Sophie Cripe to Chair SCR's Gala Ball, "The Play's the Thing"
COSTA MESA, CA – Sophie Cripe will chair South Coast Repertory’s annual Gala Ball, “The Play’s the Thing,” to be held on September 11 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa.
The annual fundraiser traditionally opens the social and theatrical seasons in Orange County and provides the first, and one of the largest, donations to SCR’s Annual Fund, in support of educational programs. This season it will celebrate SCR’s contribution to the world’s stage as the theatre opens its 47th season.
According to Cripe, “I’ve been waiting all my life for someone to say to me, ‘Let’s put on a show!’ When David and Martin asked me to do this, I couldn’t say ‘no’ to the Tony Award-winning artistic directors of one of America’s finest theatres.”
At the first meeting on March 24, Cripe welcomed everyone to brunch at the Hyatt Regency and asked committee members to introduce themselves and talk about what first attracted them to SCR. She got the ball rolling by admitting that she became involved with SCR because she was a theatre junkie, which, she added was a healthy addiction.
Others quickly joined in with their special interests in SCR, which included enthusiasm for the quality of productions, pride over SCR’s leading role in American theatre, interest in its extensive new play program and the opportunity for theatre supporters to get to know the artists during the weeks of rehearsal and performance. Laurie Smits Staude said that one of her biggest thrills was seeing Broadway and London’s West End marquees lit up with the names of plays that began as SCR commissions.
A tour of the Gala site followed the meeting. The Gala will be held in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom.
Sophie is an SCR Trustee. This is the second consecutive season that she and her husband, Larry, have helped produce SCR’s annual Pacific Playwrights Festival. They were also members of the 2007-08 Playwrights Circle, helping underwrite My Wandering Boy. Sophie was underwriting chair of last season’s “Nothing But Blue Skies” Gala.
Gala committee members are: Ashleigh Aitken (cuisine co-chair), Bette Aitken (décor co-chair), Elizabeth An (new member, entertainment co-chair), Toni Berlinger, Susan Bowman (new member), Dede Brink, Donna Cohn, Sophie Cripe (chair), Gail Doe (cuisine co-chair), Susan Ehrlich, Patricia Ellis, Valerie Fearns, Kathryn Glassmyer, Nadine Hall, Marlene Hamontree, Dee Higby, Lydia Wang Himes, Mimi Holcombe (new member), Linda Hovee (graphics chair), Betty Huang (entertainment co-chair), Olivia Johnson (underwriting co-chair), Joan Kaloustian, Teri Kennady (underwriting co-chair), Sidney Kirkup (new member), Elaine Krajanowski (new member), Linda Maggard, Diana Martin, Sue Murphy (new member), Pam Muzzy (décor co-chair), Pat Neisser, Stacey Nicholas, Beth Phelps (hospitality co-chair), Michelle Rohé (new member), Danuta Schenke, Nola Schneer, Elizabeth Segerstrom, Jan Seitz Jashinski, Connie Spenuzza, Ardelle St. George, Laurie Smits Staude (hospitality co-chair), Jane Taylor, Kathy Taylor, Elaine Weinberg, Linda White (new member).
