From left, Charles Kingsley, incoming Board Chair and partner at Wiggin and Dana; Anne Schenck, Honorary Founder Trustee; Val Capobianco, owner of Brazi’s; Gordon Edelstein, artistic director; Dr. Stephen Brenner, Mary Pepe (Board Chair); Terry Jones, a member of Long Wharf Theatre’s Board of Trustees and a partner at Wiggin and Dana.
(Christine Saari of the Arts Council submitted this report and photo.)
During the 2011 – 2012 season announcement event on Monday, Long Wharf Theatre presented three “Founders Awards” to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions of its most dedicated local supporters.
Dr. Stephen Brenner, the theater’s house doctor; Val Capobianco, the owner of Brazi’s, a popular local restaurant by the theater; and the law firm of Wiggin and Dana received the awards.
“We believe that the mission to illuminate the human experience through the power of live theater is still at the heart of all we do. These individuals’ service has supported this mission in the most tangible way possible,” said Mary Pepe, chair of the Board of Trustees.
For over two decades, Dr. Stephen Brenner’s careful ministrations have tended to the health of countless visiting artists and staff members, allowing them to continue the often physically rigorous task of creating great art.
While the theater’s programming feeds the soul, Brazi’s has spent a long time feeding the bodies of a host of happy staff members, artists and patrons. Whether running over to the theater with a plate piled high with spaghetti for a recent photo shoot with John Procaccino, actor in the production of Italian American Reconciliation, or providing numerous vast reception spreads, Val Capobianco has brought great joy to many of the theatre’s events.
Beginning with Newt Schenck, a partner and one of the theater’s founders, Wiggin and Dana has provided sage advice and counsel throughout Long Wharf’s long history. This sage advice has helped Long Wharf Theatre grow from the passion of a few community arts activists to an organization enjoying nationwide stature.
Steve Scarpa, director of marketing and communications for the theater, reflected on the power of saying thank you: “Arts organizations like ours simply would not exist without the support of people like these… they are our unsung heroes. It’s too easy to take their generosity for granted because they have been with us in ways small and large for so long. These awards acknowledge that without them, we truly could not do what we do.”