Joan Allen, Lauren Ambrose, Dan Futerman to Star in Daughter of the Queen of Sheba

Dan Futterman will join the previously reported stars Joan Allen and Lauren Ambrose in a benefit staged reading of Daughter of the Queen of Sheba, to be held at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College on Monday, October 17, at 6:30pm.

Based on the acclaimed memoir by Jacki Lyden, the script for the performance is by Lyden and Karen Croner. It recounts Lyden’s experience growing up with a colorful and dramatic mother living with manic depression.

Futterman’s acting credits include Angels in America on Broadway, as well as Off-Broadway productions of The Lights, A Fair Country, and Dealer’s Choice. He was nominated for a 2005 Academy Award for his screenplay for the film Capote.

Allen won the Tony for Burn This, was Tony-nominated for The Heidi Chronicles, and most recently appeared on Broadway in Impressionism. She is a founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and has performed in numerous productions with the company. In addition, Allen is a three-time Oscar nominee for The Contender, The Crucible, and Nixon.

Ambrose will star as Fanny Brice in the upcoming Broadway revival of Funny Girl, nad has previously appeared on Broadway in Awake and Sing! and Exit the King. Other stage credits include the Shakespeare in the Park productions of Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet. She is perhaps best known for her role as Claire Fisher in Six Feet Under, for which she received two Emmy Award nominations and two SAG Awards.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Fountain House, an internationally recognized organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with mental illness, with support from NPR.

Tickets start at $125. To purchase, call Robyn Marks at 212-582-0341, ext 1288.