Ian Kahn to Lead Reading of Jason Odell Williams' New Play CHURCH & STATE

Lead producer Charlotte Cohn will present a staged reading of Jason Odell Williams' new play, Church & State, for one night only on Monday, April 4th at 7pm at The Cell Theatre (338 W 23rd Street). Proceeds from the reading will benefit Sandy Hook Promise. Ian Kahn ("George Washington" on AMC's Turn, Hard Love, Enron) will lead the cast, which also includes Beth Hylton, Judy Jerome, and Andy Talen. Gregg Wiggans directs (TV's Smash). For reservations, email churchandstatetheplay@gmail.com.

Church & State takes a surprisingly funny and honest look at what happens when a conservative Christian senator is forced to question his stance on both guns and God three days before Election Day.

Sandy Hook Promise is an organization that educates and empowers parents, schools, and community organizations on how to prevent gun violence before it happens. It advocates for mental health & wellness early-intervention programs, gun safety storage practices, and sensible state and federal policy. For more information, visit www.sandyhookpromise.org.

Jason Odell Williams is an Emmy Award nominated writer and producer ("Brain Games") whose plays include Handle With Care (Off-Broadway, New York Times "Critics' Pick"), Someone Else (NC Stage), and Baltimore in Black & White (the cell theatre). His work has been developed at Primary Stages, The Lark, The Blank, NJ Rep, and The Hudson Valley Writers' Workshop where he won first prize in the 2012 New Play Competition. Church & State was developed in collaboration with JCC Centerstage where it will premiere this fall.