On October 4, the Westport Country Playhouse Gala will honor two incredible talents: Nathan Lane as the artistic honoree and Anne Keefe as the leadership award recipient. “Honoring these two extraordinary theatre-makers and dear friends makes this year’s gala especially meaningful,” says Mark Shanahan, the artistic director at the Westport Country Playhouse. Nathan Lane is, of course, best known for his roles in The Producers (both on-stage and in the 2005 film), The Birdcage, and, to parents everywhere, as Timon in The Lion King. Anne Keefe met Nathan when the two worked on The Common Pursuit at Long Wharf in New Haven, a theater that also led her back to the Westport Country Playhouse, where she has been involved off and on since 1973. “I worked with Joanne Woodward on Arsenic and Old Lace at Long Wharf— probably ten of the happiest weeks of my life,” Anne tells Westport Lifestyle. "Sort of simultaneously, I began working on the galas at Hole in the Wall Gang Camp with both Paul [Newman] and Joanne. When a group of wonderful people asked Joanne to become involved with the WCP, she asked me to join her as a partner. We took on the project of renovating and revitalizing the Westport Country Playhouse,” she says.
It was a cause near and dear to her heart. “I grew up in the burgeoning regional theater movement, and it was a time when every community wanted to have a theater in their town. I saw how much more vibrant a community with a thriving arts community was,” she explains. “I want to keep that vibrancy alive in the community I live in, and open up possibilities to bring in so many more people to share that. [Working with Joanne] taught me that all the skills I had learned as a stage manager were fungible. At 50 or so, it was a revelation, a new chapter. I had recently moved to Weston with my husband [playwright David Wiltse]. The project at Westport Country Playhouse changed my life.”
Honoring her at this year’s gala just made sense. “We’re grateful to all who support and love the Playhouse, and are determined to see it continue for the next generation of theatergoers,” says Mark. Anne’s tireless work has been a crucial part of that. “The work I did at the Playhouse, I would have done for free,” says Anne. “It was scary and relentless; it was exhausting and exhilarating. I feel like I’m the one who should be giving awards to the people who taught me—most especially Joanne.”
In addition to the award presentations to Anne and Nathan, there will be performances from special guests and opportunities to support the great work the theater does for our community. “The Playhouse gala is always a joyful night of friendship, music, storytelling, and community,” says Mark. “This year’s event also launches our new season calendar, from fall to summer. It’s also our most important fundraising event of the year, one that directly supports our programming and operations. It’s the perfect time to celebrate where we’ve been and all that’s ahead.”
For tickets to the Westport Country Playhouse’s At This Stage: A Gala Evening Celebrating Westport Country Playhouse’s 95 Seasons, visit westportplayhouse.org