2015 Folger Gala

About the evening

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Celebrating Four Decades of Folger Education

The Folger Shakespeare Library's 2015 Gala was a resounding success! With the generosity of our sponsors, guests, and donors, we raised more than $360,000 for the Folger Shakespeare Library’s educational and cultural mission.

We are especially grateful to Gala Co-Chairs Philip Deutch and Marne Levine and the Gala Committee whose leadership and dedication helped make this one of our most successful galas to date. We also thank our Honorary Co-Chairs the British Ambassador and Lady Westmacott for their continued patronage.

More than 250 guests enjoyed cocktails in the Great Hall while viewing the landmark exhibition from the National Maritime Museum, Ships, Clocks & Stars: The Quest for Longitude. The navigational instruments were a fitting backdrop in this celebration of the journey of learning. In the Elizabethan Theatre guests were treated to a celebration of Folger Education, the Masters of Ceremony for which were four high school students, representing the 793,906 students who have taken part in Folger programs over the last four decades. The program included an excerpt from A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by Center City Public Charter School and a video of testimonials from teachers around the country who participated in our Teaching Shakespeare Institute. The whole program was a moving tribute to the Folger's work with teachers and students. The evening’s finale was the black-tie dinner in the exquisitely bedecked Reading Rooms. If you were unable to attend, you can view pictures of the beautiful evening at "Washington Life" and the "Folger's Flickr Page".

Committee and Honorary Committee

Honorary co-chairs

The British Ambassador and Lady Westmacott

Gala chairs

Philip Deutch and Marne Levine

2015 Folger Gala committee

The Honorable and Mrs. Samuel Berger

The Lord Browne of Madingley

Peter Brown and Margaret Hamburg

Vinton and Sigrid Cerf

Louis and Bonnie Cohen

John and Pat Deutch

Alan Fleischmann and Dafna Tapiero

Lisa Fuentes and Thomas Cohen

Susan Sachs Goldman

Maxine Isaacs

Nancy Jacobson and Mark Penn

J. May Liang and James Lintott

Amanda and Tom Lister

Carol and Gene Ludwig

Ken Ludwig and Adrienne George

William and Louisa Newlin

Herman J. Obermayer

Gail Kern Paster

Sara Schotland

Mallory and Diana Walker

Honorary committee

Speaker John A. Boehner

Senator Kelly A. Ayotte

Senator Michael F. Bennet

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler

Senator Roy Blunt

Senator Shelly Moore Capito

Senator Thad Cochran

Congressman Steve Cohen

Congressman Tom Cole

Congressman John K. Delaney

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro

Senator Michael B. Enzi

Senator Deb Fischer

Senator Al Franken

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

Senator Chuck Grassley

Senator Orrin G. Hatch

Senator John Hoeven

Congressman David P. Joyce

Senator Angus King

Senator Amy Klobuchar

Congressman John Lewis

Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo

Congresswoman Doris Matsui

Congresswoman Betty McCollum

Senator Barbara A. Mikulski

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree

Congressman Joseph R. Pitts

Senator Jack Reed

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Senator Charles E. Schumer

Senator Jeanne Shaheen

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter

Congressman Patrick Tiberi

Senator Tom Udall

Senator Mark R. Warner

Senator Elizabeth Warren

Senator Roger F. Wicker

Congressman Roger Williams