Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, and Missy Yager to Star in Benefit Reading of This Is Our Youth

The Center at West Park (CWP) announced a special benefit reading of Academy Award winner Kenneth Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth, his 1996 play about three New York teenagers navigating a turbulent time in their lives on the Upper West Side. The reading is directed by the play’s original director Mark Brokaw and stars Matt Damon, stepping in for original cast member Josh Hamilton, and original cast members Mark Ruffalo and Missy Yager. The benefit will honor founding and current board president Mim Warden and will take place at the Center at West Park on Thursday, November 16 at 7pm.

The reading kicks off CWP’s Renowned American Playwrights Showcase, a collection of one-night-only readings showcasing plays written by renowned playwrights of our time, performed predominantly by their original casts. Future readings in the series will feature the work of Tony Kushner, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Suzan-Lori Parks, and more. Each reading will be followed by a brief talkback with the cast, director, and playwright.

Funds raised from the event will allow CWP to continue its mission to build a more inclusive community on the Upper West Side and all of New York City by presenting diverse, engaging, and boundary-pushing artistic and cultural programming; providing affordable performance, rehearsal, and event space to local artists and community members; and preserving the West Park Presbyterian Church’s historic edifice.

Tickets begin at $500 and are available at centeratwestpark.org/benefit and by phone at 212-997-4490.