Rainbows, Rains and Rockefeller

Greetings all!

On Monday night, Ms Ehle was one of many well-known faces who went along to the Rockefeller Plaza's Rainbow Room to support playwright Neil Simon, who was receiving the Monte Cristo Award from the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. (Photo from Theatermania).

The Courant have more information, revealing that Ms Ehle was also more than just a spectator in the event:

[...] The 80-year-old Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer...was feted with dinner, speeches and scenes performed from his plays. ... Among the performers were Lucie Arnaz...and husband Laurence Luckinbill, who did a scene from "Chapter Two;" Jennifer Ehle was poignant in a scene from "The Good Doctor"; and Bob Dishy and Dick Latessa scored huge laughs with a scene from "The Sunshine Boys". [...]

• Before the Rains meanwhile continues to make its way round the film festivals. With the Sarasota Film Festival having recently ended, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) began yesterday and will continue through April 27. For any in the vicinity, Rhythm Village note that Before the Rains soundtrack composer Mark Kilian will be performing tracks from the film live tonight between 9 and 9.30pm. The film itself will be shown tonight at 7.15pm.

• And just when you thought that was it, the Tribeca Film Festival also starts today! That festival will run through May 4, with Before the Rains being screened April 29, May 1 and May 2.

In other news:

• The Kudzu Gazette speak to John Ehle about the aforementioned NCSA name change:

John Ehle, a founding father of the school, thinks the name change is a “tricky” situation. “It [NCSA] is not a university,” Mr. Ehle said in a phone interview. “If it is characterized as a university it will become the only university in the system that picks its students based on auditions and portfolios.” He went on to add, “The school has a dynamic chancellor and maybe he can make it work out, but I don’t know what will happen after he leaves.”

The Carolina Mountains Literary Festival also report that Mr Ehle will be one of many authors participating in that event which is being held September 12 and 13 in Burnsville, North Carolina.

• Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere stands up for Pride and Glory and lists Jennifer Ehle as one of those who give a 'special' performance in the film. There is only one thing that puzzles him:

[...] (Her) head is shaved in this thing - what's that about? [...]

• And very lastly, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette have a nice piece on ex-Utopian Erika Rolfsrud, while Tom Stoppard makes Oxford University smile by speaking to their student newspaper, the Cherwell.