Fort Lauderdale native Alex Weisman is finishing up his senior year in the theater program at Northwestern University. But on Monday, he became an award-winning professional actor for his performance in the much-extended production of Alan Bennett's The History Boys at Chicago's TimeLine Theatre Company.

The production got more of the city's prestigious Joseph Jefferson Equity Awards than any other, including Weisman's award as best actor in a supporting role in a play for his portrayal of Posner. Proud mom Betsy Weisman, accounting manager of the Broward Center's Broward Performing Arts Foundation and a panelist for South Florida's Carbonell Awards, was in the audience to glory in the moment. It's a great kickoff to the post-university career Weisman hopes to build in Chicago.

-- CHRISTINE DOLEN

ARSHT GIFT

She's at it again. Adrienne Arsht, whose $30-million gift in 2008 secured financial footing for Miami's new performing arts center, has donated $5 million to support musical theater at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

``With this very generous new gift, . . . audiences will be able to enjoy wonderful theatrical productions for years go come,'' Michael M. Kaiser, the center's president, said in a statement.

Arsht, a former Washington resident and a decades-long supporter of the center, has served as chairman of Kennedy Center Productions, which produced Broadway-bound theatrical shows. She currently underwrites the center's Arts in Crisis initiative, which provides free, confidential counsel to performing-arts groups, and was national chair of the National Symphony Orchestra's season-opening ball in 2008.

``I've experienced first hand the unbelievable memories the Kennedy Center creates and look forward to . . . many more history-making seasons and performances,'' Arsht said in a statement. In addition, Arsht serves on the boards of New York's Metropolitan Opera and American Ballet Theatre, Best Buddies International and the University of Miami and on the Global Advisory Board of the Washington National Opera.

-- Miami Herald staff

TASTY TIP

Here's a little bonus for book lovers who must buy tickets to attend Miami Book Fair International's ``Evening with . . '' presentations. The fair will offer tastings before the evening events with hors d'oeuvres and a complimentary cocktail, with a cash bar available. The tastings will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8-13 on the fifth-floor terrace of Building 3 of Miami Dade College's Wolfson Campus.

The following will provide samples:

Nov. 8: Casablanca Seafood

Nov. 9: MamaJuana Cafe

Nov. 10: Miami's Finest Caribbean Restaurant

Nov. 11: Hard Rock Cafe

Nov. 12: Xixón

Nov. 13: Francophone night (France, Haiti and Canada host an evening of culinary samplings and presentations from Francophone authors).

The fair runs Nov. 8-15 at Wolfson, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami. Tickets for ``Evening with . . . '' events are $10 and can be ordered starting Nov. 2 at www.miamibookfair.com.

-- CONNIE OGLE

BIG READ

More book news. Florida Center for the Book at Broward County Library invites every reader in the county -- yep, every one -- to participate in the next Big Read, the community-wide project funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and focusing this time on Mark Twain's classic The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

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