2025 Avalon Theatre Gala
About the Event
A special evening benefiting the theater and its Cinema Classroom at the Avalon student film education program
Join us for an engaging multimedia presentation by Ilana Kaplan, author of Nora Ephron at the Movies, exploring the life and work of the visionary writer and director behind such films as When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle.
RECEPTION
5 PM–7 PM
PROGRAM
7 PM – 9 PM
I’ll Have What She’s Having: A Celebration of Nora Ephron at the Movies
Ilana Kaplan, presenter
AVALON THEATRE
5612 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015
DRESSY CASUAL ATTIRE
About Ilana Kaplan
Brooklyn-based writer and culture editor Ilana Kaplan is a self-proclaimed fan of romantic comedies, especially those from the mind of Nora Ephron.
Ilana has worked for publications including PEOPLE, Alternative Press, The Independent and PAPER. Her work has been published in the New York Times, New York magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, NPR, GQ, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Pitchfork, Variety, and Billboard. Nora Ephron at the Movies is her first book.
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
PATRON TICKET: $300
- 1 ticket to the catered reception
and program - Reserved seating for the program
- Name listed in the printed program
PROGRAM ONLY TICKET: $65
- 1 ticket to the program
- Reserved seating for the program
- Event admission at 6:45 PM
(7:00 PM start)
INDIVIDUAL UNDERWRITER BENEFITS
GALA STAR: $20,000
- 10 tickets total to the catered reception and program
- Special recognition during the event as a Gala Star
Underwriter - Complimentary rental of Avalon 2 at a mutually
agreed upon time (Mon-Thurs only) - PLUS all benefits at the Producer level
PRODUCER: $10,000
- 8 tickets total to the catered reception and program
- Exclusive onscreen recognition slide during
the Avalon pre-show for one year - Two complimentary Avalon passes for one year
- PLUS all benefits at the Cinematographer level
CINEMATOGRAPHER: $5,000
- 6 tickets total to the catered reception and program
- Recognition during the event as an Underwriter
- One copy of the book Nora Ephron
at the Movies signed by author Ilana Kaplan - PLUS all benefits at the Screenwriter level
SCREENWRITER: $2,500
- 4 tickets total to the catered reception and program
- Recognition in the event program and
on Avalon website - Preferred reserved seating for the program
I cannot attend the event but would still like to donate.
We Thank Our Generous Underwriters!
CORPORATE UNDERWRITERS
Screenwriter
INDIVIDUAL UNDERWRITERS
Gala Star
Jodie Levin-Epstein & Barry Zigas
Producer
Donetta George
Beth Wehrle & Matthew Miller
Cinematographer
Lisa Banks & Linda Correia
Carl & Courtney Bergeron
Ann Pelham & Bob Cullen
Screenwriter
Connie K.N. Chang & Nathaniel G. Pearlman
Heather & Chris Davenport
Martin Hahn & Colleen Martin
Cathy MacNeil-Hollinger & Mark Hollinger
Elias Savada
Randy Speck & Samantha Nolan
Ken & Dorothy Woodcock
Host Committee
Jamie Banks & Jon Grossman
Lisa Banks & Linda Correia
Subhashini Bollini
Connie Chang & Nathaniel Pearlman
Sally Courtney
Toby & Daniel Edelman
Tope Folarin
Andrew & Amy Mack
Judith & Richard Meltzer
Mary Louise Mitterhoff
Samantha Nolan & Randy Speck
Lynn Palmer & Bob Peck
Margaret Parsons
Ruth Robbins
Jan Solomon & Kenneth Simonson
Daniel Spealman Jr & Kristi Maasjo
Cinema Classroom at the Avalon is a free program teaching visual literacy and critical thinking to 6th-12th grade students from across the District of Columbia.
Twelve films are presented each school year, each focusing on social justice and human rights issues. In advance of each screening, we offer curriculum guides linked to DCPS standards. Each screening is followed by an interactive discussion with a subject matter expert.
About the Avalon Theatre
The oldest operating movie house in the Washington, DC region, the Avalon Theatre has been a cornerstone of its community since opening in 1923.
After the theater was abruptly closed in 2001, a grassroots effort by the newly formed Avalon Theatre Project successfully restored the theater and it reopened in 2003.
The non-profit, historic Avalon Theatre is a 102-year-old community-supported film center in Chevy Chase DC that entertains, educates, and inspires the people of metropolitan Washington, DC through the magic of cinema.