Pearl Theater to Present Benefit Readings of Tonight at 8:30

The Pearl Theatre Company will launch its 22nd season with a series of benefit readings of Noël Coward’s 1936 short play cycle Tonight at 8:30. The nine plays with will be broken up into three series to be performed on Mondays, August 15, 22, and 29, at 2pm and 7pm. Each program will also include performances of songs by Coward, and a champagne reception will be held following the performances on August 29.

The most well-known of the plays is Still Life (August 29), which served as the basis for David Lean’s classic film Brief Encounter . Others include Red Peppers, a hilarious glimpse at the backstage antics of a traveling husband-and-wife music hall act; and Shadow Play, a surrealistic musical.

The readings will be performed by the Pearl’s 2005-2006 resident acting company: Rachel Botchan, Robin Leslie Brown, Joanne Camp, Dominic Cuskern, Dan Daily, Robert Hock, Sean McNall, Anna Minot, Carol Schultz, Edward Seamon, and Scott Whitehurst. Tickets are priced at $100 for the entire series, $40 for any single performance. For more information, call 212-598-9802