News & Updates

A starry cast has signed on to participate at this year’s 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, a benefit performance to be held on October 22 at the American Airlines Theater. A company of 24 actors will appear in six short plays by six top playwrights, with the entire process of writing, rehearsal, and performance taking place in 24 hours. Proceeds benefit Working Playground, an organization that brings arts education into New York City classrooms.

This year’s acting company includes Elizabeth Berkley (Hurlyburly), Billy Crudup (The Coast of Utopia), David Cross (Arrested Development), Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live), Michael Ealy (Sleeper Cell), Mamie Gummer (Mr. Marmalade), Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU), Peter Hermann (Talk Radio), Matthew Lillard (Scream), Anthony Mackie (Half Nelson), Janel Moloney (The West Wing), Rosie Perez (The Ritz, and chair of Working Playground’s artistic board), Fisher Stevens (A Prairie Home Companion), Julia Stiles (The Bourne Ultimatum), Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under), Marlo Thomas (Free to Be You and Me) and Kerry Washington (The Last King of Scotland).

Four of the six partricipating playwrights have been set: David Lindsay-Abaire (2007 Pulitzer Prize winner for Rabbit Hole), Julia Jordan (Tatjana in Color), Warren Leight (1999 Tony Award winner for Side Man) and Theresa Rebeck (Mauritius). Directors will include Christian Parker (Atlantic Theater Company) and Ari Edelson (The Orchard Project), with musical guest Nellie McKay (Threepenny Opera).

Described as a “rite of extreme live performance,” this year’s 24 Hour Plays on Broadway will begin at 10pm on October 21—the night before the show—when a group of six writers, six directors, 24 actors, one musical guest and production staff gather at the American Airlines Theater. After everyone has been briefed, each writer will stay up all night to compose a 10-minute play. At 7am on October 22, the directors will return, read the plays and choose one to direct. The casts will meet for the first time at 8:30am and get to work rehearsing. Tech rehearsal will run from 5 to 7:30pm and doors will open at 7:45. At 8pm, the six new plays, interspersed with six musical acts, will be performed for a live audience. This year’s event is presented by Montblanc.

Source

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