Peach Buzz

Donors come to aid of theater company

Atlanta Shakespeare Company’s artistic director Jeff Watkins has sent out a victorious e-mail to the downtown theater’s subscribers and donors with the headline: “We Did It!”

As Buzz readers will recall, the financially strapped nonprofit sent out a series of SOS missives to supporters this year after seeing its revenues plunge more than $200,000 during the current economic crisis.

The Bard-based theater company has had to reach out to patrons to keep the company open and to pay down mounting bills. The latest whopper: a $29,000 compensation insurance bill.

In an e-mail to supporters, Watkins disclosed this week: “I can hardly believe it. In just the last two hours, more than $4,000 has come in to put us over the goal line! I know it’s to pay the un-sexiest bill in my whole world but the fact is, that this is money for art … and that’s a rare commodity in these troubled times. So thank you, thank you!”

Through it all, Watkins has attempted to maintain a sense of humor in these uncertain times. On the theater company’s donations page, he posted a photo of himself digging into a can of Spam with a link titled: “Click here to see Jeff doing something he really doesn’t want to do.”

Colbert lends hand to honor Young

Southeastern Emmys governor’s award recipient Andrew Young got an unexpected video tribute from a certain high-profile TV friend during the awards ceremony over the weekend in Atlanta.

“The Colbert Report” faux Fox News host Stephen Colbert popped up on video screens from the New York set of his Comedy Central series to greet Young.

“Hello, Southeastern chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences,” Colbert greeted the room.

“How y’all doin’? Academy, you could not have picked a finer individual to receive your prestigious governor’s award than Andrew Young.

“Because I don’t do my show down there. I would be better. But he’s good, too. I’ll tell you, I don’t really understand Ambassador Young’s Emmy campaign,” Colbert continued. “I mean, a lot of the honorable things he’s done have been off camera. Why bother to be good if no one is watching? That’s why I only help old ladies across the street where there are traffic cameras.”

We hear that Young was delighted by Colbert’s greeting. The ambassador has been a guest twice on “The Colbert Report.” On his first appearance, Colbert revealed to viewers the two men’s connection go back decades.

Young once helped Colbert’s late father, a hospital administrator, settle a strike in South Carolina.

Overscene

Jeremy Renner, the star of the upcoming film “The Hurt Locker,” at Whiskey Blue at the W Buckhead. We hear the rising young actor is very low key in person and was seen sporting a Mickey Mouse T-shirt with gray skinny jeans. “The Hurt Locker” opens July 10 in Atlanta.

New York Yankees heartthrob Derek Jeter was also spotted in Whiskey Blue drinking a margarita. Female Yankees and Braves fans were gazing repeatedly in Jeter’s direction during his visit.

UGA Bulldog alum and Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcus LaVar Stroud presiding over his private birthday party on the rooftop deck and in the Fight Room of Stats sports bar downtown.

High Five

The top-selling tomes at Eagle Eye Books in Decatur this week:

1. “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” by Seth Grahame-Smith

2. “Atlanta’s Druid Hills: A Brief History’” by Robert Hartle Jr.

3. “The Likeness” by Tana French

4. “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer

5. “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson

Compiled by Charles Robinson at Eagle Eye Books

Celebrity

birthdays

Actress Polly Holliday (“Alice”) is 72. Writer-director Larry David (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) is 62. Keyboardist Roy Bittan of the E Street Band is 60. Model-actress Jerry Hall is 53. Bassist Dave Parsons of Bush is 44. Actress Yancy Butler (“Witchblade”) is 39. Singer Michelle Branch is 26. Actress Vanessa Lee Chester (“The Lost World: Jurassic Park”) is 25. Actress Ashley Tisdale (“High School Musical”) is 24. Actress Lindsay Lohan is 23.

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Richard L. Eldredge, reldredge@ajc.com