On Sunday 10th of November, a few days from the date of what would have been her ninetieth birthday, the second Tribute to Princess Grace of Monaco took place at the Princess Grace Theatre, under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco. The much-loved actress was remembered with a screening of the 1956 film “The Swan”, in which Grace Kelly plays the role of a princess, something that was about to become a reality when she married Prince Rainier III. The event, organised by Mrs. Dani Carew, was to benefit the Princess Grace Foundation USA, and we were lucky enough to meet its newly appointed CEO Brisa Trinchero.
F.1.M. : Brisa, our readers are familiar with the Princess Grace Foundation – USA but we would like to find out more about you. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your role as the new CEO of this important organization.
B.T. : I came to the Princess Grace Foundation – USA from Broadway, where I’ve been a producer for the past ten years. I have won two Tony Awards and my whole career has been in the entertainment business. It’s really exciting to join the Princess Grace Foundation – USA because it operates across so many entertainment fields, it feels like a great opportunity for me and it’s like a combination of all the various things I’ve done throughout my career. It’s fantastic to be able to use my connections and my knowledge of the entertainment industry to support Princess Grace’s legacy and, in this way, to give back what I’ve received.
F.1.M. : How do you think your experience will help you in your new role? A CEO has both financial and organisational responsibilities.
B.T. : For me, it is really about organisation. And this mission is to keep the legacy and memory of Princess Grace alive, by supporting emerging artists in the fields of Theatre, Dance and Film. So, I see my role as making sure the Princess Grace Foundation – USA is well run, working closely with the members of the board, to make the organisation solid so we can carry out this work. And then it’s about looking for ways we can grow financially to be able to build upon the legacy, to be able to support more artists and to be able to make sure that, in America, the Princess Grace legacy remains strong and relevant.
F.1.M. : What are the new ideas you think you can bring to the Princess Grace Foundation – USA and when do you think you can start developing them?
B.T. : In her time, Princess Grace was a visionary and I think the first few decades of the organisation were building up this original vison. But I don’t think that she would want this to stay the same, I think she would want to see the organisation grow and support new artists. So, in addition to ballet dancers and traditional film makers, we are offering support to documentary films, artists working on environmental impact, artists working with virtual reality… things that are really exciting, new art forms within dance and film, forms of art we believe Princess Grace would be excited about.
F.1.M. : Do you feel that the board of directors is receptive to this concept, are they supporting this new deal so to say?
B.T. : Yes! We have a wonderful board of directors, many of them have been with the Organisation for the whole time! And they are very excited to introduce this new generation. A lot of our board members’ children, who will be the next generation of the Princess Grace Foundation – USA, are getting involved and this is very exciting, and is bringing new, fresh energy, making sure that this new generation who didn’t have the chance to meet Princess Grace, or even to visit Monaco yet, can understand who we are and what we do.
F.1.M. : Do you think the Princess Grace Foundation – USA also plays the role of a sort of “ambassador” to Princess Grace, not only of her artistic talent, but also of her deep humanity and care for the people?
B.T. : Absolutely. Princess Grace was an amazing cultural ambassador between the two countries. We very much see it as part of the role of the Princess Grace Foundation – USA. Prince Albert is very supportive, we work very closely with the Palace to make sure we too fulfill our role as cultural ambassadors between the US and Monaco. I’ve been here several times and it’s just fantastic. On a personal level, it’s really wonderful to do this work around such an iconic woman, and to come here and really see the result of her legacy. I’m very honoured to have the responsibility to ensure the success of this new era for the Princess Grace Foundation – USA.