Events & Annual Gala

Samuel H. Scripps Award Honoree
Michael Shannon is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Tony Award nominated actor. At TFANA: Estragon in Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and Denis Johnson’s Des Moines, directed by Arin Arbus, and Ionesco’s The Killer, directed by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak. He also collaborated with Arbus on Broadway in Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (with Audra McDonald). In 2023 Shannon made his film directorial debut with Eric LaRue, based on the 2022 Brett Neveu play that debuted at Chicago’s A Red Orchid Theatre (of which Shannon is a founder). Shannon starred in Showtime/Paramount+ limited series George & Tammy with Jessica Chastain and in the Netflix limited series Death by Lightning. Recent film credits Jeff Nichols’ 2023 The Bikeriders (previous collaborations with Nichols include Loving, Hank the Cowdog, Midnight Special, Take Shelter, Mud, and Shotgun Stories), The End, and Nurenberg.

Life in Art Award Honoree
Monica Gerard-Sharp is President of Monali Media, investing in theatre, media, ventures, and equities, and is a partner of Corporate Partners Investment Alliance. A former Time Inc. executive and digital media pioneer, she also held senior roles at Disney/CapCities/ABC, USA Network, and the UN.  A keen patron of the arts and education, she is a TFANA Board Member Emerita and led Major Gifts for TFANA's $69M Capital Campaign that built and opened Polonsky Shakespeare Center, founded Royal Court Theatre’s US board, serves on the National Theatre’s US board, and supports American Ballet Theatre. In education, she created various scholarships and for 12 years has selected outstanding post-grad immigrants to be awarded the prestigious P & D Soros Fellowship. www.monalimedia.com

Photo credit: Photography by Jason Bell @ 2026

Scripps Award Presenter
Paul Sparks is a Screen Actors Guild and Film Independent Spirit award-winning Theatre, Film and Television actor, with seven Drama Desk nominations in addition to Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, Lortel, and an Emmy nominations. He has worked with Michael Shannon on many theater, film and television productions including: Blackbird (Adam Rapp, Dir.), Lady (Northlight and Rattlestick Theaters), The Missing Person (Noah Buschel, Dir.), Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Return (Liza Johnson, Dir.), Mud (Jeff Nichols, Dir.), The Killer (TFANA), Midnight Special (Jeff Nichols, Dir), Waco (Paramount TV), Eric Larue (Michael Shannon, Dir.), The Bikeriders (Jeff Nichols, Dir.), Waiting For Godot (TFANA, Arin Arbus, Dir.), and A Company of Thieves (Onur Tukel Dir.).

Life in Art Award Presenter
Simon Godwin, Artistic Director, Shakespeare Theatre Company. Selected credits: David Eldridge’s adaptation of Ibsen’s The Wild Duck (TFANA and STC); Uncle Vanya, Comedy of Errors, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth (Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma) (STC), Timon of Athens (TFANA, STC, RSC). Simon served as Associate Director of the National Theatre of London from 2015 to 2025 where he directed Antony and Cleopatra (Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo), Romeo & Juliet (Sky Arts in U.K./PBS in U.S.) starring Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley. Simon has previously served as Associate Director of the Royal Court Theatre, the Bristol Old Vic, and the Royal and Derngate Theatres in Northampton. Awards: Evening Standard/Burberry Award for an Emerging Director; 2023 Harman/Eisner Residence Artist at the Aspen Institute.

Photo credit: KK Ottesen

Theatre for a New Audience’s Life in Art Award honors the achievements of individuals whose support for theatre has set the standard for leadership and generosity, and whose example has inspired others to ensure that theatre remains a vibrant part of our cultural life.  The award, a signed giclée print by Milton Glaser, is named for the autobiography by the great theatre artist Constantin Stanislavski, My Life in Art.