04-01-2014 - New York Residential Specialists to organize theater outing for charity

Agents and sponsors affiliated with New York Residential Specialists (NYRS), REBNY's highest professional credential which fosters a professional network of residential real estate agents across New York City, will gather on April 1st to attend Atlantic Theater Company's production of the musical The Threepenny Opera, with ticket proceeds benefitting the theater's arts education programs. The performance will be held at the Linda Gross Theater in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, with a reception to follow with the cast and creative team of the show. "NYRS began 2014 stronger than ever, with new Executive Committee members, new sponsors and achieving the milestone of almost 300 NYRS agents," said Shirley Hackel, NYRS co-chairperson and associate broker at Warburg Realty. "Our goal to add more philanthropic events to our calendar is coming to fruition. We're fortunate to love what we do for a living and to be a part of a network that values charitable ventures as important as arts education for children." The NYRS designation identifies an esteemed group of agents who have successfully completed an advanced course of study covering relevant and important topics including negotiation, professional ethics and real estate law and finance. They comprise a powerful peer network of like-minded professionals across more than 30 NYC brokerage firms committed to ethical behavior, professional excellence and advanced education. Atlantic Theater Company is an award-winning off-Broadway theater, producing six productions each season at its two theaters in Chelsea. In addition, the company operates the renowned Atlantic Acting School as well as a variety of arts education programs that bring meaningful theater education into the classroom. These include a student matinee program, which provides students of all ages with theater tickets and classroom visits, and Staging Success - a cross-curricular program that offers in-depth theater classes to every student at Park Slope Collegiate, a public high school in Brooklyn. The arts education programs serve approximately 3,500 students in New York City public schools every year. The company also awards over $100,000 in scholarships annually so that underserved young people can study at the Atlantic Acting School at little to no cost. "Arts education plays a vital role in Atlantic Theater Company's mission," said Mary McCann, Atlantic's School Executive Director. "We're doing more now than ever to connect inner-city public school students to the theater. We're grateful to NYRS® for their charitable donation which will help us to continue to provide invaluable opportunities for students." Choreographed and directed by Martha Clarke, The Threepenny Opera includes a cast of 14 actors including Academy Award® winner F. Murray Abraham and Tony Award® nominees Mary Beth Peil and Laura Osnes. Set in 19th century London, it follows the adventures of criminal mastermind Macheath.