Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo and Missy Yager to Star in Benefit Reading of THIS IS OUR YOUTH

 The Center at West Park will present a special benefit reading of This is Our Youth by Academy Award winner Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea), directed by Obie Award winner Mark Brokaw (How I Learned to Drive) and starring Academy Award winner Matt Damon and original cast members Academy Award nominee Mark Ruffalo and Missy Yager. The evening will honor Founding and Current Board President Mim Warden and will take place at The Center at West Park (165 W 86th St. New York, NY 10024) on Thursday November 16, 2023, at 7pm.

The reading will kick off CWP’s Renowned American Playwrights Showcase, a captivating collection of readings showcasing plays written by renowned playwrights and writers of our time, performed predominantly by their original casts. The Series will begin with Kenneth Lonergan's acclaimed work, This is Our Youth, and in the coming months will feature the work of Tony Kushner, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Suzan-Lori Parks and more.  

Each play will be presented once, followed by a brief talkback with the cast, director, and playwright. Both the Renowned American Playwrights Showcase and the Emerging Playwrights Mentorship Program represent the Center at West Park's commitment to celebrating established playwrights, promoting emerging voices, and nurturing a vibrant and inclusive artistic community.

“I grew up a few blocks away from the CWP,” said playwright Kenneth Lonergan. “I went to school on 88th Street. My parents lived in the same apartment on 92nd Street for 52 years. The Upper West Side is my hometown and my heart. I’m thrilled that This Is Our Youth will be the first reading in the Center’s Renowned American Playwrights Showcase.

“The series will allow The Center at West Park to continue its support of emerging artists from all disciplines, as a cultural anchor for not only the Upper West Side neighborhood, but all of New York City. The Center at West Park is a critical space for weekly worship, affordable rentals for artists and arts organizations, community gatherings and more. What’s more, the CWP has the potential to expand its mandate, and to develop into a major arts center on the Upper West Side, on the model of Joe Papp’s Public Theater.

“New York needs more institutions like the CWP, not fewer. We need stronger links between our arts institutions and our communities, a re-investment in that which makes each neighborhood unique, and a commitment to invigorating the connections between all of them. There’s no better path to a better future for New York, and all those who live and work here.”

Funds raised from the event will allow the Center to continue to provide its breadth of community, social responsibility, and arts and culture programming; as well as enable the building to remain a place of worship for the Lighthouse Chapel congregation. The proceeds will also allow the Center to invest in restoring and repairing the building (also known as West Park Presbyterian Church), enhancing the sound, lighting and technical systems, while providing equal access for all students to arts and culture programs, support for artists of all ages through affordable spaces and artist-in-residence programs, works in process and more.

 

The mission of the Center at West Park is to build a more inclusive community on the Upper West Side neighborhood 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. The Center continues to grow as a vibrant cultural hub, a forum for conversations and connections that transcend barriers to address the important issues facing our society today.

 

This Is Our Youth is an award-winning play about three New York teenagers navigating a turbulent time in their lives on the Upper West Side. CWP is grateful to playwright Kenneth Lonergan, who grew up on the Upper West Side, the original director Mark Brokaw, and original cast members Mark Ruffalo and Missy Yager, and to Matt Damon for stepping in for original cast member Josh Hamilton. Their deep commitment to the importance of the Center at West Park is reflected in this performance and their ongoing investment of their time, talent and support.

 

Tickets begin at $500 and are available at centeratwestpark.org/benefit and by phone at 212-997-4490. Tickets purchased at the $1000 level and above will include the sponsorship of benefit tickets for students and members of the CWP community. A special afterparty with the cast and creative team, hosted byBarney Greengrass (541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024), will immediately follow the reading for those who purchase sponsorships of $10,000 & above. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact benefit2023@centeratpwestpark.org.

 

The 2023 Benefit Committee includes Jeff Arnstein, Peggy Lowery Becker, Asya & Ted Berger, Nick J. Browne, Audrey & Greg David, Natatia L. Griffith, Katherine Henderson, Judith Love, Debby Hirshman, Flomar Maurrasse, Dr. Derrick McQueen Ph.D., Pippin Parker, Jennifer Rogers, Alec Roman, Lorna Schamroth, Mitchell Schamroth, Rada Sumareva and Susan Sullivan.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CENTER AT WEST PARK:

www.centeratwestpark.org