In recognition of a gift from Dick and Noelle Wolf, the Television Academy will name the new 600-seat theater within the Saban Media Center the Wolf Theatre. It will be unveiled on June 2 at the Academy’s 70th anniversary event.
“All of us at the Television Academy are truly grateful for the extraordinary generosity of Dick and Noelle Wolf,” said Bruce Rosenblum, chairman and CEO of the TV Academy. “Dick’s amazing history of creative excellence and the Wolfs’ strong philanthropic spirit are unparalleled. It makes us proud to know that programs presented in our Wolf Theatre will be an inspiration to the next generation for decades to come. We are also thrilled to be working with Dick, Noelle and the Alliance for Children’s Rights as our Foundation builds an exciting and ground-breaking program to support television industry education programs for foster youth.”
The gift from the Wolf Family Foundation includes an endowment for collaboration between the Academy’s Foundation and the Alliance for Children’s Rights, including industry internships, a vocational training day for high school and college students, interview and job training, and mentoring of foster youth with an eye towards full-time industry employment.
“The Wolf Family Foundation’s primary focus is on education,” said Dick and Noelle Wolf. “We see a tremendous opportunity through the TV Academy Foundation and the Alliance for Children’s Rights to provide opportunities to foster youth. Through the designated internship programs, disadvantaged students now can have life-changing career paths. Doors that were previously closed may now be opened. The television industry thrives on diversity, and by giving the gift of education to students who have had a difficult path, the industry will be richer.”
Said Janis Spire, CEO of the Alliance for Children’s Rights, “Dick and Noelle have been generous and long-time supporters of our children and youth. This new partnership offers a wealth of opportunity for foster youth to become self sufficient in a highly coveted industry.”
Emmy-winning producer Dick Wolf, who created the “Law & Order” series, now oversees the hit “Chicago” franchise at NBC, with “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago PD,” “Chicago Med,” and the new “Chicago Justice,” which NBC just picked up for the 2016-17 season. NBC also recently announced the limited series “Law & Order: True Crime,” based on the Menendez Brothers trial.
Noelle Wolf is a producer and philanthropist, who previously had careers in both photography and public relations. She is a board member of the Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara/The Wolf Museum of Innovation + Exploration (MOXI), as well as the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation, the Alliance for Children’s Rights, Mount Desert Island Hospital and The Hawaii School for Girls.
The Wolf Theatre will feature the latest Dolby Vision laser projection and sound system, utilizing unique optics and image processing. It will be regularly updated with cutting-edge Dolby technology for the next 10 years, guaranteeing it remains a leader in audio and visual technology.
