Kelli O'Hara, Joanna Gleason, Ann Harada and More to Celebrate Women with 'LETTERS TO OUR DAUGHTERS' in Westport

Westport Country Playhouse will host "Letters to Our Daughters," a special community event featuring a diverse group of performers and writers including Tony Award winners Joanna Gleason and Kelli O'Hara, best-selling author Jane Green, and more, to celebrate International Women's Day, on Wednesday, March 8, at 7 p.m. The program is curated by Samantha Goober and Anne Keefe.

The evening is free-of-charge, by reservation with the Playhouse's box office, 203-227-4177, or online at www.westportplayhouse.org. Seating is general admission. The program is geared for ages 14 and up.

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

"International Women's Day is a great way of reminding us to celebrate the women in our lives, not just on this day, but every day," said Goober. "On March 8th we are looking forward to welcoming a group of vibrant women on our stage with a wealth of different backgrounds and experiences to share the words of an equally vibrant group of women writers from around the world."

More information on International Women's Day is available at www.internationalwomensday.com.

The event's title "Letters to Our Daughters" is taken from a collection of essays by Maya Angelou called "Letters to My Daughter." "In the spirit of her words, we adopted the title and changed it to reflect this event," said Keefe.

Readers of works by female writers will include Farah Bala, actress on television's "Broad City"; Danielle Davenport, regional theater actress; Joanna Gleason, Tony Award-winning actress; Jane Green, best-selling author; Khadija Gurnah, founder of Project Ejaba, an organization that advocates for Muslim youth; Ann Harada, actress on television's "Smash" and the film "Sisters"; Wilhelmine Hartong, theater instructor at Regional Center for the Arts and WCP LGBT Night performer; Elise Kibler, Broadway actress; Pamela Lewis, director of the All Stars Project of Bridgeport; Aleta Mitchell, actress in WCP's 2014 production of "Intimate Apparel"; Kelli O'Hara, Tony Award-winning actress; Patricia Russo, executive director of Women's Campaign School at Yale; and Sharone Sayegh, Broadway actress.

Writers whose works will be represented in the evening's program include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Maya Angelou, Nora Ephron, Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Helen Keller, and Jessica Valenti.

Community Partners for "Letters to Our Daughters" are Anti-Defamation League, Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame, and YWCA of Darien/Norwalk.

Performers and authors are subject to change.

"We really want to take a moment to celebrate women - their strengths, their stories, their extraordinary lives," added Goober. "We hope our community members will bring their families to the Playhouse on March 8th, so we can enjoy just a handful of the millions of stories women around our world have to tell."

For more information or to reserve free tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), or view Playhouse videos on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The Playhouse creates this relationship with the community and provides this experience in multiple ways by offering: Live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos, from May through November; educational and community engagement events and opportunities to further explore issues presented by the work on stage; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings throughout the year to deepen relationships with audiences and artists alike; the renowned Woodward Internship Program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations from November through April to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. The value of the Westport Country Playhouse to all it touches is immeasurable.