Francis Jue, Orville Mendoza, et al. Set for NAATCO’s Love! Valour! Compassion! Benefit

Satya Bhabha, Joel de la Fuente, Francis Jue, Orville Mendoza, Andy Pang, Ralph Peña, and James Yaegashi will star in the National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO) one-night-only all Asian-American performance of Terrence McNally’s Love! Valour! Compassion!, to be presented at The Cherry Lane Theatre on September 14. Alan Muraoka will direct, with stage directions read by Ann Harada.

The benefit evening will begin with a 6:00pm cocktail reception followed by a 7:00pm performance. Joe Mantello, the original director of the play, and Stephen Bogardus, one of its original cast members, are honorary chairs for the NAATCO benefit performance. The performance is being staged as part of the National Asian American Theatre Company’s 20th anniversary season of presenting classical and new works with cast comprised of all Asian-American actors and actresses.

The Tony Award-winning play is about eight gay friends who spend the three major holiday weekends (Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day) of one summer together at a summer vacation house in Dutchess County where they struggle with infidelity, flirtations, soul-searching, AIDS, truth-telling and skinny-dipping. The production will feature musical direction and accompaniment is by Joseph Thalken.

Tickets are $125 through $1,000. For more information, or to purchase, call 212-244-0447 or visit www.naatco.org.