The Theatre Lab

As a token of our appreciation, with your gift of …

PREMIERE $20,000 or above

• You’ll be recognized as a lead underwriter of The Creative Resilience Campaign.
• You and one guest will have the opportunity to attend one virtual event from each VIP Table Talks category (News Media, The Arts, and Newsmakers).
• Logo/Name placement on all TTL printed materials and linked placement on TTL website home page and e-newsletter for one year
• 100% of your donation is tax-deductible

DIAMOND $10,000 or above

• You and one guest will have the opportunity to attend one virtual event from each of two VIP Table Talks categories (Media, The Arts, and/or Newsmakers).
• Logo/Name placement on all TTL printed materials for one year and linked placement on TTL website home page and e-newsletter for six months
• 100% of your donation is tax-deductible

PLATINUM $5,000 or above

• You and one guest will have the opportunity to attend one event from any category (Media, The Arts, and/or Newsmakers) to be chosen by you.
• Logo/Name placement on all TTL printed materials and website for one year. Includes linked placement on TTL website home page and e-newsletter for one month.
• 100% of your donation is tax-deductible

GOLD $2,500 or above

• You and one guest will have the opportunity to attend one VIP Table Talk.
• Name recognition on TTL website supporters page for one year
• 100% of your donation is tax-deductible

SILVER $1,000 or above

• You will have the opportunity to attend one VIP Table Talk.
• Name recognition on TTL website supporters page for one year.
• 100% of your donation is tax-deductible

BRONZE $500 or above

• You will have the opportunity to attend one event. Some VIP Table Talks may be at capacity, so consider alternate choices in case your preferred event is full.
• 100% of your donation is tax-deductible

VIP Table Talks - Intimate Virtual Parties with Very Special Guests

This year, since we can’t gather together for our Cabaret Benefit at The Ritz-Carlton, we have created a new experience for our sponsors: VIP Table Talks. Each VIP Table Talk is an intimate virtual party with fascinating people, hosted by Deb, Buzz, and members of our Board. You’ll be one of a handful of guests at the virtual table and the conversation is sure to be lively. Click on the names in the table below to see full event descriptions.

If you have any questions about VIP Table Talks, email deb@theatrelab.org for more information.

Full Event Descriptions

THE MEDIA

A Spicy Dish with Kara Swisher, hosted by Board Member Laura Einstein. Bring your own sriracha, but there will be plenty of other fireworks when Kara Swisher, a powerhouse with the reputation of “Silicon Valley’s most feared and well-liked journalist,” starts to dish. Kara co-founded Recode, co-produced and co-hosted the Wall Street Journal’s "D: All Things Digital" conference series, has been a New York Times contributing Opinion writer since 2018, and you can catch her brand new NYT podcast Sway featuring interviews with Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian West, and President Barack Obama. During her early media career, she reported at The Washington Post and served as an editor of City Paper here in DC. Whether you bring your toughest questions for Kara, or chat about her favorite spots around town, you’re sure to learn something new and exciting on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 from 7pm-8pm ET.

Happy Hour with Tom and Kojo, hosted by Deb Gottesman. Got a question about DC?  From Mayoral politics and DC Council gossip to the future of the Nats and the best burger joint in town, Kojo Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood have you covered.  Co-hosts of The Politics Hour on WAMU, they’ve got an inside read on just about everything that happens in and around Washington--and they are, quite simply, a ton of fun to hang out with.  Ask Kojo about some of his fascinating interviews on NPR’s nationally-syndicated The Kojo Nnamdi Show or Tom about his life as an NBC4 political reporter.  All you need is a glass of wine, a good sense of humor, and an appetite for lively conversation to get the most out of this happy hour on Thursday, January 28, 2021 from 6:30-7:30pm ET.

Martinis with John Dickerson, hosted by Board Member Ellen Perry. Grab a jar of fancy olives and join us for a casual chat with CBS News icon John Dickerson. A familiar face in just about every household, John can currently be seen on 60 Minutes and CBS Election coverage specials. On top of that, he released a new book this year, The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency. His past gigs include co-hosting CBS This Morning with Norah O'Donnell and Gayle King, anchoring the CBS Evening News, and hosting Face the Nation on CBS, where he also served as the news network's Political Director. As a print journalist, he has been the chief political correspondent at Slate and also covered politics for Time magazine for 12 years. Described by The Washington Post as "the master of the game," John has interviewed every living president multiple times (and Trump a whopping 18 times!). Social media buffs should note that John has over 2 million followers on Twitter. Whether you're a fan of a classic martini or you're the appletini type, you're sure to enjoy chatting with John (a DC native!) about all things inside the Beltway.

ENTERTAINMENT

After Dinner Drinks with Oscar Favorites Bruce and Julie Cohen, hosted by Deb Gottesman. Possibly the greatest brother and sister duo Northern Virginia has ever produced, Bruce is the Academy Award-Winning Producer of American Beauty, Milk, and Silver Linings Playbook;  Julie’s the director of RBG, the acclaimed documentary about the Supreme Court legend.  They are also delightful, funny, down-to-earth people, according to their childhood friend (Deb Gottesman). If cinema’s not your thing, ask Julie about telling Jill Biden’s story at the Democratic Convention or Bruce about producing Big Fish or Slave Play on Broadway on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 from 8-9pm ET.

High Tea with Piper Laurie, hosted by Board Member Rich Bloch. Yes, she was the Mother in Carrie and may still inhabit your nightmares. But her good friend Rich Bloch assures us she’s a lovely person and eager to talk about the Hollywood and Broadway of yesterday and today, as well as her star turns in Twin Peaks, Children of a Lesser God, The Hustler, and The Glass Menagerie. Now is your opportunity to take part in an intimate gathering with Ms. Laurie and just a handful of other friends of The Theatre Lab over a cup of hot tea on Sunday, January 24, 2021 from 3-4pm ET.

Gelato with Tony Award-Winner Victoria Clark (Light in the Piazza), hosted by Buzz Mauro. Wonder what it’s like to star in a Broadway show for 504 performances?  Ask Vicki Clark, who won the 2005 Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as Margaret in A Light in the Piazza. Or you might want to talk about her stint as Carrie Mathison’s mother on Homeland. From singing soprano parts in many Disney animated movies to originating roles in Broadway shows including Titanic (Alice Beane), Sister Act (Mother Superior) and the revival of Gigi (Mamita), Vicki has pretty much done it all. Pretend you’re in the Piazza with a bowl of gelato (supplied by The Theatre Lab) and delightful conversation with one of America’s most treasured musical theatre performers.

Kugel and Kibitz with Cooking Star Joan Nathan, hosted by Board Member Betsy Hague. Enjoy a dish from “King Solomon’s Table: a Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World,” (cookbook included) while chatting with the bestselling author and TV host Joan Nathan.  Author of eleven cookbooks including the acclaimed 1994 Jewish Cooking in America, Joan has traveled the world in search of Jewish cooking traditions and is a regular contributor at the New York TImes. Known for her insatiable curiosity, according to the Washington Post, “Joan has a lifetime of stories and recipes, from cooks across the Jewish diaspora... that she just can’t wait to share with you.” Buckle up for a culinary and conversational adventure on Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 3pm ET.

NEWSMAKERS

Freeze-Dried Ice Cream with Astronaut Catherine “Cady”Coleman, hosted by technology guru Megan Smith. Shoot the breeze with a woman who completed two missions aboard Space Shuttle Columbia and spent six months on the International Space Station! Ask Cady about playing her flute in space, orbiting the earth 256 times, spotting a UFO, or her time as an aquanaut, living and working underwater.  Special bonus: this evening is hosted by Megan Smith, U.S. Chief Technology Officer to President Barack Obama and one of Google’s early leaders on Monday, February 8, 2021 from 8-9pm ET. (Astronaut’s freeze-dried ice cream courtesy of The Theatre Lab).

Cocktails with Maria Manuela Goyanas, hosted by Deb Gottesman. Enjoy a glass of High West Campfire Whiskey (Maria's favorite libation) or whatever your preferred cocktail with Woolly with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s Artistic Director and one of the leaders of the national antiracism-in-theatre movement. A Latina theatermaker in her second season helming Woolly, Maria is the first woman of color to run a major DC theater. And she has taken the town by storm with shattering productions reflecting on race including the acclaimed Fairview. Oh, did we forget to tell you? She helped launch Hamilton in its pre-Broadway run at The Public Theatre, where she served for many years as Director of Producing and Artistic Planning.  Ask Maria anything and you’re sure to get an honest and captivating answer. Best of all, you’ll feel like you’re reuniting with a long lost friend on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 from 6-7pm ET.

Coffee with Civil RIght Attorney Michael Bloch, hosted by Board Member Rich Bloch. Whether you make your java at home or take a quick run to Starbucks, get your coffee mug ready and join Michael Bloch to discuss the legal battle against white supremacy. Michael is currently Counsel at Kaplan Hecker & Fink and is co-leading the lawsuit against the white supremacists who organized the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville in the Summer of 2017. In this timely and fascinating Table Talk, you’ll find out why Michael says, “Nothing can quite prepare you for suing Nazis.” Join him on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 from 7-8pm ET.