Audrey Skirball-Kenis
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December 19, 1914[1]
Audrey Skirball-Kenis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Audrey Marx December 19, 1914[1] Birmingham, Alabama, US |
| Died | June 19, 2002 (aged 87)[1] Century City, Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) |
Charles Kenis (m. 1987) |
| Children | 4 |
Audrey Skirball-Kenis (December 19, 1914 – June 19, 2002) was an American philanthropist.
A long-time horse racing fan, Audrey Skirball had joined with friends in 1972 to purchase a thoroughbred, then established the 3 Plus U Stable, which became quite successful. Charles Kenis joined his new wife in this pursuit and became a founder and eventually director emeritus of the Thoroughbred Owners of California.[2]
A.S.K. Theater Projects
Audrey and Charles founded the non-profit Audrey Skirball-Kenis Theater Projects (ASK) in West Los Angeles. Audrey did not actively manage ASK, but Charles served as president of ASK's board of trustees.
In 1990, Audrey and Charles, through ASK, made a highly publicized donation of $500,000 to the Los Angeles Arts Festival's theater and performance programs. The donation saved the festival from closing, and was ceremonially accepted in the Los Angeles mayor's office by Peter Sellers, the festival's director.
Soon, ASK emerged with a reputation as Los Angeles' primary funder of small new theatrical projects. In 2000, ASK spent and gave a total of $1.8 million to charitable activities.