The literati mixed with the glitterati to honor the winners of the Guild Hall of East Hampton Academy of the Arts Awards at the Rainbow Room. Honorees included Robert Wilson, Budd Schulberg, April Gornik, and Don Hewitt. Past winner presenters on hand included Joan Ganz Cooney, Edward Bleier, Chuck Close and George Plimpton.
Don Hewitt, 60 Minutes impresario, was honored for his contributions to modern journalistic excellence, but don’t think his Lifetime Achievement award will make the newsman consider hanging up his hat. The Sheet noticed how amazingly fit Hewitt was looking. “I’m 80 years old,” he said, “and I just signed a new 10-year contract with CBS!” Maybe there should be a thorough investigation into Hewitt’s fountain of youth!
Experimental stage director Robert Wilson, best known for his haunting works like Einstein on the Beach with collaborator Philip Glass, never ceases to mine for inspiration. Wilson, who founded The Watermill Center, an international facility for new works in the arts, told us that he’s planned a trip to Cuba with Beth Rudin DeWoody to search out Cuban artists for the Center’s yearly bash in the Hamptons this summer (August 2, call 631-726-6110). Let’s just cross our fingers that this maestro of theatrical works exploring time and space can figure out a way to sneak a couple of those Cuban stogies back into the States!
