The USC School of Theatre, considered one of the premiere theatre schools in the country, launches a new tradition by honoring celebrated actor/director Robert Redford with the newly established “Robert Redford Award for Engaged Artists” at an inaugural gala fundraiser on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 6:30 p.m., at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The award, to be presented annually, was created to recognize those artists who have distinguished themselves not only in the exemplary quality, skill and innovation of their work but also in their public commitment to social responsibility, to increasing awareness of global issues and events and to inspiring and empowering young people. Although Redford has received some of the entertainment industry’s highest accolades, this is the first award named after the Santa Monica native. Proceeds from the event provide
scholarship support for the next generation of artists at the USC School of Theatre.
“The Robert Redford Award for Engaged Artists honors an individual who has used his or her fame to increase public awareness of issues that are of vital importance to us all,” says Madeline Puzo, dean of the USC School of Theatre. “Robert Redford truly embodies all that an Engaged Artist represents. He is a distinguished actor, an Academy Award-winning director, an ardent conservationist, philanthropist and environmentalist, a man who stands for social responsibility and political involvement and an artist and businessman who is a staunch supporter of uncompromised creative expression.”
Robert Redford, who received the Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences’ 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award and the 1980 Best Director Academy Award for Ordinary People as well as the 2005 Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime contribution to American culture, is somewhat of an anomaly in the entertainment industry. Though he has been world-famous for some 30 years, he remains a very private individual. He is recognized the world over for the roles he has played and the projects he has directed or produced throughout a distinguished stage and film career. His life-long passion for nature and issues of justice has resulted in his being widely acknowledged as a highly effective and dedicated political and environmental activist. His passion remains to make films of substance and social/cultural relevance, as well as to encourage others to express themselves through the
arts. Believing that it is the unexpected and uncommon that ultimately enlivens the cultural ecology of a society, Redford has nurtured more than a generation of innovative voices in independent film through his non-profit Sundance Institute and Film Festival.
Tickets to the USC School of Theatre’s inaugural gala honoring Robert Redford are $375 per person. The Beverly Hills Wilshire Hotel is located at 9500 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For tickets and information, please call (213) 821-4262 or visit http://theatre.usc.edu.
Feature image of Robert Redford by Kristina Loggia
