The 2024 Annual Gala
Celebrating the Women Who Made Imagination Stage
- Date
- May 10, 2024 – May 10, 2024
- Age Range
- 21+
- Credits
Hosted at The National Museum of Women in the Arts
Event Time: 7:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Imagine Award Recipient: Janet Stanford, Founding Artistic Director
Gala Chairs: Ashley Bronczek and Michelle Johnstone
The 2024 Annual Gala is a "Mamma Mia!" themed, cocktail-style party with live, musical performances celebrating the many women who have made Imagination Stage.
We are proud to present the Imagine Award to our Founding Artistic Director, Janet Stanford, honoring her 30 years of extraordinary leadership, dedication, and artistry on behalf of our region's young people.
After the performances, Imagine Award presentation, and auction, get ready to channel your inner Dancing Queen and groove all night to hits from your favorite musicals, the 70s, and more!
2024 Imagine Award Recipient
Janet Stanford
Janet Stanford is a theatre artist dedicated to opening hearts, inspiring minds, and igniting imaginations. Along with Imagination Stage’s Founder, Bonnie Fogel, Janet grew a small arts academy into a nationally prominent Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) and Youth Development institution with an annual budget of $6M, housed in a 42,000 sf purpose-built arts center in downtown Bethesda, MD. Over the past three decades, Janet has heightened the profile of professional theatre for young people by commissioning 50 new works, adopting an Actors’ Equity contract, and successfully advocating for the inclusion of TYA productions in the Helen Hayes Awards. Janet has brought many distinguished playwrights to the theatre, including David S. Craig (Canada) and Charles Way (UK), as well as Americans Karen Zacarias, Joan Cushing, Eric Coble, Barry Kornhauser, and Psalmayene 24. Under her leadership, the theatre has created educational plays for teens about biotechnology as well as social justice topics, including youth migration and racial profiling. She introduced Theatre for the Very Young to the USA and has co-produced and co-commissioned with other top TYA theatres in this country and abroad. Janet has traveled on grants from South America to Europe and Asia in search of new partners and inspiration for IStage programs. She has twice been nominated for the Helen Hayes Award for Best Director and has written several plays for children, including The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, Aladdin’s Luck, and Mother Goose. She is the 2017 winner of the Harold Oaks Award for Innovation in Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA).
Host Committee
Raya Bakalov
Sylvia Thomas Ballinger
Kim W. Barnette, PhD
Jill Bruno
Kristin & John Cecchi
Charlie Crowley
Christina Cuomo Diver
Missy Edwards
Julianna Goldman
Dawn Halfaker
David and Melissa Hurwitz
Louisa Imperiale
Jen Kavounas
Jenna & Patrick Lanier
Sara Lange
Jaime & Greg Marcus
Brian Kowalski & Catherine Nguyen
Nicolle Rippeon
Betsy Williams
Heather Guay Yoo
2024 Gala Sponsors
$25,000
Ashley & Matthew Bronczek
$15,000
Washingtonian
$10,000
Lissy Melia Design
Jason Najjoum
Diane & Arnold Polinger
$5,000
Dr. and Mr. Kim & Corey Barnette
Julianna Goldman & Michael Gottlieb
Graham Holdings
Dawn Halfaker & Dabney Clifton
Michelle & Alexander Johnstone
Kristin & Hanan Kivett
Lanier Landscapes
LMI
Jan Donohoe McNamara & Charles McNamara
Pepco
Ridgewells Catering
Nicolle Rippeon
Robert, Anna, & Sophia Trone
$2,500
681 Marketing Studio
Raya Bakalov & Max Johnson
Jill Bruno
Kristin & John Cecchi
Charlie Crowley
Charles DeShazer, MD & Sylvia Thomas Ballinger
Christina Cuomo Diver
Missy Edwards
Bonnie Fogel
David & Melissa Hurwitz
Louisa Imperiale
Jen Kavounas
Sara & Chris Lange
Jaime & Greg Marcus
Brian Kowalski & Catherine Nguyen
Petroleum Marketing Group, Inc
Nichole Francis Reynolds
$1,250
Signey Adams
Mara Bralove & Ari Fisher
Darren Braude
Ashley & Brendan Burke
Raquel Carson
Chelsey Christensen & John Groth
Circle of Friends
John & Ann Davis
Greg Enloe
Foley & Lardner LLP
Barbara J. & Thomas Gottschalk
Stephanie Hartzberg
Lerch, Early & Brewer, Chtd
McLean School
Shadan Sayed Nasibdar
Nancy Ordway
Candace Ourisman
Julie and Frank Allen Philpot
Katie & Mehdi Pirzadeh
The Honorable Lily Qi & Phil Peng
RELPI
Randi & Jason Rosenberg
Margo & Michael Sadow
Janet Stanford & Leo Stone
Talapatra Family
Yasemin Washington & Khari Brown
Maya Weil
Maura & Jim White
Heather Guay Yoo
Gala Event Team
Event Producers
Emma Cummings
Greg Enloe
Gabriella Giegerich
Joanne Seelig Lamparter
Janet Stanford
Performance Directors
Kate Bryer
Randy Snight
Director of Production
Chris Gerling
Director of Marketing and Communications
Laurie Levy-Page
Music Director
Debbie Jacobson
Stage Manager
Jenn Schwartz
Assistant Stage Manager and Youth Performer Liaison
Sami Topping
Casting, Youth Performers
Nikki Kaplan
Announcer
Gwen Grastorf
Graphic Designer
Megan Kueny
Digital Media Manager
Benji Kapit
Gala Social Media Manager
Liana SC
Special Thanks
Maggie O’Neill
Kirstin Canner, National Museum of Women in the Arts
Lori Brubaker Smith, National Museum of Women in the Arts
Claire Hunter, Ridgewells Catering
Susan Lacz, Ridgewells Catering
Lissy Melia, Lissy Melia Design
DJ Diyanna Monet
Samantha Testa, Right Place Studio
Noe Todorovich, Noe Todorovich Photography
Josh Wilkins, Extraordinary Entertainment
Ryan Cohen, RYCO Fundraising
Amanda Raniero, RYCO Fundraising
Special thanks to the many artists whose talents are reflected in tonight’s Gala presentation, and to this evening’s volunteers, parents, and caregivers of our student performers.
We wish to express our gratitude to the Performers’ Unions:
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS
AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS
SAG-AFTRA
through Theatre Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the Artists to appear in this program.
Current Classes
Imagination Stage offers classes in theatre arts that nurture, challenge, and empower young people of all abilities, ages 1-18. Disciplines include early childhood, acting, musical theatre, dance, and filmmaking. Learn more today!
In Our Communities
Imagination Stage provides theatre arts classes and residencies at area schools. Our Theatre for Change program uses theatre productions and educational workshops to bridge cultural divides and lift up underrepresented voices. Bring Imagination Stage to your school or community group!