Princess Grace Foundation Establishes New Honor Thanks to $1 Million John Gore Organization Grant (EXCLUSIVE)
By Brent Lang
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The Princess Grace Foundation-USA has established a new award to support emerging theater professionals with the help of a $1 million gift from the John Gore Organization. The award, which will seek to identify and support extraordinary young stage talent, will be presented annually, beginning in 2019.
That goal jives with the mission of The Princess Grace Foundation-USA. After Princess Grace died in 1982, the former actress’ family chose to honor her legacy by supporting actors, playwrights, dancers, filmmakers, and artists who showed promise, but had yet to achieve prominence. Since that time, the organization has supported the likes of “Angels in America” playwright Tony Kushner, “Fun Home” director Sam Gold, “Hamilton” star Leslie Odom Jr., and “August: Osage County” director Anna D. Shapiro. This year, five of the 2019 Tony Award nominees were Princess Grace Award alumni. Princess Grace, known to moviegoers as Grace Kelly, appeared in the likes of “Rear Window” and “The Country Wife,” becoming one of the biggest movie stars of the 1950s.
“One of the joys of my life is being able to carry on my mother’s legacy by supporting emerging artists,” HSH Prince Albert II said, in a statement. “This remarkable gift from the John Gore Organization comes at a time when we are taking bold leaps forward in our mission, and we appreciate the opportunity it provides to expand our reach to great artists whose work defies easy categorization.”
Last month, The Princess Grace Foundation-USA appointed award-winning Broadway producer Brisa Trinchero as its new CEO. In an interview, Trinchero said that the organization has often operated quietly and is looking to raise its profile and broaden its network of sponsors.
“We have a mandate to grow the foundation and grow its visibility,” said Trinchero. “A gift like this sends a message to the community that exciting things are happening here.”
The awards will range between $10,000 to $50,000, and can be used for a range of projects, from scholarship support to subsidizing a particular art project.
“We sit at a unique place, because we are able to fund emerging talent whereas a lot of groups support emerged talent,” said Trinchero, adding, “Over the course of 37 years we’ve had an outsized impact and this kind of support allows us to take things to the next level.”
The John Gore Organization was established by Tony-winning theater producer and owner John Gore. Its companies include Broadway Across America,
Broadway.com
, The Broadway Channel, and
BroadwayBox.com
. Its shows include the 2018 revival of “Angels in “America,” “The Band’s Visit,” and “Dear Evan Hansen.”
“PGF-USA’s unrivaled track record in identifying and supporting remarkable young talent speaks for itself,” said John Gore. “The Foundation is the perfect partner in helping us recognize excellence in the next generation of theater talent.”
Pictured: John Gore, HSH Prince Albert II, and Brisa Trinchero, CEO Princess Grace Foundation-USA.
