Theater News

Elizabeth Banks, Michael Ealy, Gloria Estefan, Kathy Najimy, Julie White, et al. Added to 24 Hour Plays on Broadway Roster

Julie White
(© Tristan Fuge)
Julie White
(© Tristan Fuge)

Elizabeth Banks, Saffron Burrows, Michael Ealy, Gloria Estefan, David Krumholtz, Kathy Najimy, Nia Vardalos, and Julie White have joined the lineup of artists who will be participating in the 10th annual 24 Hour Plays on Broadway. The special event will be presented at the American Airlines Theatre on Monday, November 15, and will benefit Urban Arts Partnership.

The program features six original short plays, which have been written, rehearsed and then, performed, all in just 24 hours. Writers who will be contributing to the event include playwrights Kristoffer Diaz, Mike Doughty, Rajiv Joseph, Lynn Nottage, and Theresa Rebeck, along with musical guest M. Ward.

The evening will also feature the previously announced Leslie Bibb, Claire Danes, Guillermo Diaz, Rachel Dratch, America Ferrera, Gaby Hoffman, Anthony Mackie, Christopher Meloni, Diane Neal, Rosie Perez, Kyra Sedgwick, Sarah Silverman, Fisher Stevens, Julia Stiles, Tracie Thoms, Michael Kenneth Williams, Alicia Witt, and Elijah Wood.

The creative process will begin at 10pm on Sunday, November 14 – the night before the show – when a group of six writers, six directors, 24 actors, two musical guests, and a production staff gather at the American Airlines Theatre. After each of the cast members share a costume, prop and their stage desires– each writer is tasked with composing a ten-minute play by 7am the following morning, when the directors return to read and select their piece. The casts will meet for the first time at 8am and, over the next 12 hours the plays are rehearsed and produced for a live presentation. At 8pm, the six new plays – interspersed with six musical acts – will be performed for a live audience.

For more information, visit www.24hourplays.com.