The Wally Russell Foundation announced that Rusty Brutsché of Production Resource Group (PRG) has made a donation to the Foundation at the Gold Circle level. The nonprofit organization relies on donations by industry companies and individuals to move it forward as it supports the LA Opera internship program, Broadway Master Classes, and the Safety Certification Program. It also sponsors the Wally Russell Award, which honors outstanding lifetime achievement in entertainment technology. The award for this year’s honoree, Richard Belliveau, will be presented at ETS-LDI2005 in Orlando, FL.
Brutsché has a long history in the entertainment industry. He founded Showco, an audio engineering and rental house, with partner Jack Maxson in 1970. He also developed the Vari-Lite brand in the '80s. During the 1990s, Brutsché sold Showco in order to concentrate his attention on the growth of Vari-Lite's manufacturing and rental operations. In 2002, he sold Vari-Lite's manufacturing operations in order to focus on the company's higher-growth rental operations, VLPS. In 2004, when VLPS merged with PRG, he took on the role of vice chairman and chief technology officer at PRG. For more information about PRG, visit www.prg.com.
Wally Russell’s friends and business associates created the Wally Russell Foundation in 1992 to honor the memory of Russell–a visionary in lighting design, product innovation, theatre design, technical direction, and general management–whose frequently unrecognized impact on the profession was profound. Russell helped bring about the first computer controlled lightboard; brought automated lighting to the LA Opera as their technical director; and designed many theatres, including the modernizing of Buenos Aries’ Teatro Colon.
The Wally Russell Foundation Board of Directors are Donna Appleton, Phil Bernard, Rusty Brustche, David Cunningham, Tom Folsom, John Howe, Larry Kellermann, Philip O’Donnell, Richard Pilbrow, Brian Russell, Glen Russell, Robert Schiller, Jennifer White, John Wiseman
Donations can be made to the Foundation in the following levels:
Wally Patron: $2,500 and above
Platinum Circle: $1,000 to $2,499
Gold Circle: $100 to $999
Donations can be sent to:
The Wally Russell Foundation
2615 South Santa Fe Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90058