Ken Howard Dedication

On Oct. 5, the Robin Williams Center for Entertainment and Media opened its doors on West 54th Street. This SAG-AFTRA Foundation state-of-the art screening room and educational space will be available to more than 160,000 members of SAG-AFTRA over the next 20 years. It will serve as the new home for Conversations as well as The Business programs. Journalist Lisa Birnbach moderated a panel that included some of the late actor’s closest friends and collaborators. Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg were joined on the stage of the center’s intimate high-tech screening room by director Barry Levinson and actors Hank Azaria and Bonnie Hunt. After viewing clips from one of several Conversations Williams had participated in over the years as a SAG-AFTRA member, the group shared remembrances that were both funny and moving. Williams’ gift for entertaining as well as his unfailing generosity was affirmed by everyone. Hunt recalled her early improv days, when she was an oncology nurse by day, and Williams offered: “‘If you want me to call some patients, I can.’ And this was just the two of us. Nobody knew about it. It wasn’t for any purpose except the healing power of humor.” After the tears and the laughter, invited guests attended an after-party at 54 Below, just across the street from the Foundation’s Robin Williams Center for Entertainment and Media, the first facility that his family allowed to carry Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder— a Hip-Hop Fellow of Harvard University —who was interviewed by NPR’s Frannie Kelley, as well as a career retrospective with former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw, interviewed by Jeffrey Toobin. Members can look forward to programming featuring prominent actors, broadcasters, recording artists and singers on the center’s program calendar. Events will be recorded and posted to the Foundation’s website and YouTube channel (youtube.com/sagaftrafoundation). “The SAG-AFTRA Foundation was founded to support members, and we are delighted to open this beautiful facility for them and the artistic community,” said founding Foundation Board member and Treasurer Maureen Donnelly. Foundation vice president and chair of the New York committee responsible for the center’s development and programming Rebecca Damon added, “This marks the completion of the Foundation’s vision for planting the flag in New York. SAG-AFTRA members can still take advantage of the Foundation’s offices and educational facilities at 1900 Broadway for its EIF Voiceover Lab, casting courses with noted industry casting directors and tech courses in website design, Photoshop, audio and video editing at the Computer Lab, audition prep and more at the On-Camera Lab.” Take advantage of all your membership has to offer. Be sure to create a user account at sagaftra.foundation.org to access all of these free programs and events.