Cerveris, Dukakis, Ensler, Sheen, Smith, et al. Set for WET Benefit

Anna Deavere Smith, Michael Cerveris, Olympia Dukakis, Eve Ensler, Bill T. Jones, and Lisa Kron will be among the celebrities reading from Smith’s new book Letters to a Young Artist, at 7pm on Monday, September 25 at the Daryl Roth Theatre (101 East 15th Street). The evening will be hosted by actor Martin Sheen and producer Daryl Roth. Proceeds will benefit the theater company WET’s upcoming world premiere production of Anna Ziegler’s play BFF, which will open at the DR2 Theater in February, 2007.

Smith is an actor, a teacher, and the creator of an acclaimed series of one-woman plays based on her interviews with diverse voices from communities in crisis. She has won two Obie Awards, two Tony Award nominations for her play Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, and a MacArthur Fellowship. In addition, she was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her play Fires in the Mirror. As an actress, she starred opposite Sheen on the NBC-TV series The West Wing, and has appeared in such films as Philadelphia and Rent.

Tickets to the benefit are $115 in advance and $125 at the door. The ticket price includes the performance, a post-show reception, and a gift bag with a copy of the book. For tickets and information, call 212-682-0265 or visit www.wetweb.org.