Garber’s stage performances are legendary. He has earned four Tony Award nominations for his work in “Damn Yankees,” “Lend Me A Tenor,” “Deathtrap” and “Little Me.” He performed in the workshop of Sondheim’s “Wiseguys,” with Nathan Lane, directed by Sam Mendes, and with Alan Alda and Alfred Molina in the Tony Award-winning play “Art” on Broadway and in Los Angeles. His numerous stage credits also include the original Broadway casts of “Arcadia,” “The Devil’s Disciple,” “Noises Off” and “Sweeney Todd.” He recently starred the Scott Ellis-directed “A Little Night Music” in Los Angeles.

Garber began acting at the age of 10 in children’s productions at the Grand Theatre in his hometown of London, Ontario, Canada. At 16 he moved to Toronto, where he joined the singing group The Sugar Shoppe which was featured on the Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson shows. One of his first film roles was in CBC’s “Paradise Lost,” and soon after he landed the role of the hippie-Messiah in the Toronto production of “Godspell,” a role he would later reprise in the musical film version.

W. Earl Brown

After receiving his Master's of Fine Arts degree from The Theatre School in 1989, W. Earl Brown moved to Los Angeles in 1993. He worked in the films “New Nightmare,” “A Vampire in Brooklyn,” “Scream,” “There’s Something About Mary,” “Deep Impact,” “Kiss the Girls,” “The Alamo” and “Being John Malkovich.” Television roles have included “Six Feet Under,” “The X-Files,” “NYPD Blue,” “CSI” and a recurring role in “Push, NV.” He is currently featured in the HBO Old West series “Deadwood,” and recently completed shooting “The Big White,” starring Robin Williams, Holly Hunter and Giovanni Ribisi, scheduled for release in 2005.

Northern Trust

Northern Trust, founded in 1889, is a leading provider of investment management, asset and fund administration, fiduciary and banking solutions for corporations, institutions and affluent individuals worldwide. They are a multi-bank holding company based in Chicago, with a growing network of offices in 17 U.S. states and international offices in seven countries. As of December 31, 2004, Northern Trust had assets under administration of $2.6 trillion, assets under investment management of $571.9 billion and banking assets of $45.3 billion. Northern Trust has earned distinction as an industry leader in combining high-touch service and expertise with innovative products and technology. Because Northern Trust believes that strong and healthy communities benefit all who live and work in them, last year Northern contributed nearly $11.4 million in cash grants to hundreds of nonprofit organizations through its corporate philanthropy program. Northern Trust believes that arts and cultural programming are a key part of the development of vibrant and healthy communities. These pursuits allow celebrations of diversity and heritage while providing much-needed forums for social interaction. For that reason, more than $1.6 million of Northern Trust’s total giving went to arts and cultural organizations in Chicagoland last year.

Scott Ellis

Most recently Scott Ellis directed Broadway’s “Twelve Angry Men” at Roundabout Theatre Company, where he is associate artistic director. Other recent credits include “A Little Night Music” at New York City Opera and at Los Angeles Opera with Victor Garber, Judith Ivey and Zoë Caldwell; and Terrence McNally's “Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams.” On Broadway, he directed “The Boys From Syracuse,” Arthur Miller's “The Man Who Had All the Luck,” “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” “The Rainmaker,” “1776” (Drama Desk, Tony Award nomination), “She Loves Me” (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, Tony Award nomination), “Picnic” (Outer Critics nomination), “Company,” “A Month in the Country” and “Steel Pier” (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Tony Award nominations). He directed “She Loves Me” in London, for which he received an Olivier Award. His Off-Broadway credits include Kenneth Lonergan's “The Waverly Gallery,” David Rabe's “The Dog Problem,” “That Championship Season” and Eric Overmyer's “Dark Rapture,” “The World Goes 'Round: The Songs of Kander and Ebb” (Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Awards) and Kander and Ebb's “Flora, the Red Menace.” For television, he directed "Live From Lincoln Center: A Little Night Music" (Emmy Award nomination); was director and co-conceiver of "Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall" and "My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies" (both filmed for "Great Performances"), and directed episodes of NBC's "Frasier.”

Photos available upon request; interview requests also considered.