Close, McDonald, Naughton, et al. Will Participate in Westport Country Playhouse Benefit Honoring Joanne Woodward

Westport Country Playhouse honors outgoing artistic director Joanne Woodward at a star-studded benefit featuring the talents of Tony Award-winning actors Glenn Close, Audra McDonald, and James Naughton, legendary singer Tony Bennett, violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, and more.

The event is hosted by Close, and will be held at the Playhouse on Saturday, October 15. It will include a cocktail reception at 6pm, artist performances at 7:30pm, and dinner at 9pm with Woodward and her husband Paul Newman.

After a six-season tenure as Westport Country Playhouse artistic director, Woodward will retire from the position at the end of this year. Her successor is Tazewell Thompson, stage and opera director and playwright, who will assume the artistic leadership post January 1, 2006.

“In a career of the magnitude and longevity of Joanne Woodward’s, many lives have been touched and inspired,” said John A. Vaccaro, president of the Playhouse board of directors. “The benefit will celebrate our collective gratitude to her for the impact she has had on our community as artistic director for the last six seasons. Her vision and vitality have been paramount to the renewal of the Playhouse.”

Funds raised through the evening will benefit the Playhouse’s breadth of artistic and educational programming that Ms. Woodward established and championed during her tenure. Benefit tickets are $2,000, $1,000 and $500. Corporate and individual sponsorships with seating for 10 are $30,000. Reservations are limited by the intimate size of the theatre. For more information or to request a benefit invitation, call 203-227-5137, ext. 138.