Angela Lansbury & Dana Ivey to Lead Benefit Reading of British Comedy LETTICE AND LOVAGE for The Acting Company

Angela Lansbury and Dana Ivey will head an all-star cast in the staged reading of the beloved British comedy, Lettice and Lovage, a benefit for The Acting Company, to be held one night only, Monday, June 13, at 7 PM, at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, it was announced this afternoon.

Co-starring Patricia Conolly and original Broadway cast member Paxton Whitehead, the charming play tells the story of an eccentric tour guide, "Lettice Douffet." She channels her flair for the dramatic into embellishing the history of dreary Fustian House, the least stately of London's stately homes.

Lettice's flights of fantasy are cut short when she encounters "Lottie Schoen," a straight-laced bureaucrat from the Preservation Trust. As their animosity gives way to an unlikely friendship born of a shared enthusiasm for historical reenactments, Lettice and Lottie discover that their elaborate fantasies have unintended real-world complications.

Written by Peter Shaffer, directed by Mark Lamos and produced by The Acting Company's co-founder Margot Harley, Lettice and Lovage also features a group of Fustian House tourists played by recent alumni of The Acting Company. Designing lights is Greg MacPherson and Tim Boyce is designing sound.

The Acting Company's Executive Director Elisa Spencer-Kaplan promises "an unforgettable evening." The performance will be followed by dinner with the cast at the Union Club, 101 East 69th Street. This portion of the evening is only available at certain ticket levels.

The Acting Company brings live classical theatre to Americans who might otherwise never get a chance to enjoy and learn from it. Its education programs reach students who have limited access to arts, education and live theatre.

Since 1972, The Acting Company has developed the talents and skills of nearly 400 actors, including the young Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Rainn Wilson, Harriet Harris, Frances Conroy, Jesse L. Martin, Jeffrey Wright, David Ogden Stiers, David Schramm, Keith David, Stephen DeRosa and Hamish Linklater, all of whom began their careers with it.

Show-only tickets may be purchased exclusively through The Kaye Playhouse, either online www.hunter.cuny.edu/kayeplayhouse or by phone, 212-772-4448. They are priced at $250 for front/middle orchestra; $175 for rear orchestra and front mezzanine; $100 for rear mezzanine and $75 for the back two rows.

Donor-level tickets with priority seating without dinner are $500. Tickets with dinner start at $1,000 each. The donor-level tickets can be purchased exclusively through The Acting Company by calling 212-258-3111.