The Local Hero Awards are designed to recognize the generosity of small businesses and individuals who provide extraordinary support to the not-for-profit theatre community.

This year, we are thrilled to welcome DeWitt Stern Group as the official sponsor of these awards This seems very appropriate because just as DeWitt Stern works tirelessly to serve their clients, both large and small, so our DeWitt Stern Local Heroes have worked to provide endless assistance to theatres of all sizes and missions. We are very grateful for this great show of support.

The recipients of the 2005 DeWitt Stern Local Hero Awards are listed belong, broken down by their general category of service.

Performance space

Jeff Bayone and Barbara Bayone are the owners of Manhattan Bridge Club. Since February 2001, they have generously donated the use of this space to The Deptford Players for a New Play Reading Series. Barbara and Jeff's open arms and gracious hospitality, not to mention their penthouse view of the Upper West Side, have contributed to the growing success of these readings.

In March 2005, The Sackett Group signed a three-year collaboration agreement to become the resident theater company at The Brooklyn Music School's playhouse, a beautiful, well-equipped venue. Without Karen Krieger, Executive Director of The Brooklyn Music School, and her generosity of spirit, encouragement, support, problem-solving capability, counsel, and - most importantly - calm demeanor, this dream would not have come true.

The Phoenix Ensemble conceived of Plays in a Pub as a low-cost production opportunity - find a pub and offer to bring business in during slow periods in exchange for low rent. Dino Mandic, owner of Bona Fides/Bacchus Room Restaurant and Lounge, met this challenge and took it one step further - no rent, not a dime, and the unfailing cooperation and help of his staff at every turn.

NY Artists Unlimited found a space: a storefront on the Lower East Side. Just after they spent $50,000 and six months of blood, sweat, and tears to turn it into an art center, they received an eviction notice. How do you fight back, legally? By bringing in a Viking, also known as Kent Karlsson, an attorney at Karlsson & Ng Years ago he had helped the Artistic Director when her apartment was in jeopardy and he performed a similar miracle here. Besides getting this particular case dropped, he has offered ongoing guidance and counsel, providing a priceless lifeline to sanity for which he has charged hardly a penny.

Marketing Support

What if over a span of twenty days you were presenting twelve different productions outdoors in parks in all five boroughs? 150 performances needing to find audiences. What would you do? Luckily for The Shakespeare Project their hero was NYC Marketing, represented here tonight by their Director of Media Solutions Elena Becker, who donated outdoor advertising on 80 bus shelters and 40 phone kiosks - a market value of $175,000. With their help, 12,000 audience members found those 150 performances of the Play Outside! Festival. Peter Finn, of the public relations firm Ruder Finn, had been a subscriber to The Pearl Theatre for six years when he generously began donating printing services free of charge. Not only was The Pearl able to provide its patrons with higher quality printed materials but this allowed funds previously used for printing to go towards production costs instead. In addition, this winter, Mr. Finn brought his PR skills to a cross-marketing partnership between The Pearl and Jean Cocteau Repertory - highlighting the wealth of classics being presented in the East Village.

When is free marketing advice most helpful? When it is focused, professional, engaging, and fun. Julia Beardwood, of Beardwood & Co., is providing just this sort of marketing advice to The Mint Theater. She is helping The Mint better communicate about its mission and productions, bringing them a wealth of useful expertise in branding and marketing.

If you ever receive a mailing from The 52nd Street Project there is no mistaking where it came from. The aesthetic is consistent and the charming wit of the design makes these pieces "must reads." This is all due to twenty years of donated graphic design from Iris Brown, of Iris A. Brown Design. Her rare talent is an ability to capture the spirit of The Project in her designs clearly and uniquely.

Jeff Jackson, President of Curio Productions, has been providing marketing advice to the Lark Play Development Center on a pro bono basis for several years. In addition, he has worked with the staff to create new copy and graphic design as part of a campaign to clarify and strengthen the Lark's identity. His artistry, skill, patience, and sympathy have helped clarify the image The Lark presents to the world.

Melanie Herman, of Corporate Leisure Travel, is the kind of Local Hero a not-for-profit organization dreams of meeting. Luckily for The York Theatre Company this meeting wasn't a dream, but reality. Melanie started by making positive comments in the lobby to the Artistic Director, then graduated to writing unsolicited letters to The New York Times voicing her support for The York's work, and finally to providing multiple round-trip tickets for two young Australian writers so they could participate in the production of their show. Since then, she has flown a record producer in from England numerous times allowing The York to record seven original cast albums. Finally, she took it upon herself to raise money for the commercial transfer the recent York production The Musical of Musicals, the Musical! and insisted that the theatre continue to get top billing so that their work would be recognized.

Barbara Anderson, Director and Senior Counsel at Diageo N.A., knows how to put the party in MCC Theater's opening night parties and special events. She's the Official Wine Sponsor, providing all the wine needed to make these events successful. Her generosity has freed up thousands of dollars for MCC to use on their productions and has made the party goers very happy.

Everyone knows that the best in-kind donations are those that actually supply an item you were going to have to pay for. Tom Lewis, the President of Big Kahuna, has been an in-kind angel to Pulse Ensemble Theatre, donating audio equipment to all their fundraisers and many of their productions. And, not only does he supply this necessary item, he once even carried the equipment up three flights of stairs and installed it himself.

Restaurateurs and Suppliers of Food

Every week, Pedro Veras, Owner of Wholesome Market, donates healthy snacks and drinks to feed the 60 children and 16 adults involved in The Children's Theatre Company's programs. In addition, he has catered staff training sessions and special events. And, while all this is wonderful, it is the gracious welcome Mr. Veras and his staff show the volunteers picking up the donations that truly earns him their gratitude.

When the Managing Director of the Brooklyn-based Black Moon Theatre Company stopped by the Williamsburg Café for a meal and discovered the delicious chocolate business cards the owner Mike Lee had created with Malky Weiss of Chocolate Magic, she knew that these would make the perfect marketing tool for their upcoming European tour. When she expressed her interest in the cards, she received a generous donation to the theatre, and 2,000 chocolate business cards with the logo of their touring production printed, in sugar, on top. Needless to say, this unique and yummy marketing tool was the talk of the Edinburgh and Prague Fringe Festivals - bringing a little flavor of Brooklyn to Europe.

For the last eleven years, Antoine Bouterin and Igor Segota, Owners and Chefs at Bouterin Restaurant, have donated hot, nutritious, gourmet meals to The Actors Theater Workshop's program for homeless children. Not only does the generosity of Bouterin Restaurant support the children by giving them high-quality meals from this top French restaurant, but each meal becomes a chance for the children, their mentors, and the theatre's artists to relax together in a caring, respectful environment. Mr. Bouterin and Mr. Segota bring these children, most of whom reside in temporary housing, a taste of the wider world by serving them food fit for CEO's.

When Abingdon Theatre Company first moved to West 36th Street, the neighborhood was at the beginning of a theatre building boom. Barbara Randall, Executive Director of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District, embraced this boom and the Abingdon and has done everything she can to welcome and support them. From scheduling events in their space and introducing them to local businesses to including all the new theatres on the district's maps to holiday decorations that make the streets festive and inviting to audiences, Ms. Randall has embraced all the new arts organizations in the neighborhood.

As a young company, just starting out, The Relentless Theatre Company has been the fortunate recipient of the time and wisdom of Rosalie Edson, President of Meadows Office Furniture. She has been an ally and mentor, assisting the Artistic Director in learning important aspects of leadership; donating her time and money to support their outreach program; and creating opportunities for their young artists they would not otherwise have had. While it has been enormously helpful to the company to have this guidance and support, it is her confidence in their future that means the most.

Computer Systems

In his day job, Frank Cerbo, Senior PC/LAN Administrator for Amalgamated Life Insurance, has over 350 employees' computers to keep running and healthy. He is not responsible for also maintaining the computers of The Working Theatre, which has donated office space at Amalgamated. But he does. Cheerfully. With an understanding of their busy schedule. He keeps their software up to date and has even arranged for the theatre to receive donated computers and printers. Best of all, he is an avid audience member who loves to reminisce about past Working Theatre productions as he fixes their computer troubles.

Your system crashes. You need to install a new network. In your moment of terror and panic, who do you call? If you are Brooklyn-based White Bird Productions, you have the good fortune to call upon Bruce Pribram, Senior Information Specialist for Merrill Lynch and a resident of Park Slope. He has generously donated his time to help the theatre transition to their new computer system -- doing back-up work, figuring out how to make hard drives of crashed systems work, and setting up the new network.

TADA! Youth Theater has been hoping to upgrade their website so patrons can purchase tickets on-line. But the daunting price tag had kept it from happening, until the arrival of professional computer consultant Alan Feltman. Brought to TADA! by his niece's involvement in their ensemble, he was soon captivated by their work and volunteered his expertise. Thanks to Mr. Feltman's willingness to donate his time and skill, starting this summer TADA!'s on-line box office will be open for business. And Mr. Feltman's generosity doesn't stop there: he has offered to take on more web projects to help even more of TADA!'s cyber-hopes come true.

Printers

John Miroddi, Chief Executive Officer of Miroddi Imaging, understands that the printed materials he produces for The Vineyard Theatre are a vital part of the theatre's work and outreach. When the Vineyard has an impossible task they need done, Mr. Miroddi and his staff always accomplish it - often ahead of schedule. He works within budget, frequently giving them a discount, and occasionally donating an entire job such as new business cards for the whole staff.

As a small theatre company trying to make an impact in New York City, Resonance Ensemble is always looking for ways to raise their profile and enhance the experience for their audience. Ian Marshall and Jonathan Reuning, Founders of United Stages, offer the perfect item - low-cost, high-quality playbills. Mr. Marshall's and Mr. Reuning's dedication to their clients shows in every aspect of the company - their customer service is outstanding and their turnaround time impressive. Five rounds of corrections to a print job elicited not a single grumble from their staff designer. They truly care about supporting small theatre companies and it shows.

Architects

When Dixon Place decided to build a new home, they felt it was crucial to have an architect who understood their mission and activities. Luckily Juergen Riehm, a principal at 1100 Architect and our final DeWitt Stern Local Hero tonight, had done some scenic design work on a project presented by Dixon Place. Even more fortunately, he graciously provided invaluable pro bono consulting throughout the space search - visiting numerous locations, evaluating the spaces, and helping make decisions. Along with his Associate Jorge Zapata, Mr. Riehm is now designing the space and he is always patient, flexible, and a joy to work with as he goes above and beyond his contractual obligations.