Diane Quinn, Sue Ellen Beryl, and Rep. Lois Frankel
Three hundred theatre enthusiasts gathered at the Kravis Center’s Cohen Pavilion to celebrate a major milestone for Palm Beach Dramaworks (PBD). It was PBD’s 25th Anniversary Gala, and the evening was filled with love and laughter, with wonderful memories and great music, and highlighted by a costume fashion show featuring the wizardry of Brian O’Keefe, PBD’s beloved resident costume designer.
In the elegantly decorated ballroom, the festivities began with the Honorable Ann Brown, who served as Gala Chair, welcoming the guests. She also spoke about why she and her late husband, Donald Brown, were attracted to PBD so many years ago and why this was the company they wanted to support. Brown was followed by PBD’s Co-Founders, Producing Artistic Director William Hayes and Managing Director Sue Ellen Beryl, who announced that Beryl would be stepping down, effective September 1, to free up more time to spend with her children and grandchildren. But she’s not going anywhere; she’s turning her attention to development. Succeeding her will be Chief Financial & Operating Officer Rudina Toro.
After dinner came the much-anticipated fashion show, featuring 40 costumes from 15 productions ranging from 2009 to the current season, that underscored the breadth of O’Keefe’s talent and creativity. Veteran PBD actors served as models, and three huge projections, created by Resident Projection Designer Adam J. Thompson, augmented the proceedings with O’Keefe’s sketches. The exquisite Beyond String Quartet, made up of Daniela Lemus, Claudia Font, Sheila Torres, and Lupe Justiniani, provided the magnificent music during dinner and for the fashion show. When the dancing began, DJ Carlos Niche took over and had the crowd on their feet. The dance floor remained packed for the rest of the evening.
For more information, visit http://www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.
