Everything that glittered was gold at Saints and Sinners 2017, the largest annual fundraiser for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. Tables and chairs draped in gold cloths and a wall of iridescent balloons provided a shimmery atmosphere for the Jan. 28 affair held in the Grand Ballroom of the Little Rock Marriott. Co-chairmen Jay Barth and Chuck Cliett welcomed guests with hugs and handshakes, then presided over the program.
It was the first Saints and Sinners for The Rep's new producing artistic director, John Miller-Stephany. He got creative during his after-dinner appeal for off-the-cuff donations, which totalled nearly $30,000. Top selling live auction items adding to the kitty: a private night at the Rep that sold for $11,500, a trip to London that went for $8,000 and a diamond bracelet and gift certificate donated by Sissy's Log Cabin that brought $7,000.
The evening started with a loud and lively cocktail reception on the mezzanine outside the ballroom, followed by a dinner featuring root beer-braised Wagyu Kobe short ribs with polenta and fennel-braised haricot verts. Videos showcasing the success of The Rep's programs were shown between performances by Karen Clark, Kelsey Adkisson and Tania Kelley, and Caleb Reese and Katie Emerson, among others. The three-act show, titled "Putting It Together," was conceived and directed by Rafael Colon Castanera.
"Theatre is important at any time. It is, however, particularly important in times like these, when support for regional, professional theatres by the National Endowment for the Arts is under dire threat," Barth said in a pre-party email promoting attendance and donations. "Theatre allows us to empathize with those different from us, becomes a tool for questioning the powers that be, or invites us to escape for a couple of hours -- sometimes just to have some fun."
Best-selling silent auction items included a seven-night stay at Palm Island Resort in The Grenadines that sold for $2,200, a private party for 14 at the 1836 Club, which brought $1,750 and an Oregon wine dinner featuring sommelier Jonathan Looney, which raised $1,200. Topping the silent auction, literally, were a couple of live sculptures -- scantily clad men wearing candelabra on their heads that reached almost to the mezzanine ceiling.
Guests closed out the night with an after-party with dancing to the music of DJ G-Force.
High Profile on 02/05/2017