The Hasty Pudding Theatricals Honors Mila Kunis as 2018 Woman Of The Year

 Mila Kunis/Photo /Getty Images Paul Marotta

CAMBRIDGE, MA (January 25^th, 2018) – The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the oldest theatrical organization in the United States, welcomed actress, MILA KUNIS, to Harvard University, where she received her Woman of the Year award, while the Pudding also announced to moving to gender-neutral casting in next year’s production.

The Woman of the Year is the Hasty Pudding Theatricals oldest honor, bestowed annually on performers who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment. Established in 1951, Woman of the Year has been given to many notable and talented entertainers, including Meryl Streep, Debbie Reynolds, Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johansson, and most recently Octavia Spencer (who’s been nominated once again for an Oscar this year).

The Woman of the Year festivities, presented by RELATED, began with a parade through the streets of Cambridge. The weather was cold (but not snowy) as usual for Cambridge in January. Following the parade, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals hosted a celebratory roast for the actress at Farkas Hall, the Hasty Pudding’s historic home in the heart of Harvard Square since 1888. At the beginning of the event, Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ President Amira T. Weeks came on stage and announced that next year “the Pudding has determined that commencing with the 2019 Hasty Pudding Show, the Hasty Pudding welcomes women to audition for roles in the show and be given equal opportunity to play those roles based on the quality of their individual talents.” Afterward Ms Kunis was brought on stage and had to earn her Pudding Pot. First she had to recreate her Jim Beam commercials and try to sell products, after inhaling a balloon’s worth of helium. She also had to prove her mettle as a dancer, á la Black Swan, with a dance off to a fifth of Beethoven by Walter Murphy. She also had to declare her independence from her on-screen cartoon father, Peter Griffin, by throwing a dozen Dunkin’ Donuts at him. Ultimately, Ms Kunis was graciously awarded her Pudding Pot.

A press conference followed the presentation, which was live-streamed free and to the public via the Hasty Pudding’s Facebook (www.facebook.com/thehastypudding), as it happened. To close out the festivities, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals members performed several musical numbers from the group’s upcoming 170^th production, Intermission Impossible.

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals will celebrate their 52^nd Man of the Year, PAUL RUDD, on Friday February 2^nd, 20178 The traditional roast and Pudding Pot ceremony will take place at Farkas Hall, as well as the Opening night of HPT 170: Intermission Impossible.

TO LIVE STREAM the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ Man of Year press conference, viewers can tune in at 8:30 p.m. EST on Friday, February 2^nd via the Hasty Pudding’s Facebook www.facebook.com/thehastypudding

TO PURCHASE TICKETS to the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 169th production, Casino Evil, contact the HPT Box Office at 617-495-5205 or order online at www.hastypudding.org/buy- tickets. The show will be performed at Harvard University’s historic Farkas Hall, located at 12 Holyoke Street, from February 3rd until March 5th. The company then travels to New York to perform at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College on March 10th and 11th (call 212-772-4448 for tickets), followed by performances on March 15th-17th at Hamilton City Hall in Bermuda.