Leslie Odom Jr. and Kara Young Host the Arthur Miller Foundation Honors

The fifth annual Arthur Miller Foundation Honors took place on Monday, November 6 at City Winery NYC. Leslie Odom Jr. and Kara Young, currently starring together in Purlie Victorious, hosted the event.

A grassroots not-for-profit organization, the Arthur Miller Foundation (AMF) works to improve equitable access to quality theater education for public school students. It provides teachers with certification, mentorship opportunities and tailored resources to build sustainable theater programs. “The teacher-student relationship is so important,” Rebecca Miller told The Broadway Show. Miller founded the AMF to honor the legacy of her father, the playwright Arthur Miller, and his public school education in New York City. “Everybody remembers one great teacher that somehow changed their life.”

The Arthur Miller Foundation Honors is the organization's preeminent annual benefit event, raising crucial funds for the AMF’s Theater Education Programs in partnership with the New York City Public Schools, The City College of New York and Bridgeport Public Schools.

“As a product of the New York City public educational system, it’s really important for me to be here,” said Young. “When I was growing up, a lot of the arts education was being ripped out of New York City.”

“My most joyful moments as a middle school kid and a high school kid were in the choir room, in the theater room, in the dance studio,” said Odom Jr. “We’re excited to celebrate these educators tonight.”

During the evening, philanthropists Jerre and Mary Joy Stead were honored with the AMF Humanitarian Award, while Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok (Cost of Living) received the AMF Legacy Award. “I didn’t have a drama program when I was in school,” she said. “I came to the theater pretty late. But I feel as though art saved me, in many ways. I grew up with a lot of domestic violence and difficulties. Making was the opposite of destroying. Committing to that was what genuinely kept me alive. And some of these teachers, they gave me their extra time after school to make programs that didn’t exist in our schools.”

Talia Jaime, a New York City public school theater teacher, was honored with the AMF Excellence in Arts Education Award. “It’s something I really needed,” she said of the foundation. “As a theater teacher, you really swim alone.”

She added, “Being part of the Foundation and being in the fellowship program, it just helped me tremendously. It helped me grow as a teacher.”

To support the Arthur Miller Foundation, visit arthurmillerfoundation.org.