Roger Mandle, former president of the Rhode Island School of Design, acknowledges the crowd after receiving his award.

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The Providence Journal Glenn Osmundson

PROVIDENCE — Everything was scripted, sort of.

Last night, Trinity Repertory Company hosted the 12th annual Pell Awards for Excellence and honored itself with the biggest prize: the national award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts.

Yes, Trinity awarded itself.

The selection, according to Curt Columbus, Trinity’s artistic director, reminds Rhode Islanders to appreciate the rarity that is Trinity: the last large, permanent resident acting company in the country.

“If people aren’t careful, they’re going to shoot a unicorn.”

That wasn’t in the script. Columbus made the remark before the 400-person gala began. However, Peter Gerety, who’s now making movies after a 23-year career at Trinity, had a script, which he carried to the podium to present the award.

“They said, ‘You’ve got two minutes. Stick to the script.’ I said, ‘Why should I start now?’ ”

Company members past and present, a total of 80 actors over the 45-year history of the theater, were recognized for their collective work. As Gerety spoke and joked extemporaneously, he gestured above the stage to an array of photos of company actors.

“They gave their lives here. A lot of them died here, as I am now.”

Trinity’s recognition of itself isn’t a laughing matter, Columbus said. Past national award winners have included such legends as Arthur Miller, Robert Redford and Stephen Sondheim. This is the first time that Trinity, which picks the winners, chose an organization. And, Columbus said, Trinity, which won a Tony Award in 1981, is deserving.

“Its contribution to the arts in the country is not only unique, but significant and substantial. That’s something that had to be honored. We want more people to recognize that.”

Also recognized last night were three other Pell Award recipients.

Roger Mandle, past president of Rhode Island School of Design for 15 years, who greatly expanded the university’s campus, endowment and community involvement, received the Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts.

In this time of war and political discord, Mandle said, it’s time for society to promote artists. “They are the power of this nation unleashed. Let them do their job.”

Peter Geisser, a stained glass artist, and an arts advocate and educator at RISD among other places, was one of two locally recognized artists. He spoke of the enduring value of art.

“There is something in art that is that thing of permanence.”

The other honored artist was Consuelo Sherba, a violist, a music instructor at Brown University and a founding member of the ensemble Aurea. She thanked her family and numerous organizations that have supported her. And she thanked the audience with a short but pleasing viola performance.

Everyone who spoke thanked and praised Sen. Claiborne Pell. In 1965, he was instrumental in the founding of the National Endowment for the Arts, which provides vital funding for the arts. Pell, who usually attends the ceremony given in his honor, could not attend last night.

As usual, the event was a formal affair. After the awards ceremony, a reception with dinner and dancing followed outside under a tent. The function, which is Trinity’s primary fundraiser of the year, raised $175,000 and attracted 400 guests, including many arts organization leaders and politicians.

Regarding all the night’s honorees, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline said “their work resonates well beyond the borders of this city.”

Gerety reminisced a bit about his time with Trinity, from the mid ’60s to the late ’80s. He talked about the great experiences he had with the company.

“Scrappy storytellers, that’s what we were.”

And he talked about how everywhere else, the intimate and personal repertory theater experience, for actors and audiences, is no more.

Broadway, Gerety said, “doesn’t have what Trinity has here.”

At the close of his presentation, Gerety announced the names of about a dozen past Trinity members who stood to be recognized. Richard Jenkins, who stars in the new movie The Visitor, received the greatest applause.

Before the award ceremony ended, Columbus urged everyone to befriend a company actor or two at the reception.

“Tell them that you love them. Artists have a tendency to be very shy.”

brourke@projo.com