This image was lost some time after publication.

Who

Gersten is the head of the celebrity-centric theater company Naked Angels.

Backstory

Jenny Gersten was born into a theatrical family: Her father is Bernard Gersten, executive director of Lincoln Center Theater, and her mother is Cora Cahan, president of the New 42nd Street. In the 1980s, Gersten worked in development and marketing for non-profit theater program The 52nd Street Project, then was associate producer of the starry Williamstown Theater Festival for nine years under artistic director Michael Ritchie. When Ritchie left in 2004, Gersten was aced out of the top spot, and left to become the artistic director at Naked Angels.

Of note

In the theater world, a stint at Naked Angels is a one-way ticket to acting cred; it's been the hip launching pad for dozens of now-famous performers. Its early members include Marisa Tomei, Rob Morrow, Gina Gershon and Mary Stuart Masterson. Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker fell for each other while acting in the troupe.

Personal

She's married to writer Willie Reale, founder of the 52nd St. Project. The couple has two children—Augustus and Leonardo—and lives on the Upper East Side.

True story

Gersten was childhood friends with Sofia Coppola. As teens, Gersten, her sister Jilian, and Sofia used to sing, dance, and act in a troupe they founded called the Dingbats.