Piven Theatre Workshop Fundraiser at Rockit

Of all the things Jeremy Piven did to help raise scholarship money for the Piven Theatre Workshop on Saturday night at Rockit, perhaps his Ari Gold impression was the crowd favorite. When the event’s old-school auctioneer had trouble quieting the guests during the live auction, someone shouted to Piven, “You’re Ari Gold! Tell them to shut the f— up!” Piven smiled, took the mic and delivered the line with the full force of his Entourage character. It silenced the room for maybe two seconds.

Noisy or not, a sold-out crowd at an arts fundraiser remains a welcome sight these days, and Piven lent his star power to score one for the Evanston theater company his parents, Joyce and the late Byrne, founded 35 years ago. Rockit owner and local celebrity Billy Dec co-hosted with Piven, and guests included Bulls forward Luol Deng and Tom Thayer of the 1985 Bears.

“We’re really thrilled that we’re as packed as we are”, said Jennifer Green, Artistic Director of the Piven. “The number one thing that we pledged through this recession is to not cut back on any of our scholarships, so we’re still giving out approximately thirty grand in scholarships every year. We have residency and outreach programs happening throughout Chicago and on the North Shore that offer free classes for young people and adults. So what we need is a night like this.”

In a weekend that saw several famous alumni of Chicago’s theater scene returning to town for the Just For Laughs festival, Piven too honored his roots as a Chicago actor.

“So many of my mom’s students are on scholarship”, he told guests as the live auction commenced. “And times are really tough right now, as you know. So this is a way for kids to learn how to act. I was studying with my mother from the time I was eight years old, so if I have anything to contribute, it’s because of her.”

And contribute he did, with charismatic hosting and big-ticket auction items. When the coveted Entourage walk-on role came on the block, Piven teased Dec, who won last year, for being “a little stiff” in his performance on the show. Enthused guests, placing their bids via frazzled volunteer actors, drove the price up until two offers hovered at $19,000 and $19,500. In a dramatic moment, a third donor swooped in and offered to make it an even $40,000 if both bidders could appear on the show. Piven agreed, the auctioneer pushed the lesser bid to $19,500 (out of fairness) and now we can spot not one but two Chicago theater benefactors on HBO next season.

“A night like this pays for our great programming,” said Green. “It pays for scholarships, and it pays so we can bring fantastic shows like Storybox [an improvised, full-length play opening July 10th] to the theater. And none of that happens in this kind of economy without people who are able to give and support the arts. We’re lucky.”