Mario Cantone, Michael Urie, Stark Sands & More Set for WAR OF THE WORLDS Benefit Reading, 10/24

Abingdon Theatre Company will present a star-studded benefit reading of Orson Welles' WAR OF THE WORLDS, featuring Mario Cantone, David Greenspan, Martin Moran, Stark Sands, Michael Urie, and other artists to be announced. The one-night only event, directed by Abingdon's Artistic Director Tony Speciale, will be held on Monday, October 24 at 7:00pm at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place, NYC). Tickets, starting at $25, are now available at http://nyuskirball.org/calendar/waroftheworlds.

Orson Welles' electrifying radio presentation of H.G. Wells' WAR OF THE WORLDS threw America into nationwide hysteria when broadcast on the eve of Halloween, 1938. Many listeners tuned in late, mistakenly took the show for a real news broadcast, and believed that Martians were invading New York City. The controversy and widespread media outrage regarding the science-fiction play's realism and subsequent panic catapulted Orson Welles' career as a director, actor, and writer. Today, as the most contentious election of our generation draws nearer, we are witnessing actions and ideas alien to our way of life invade our country.WAR OF THE WORLDS resonates as a timely allegory of our Nation's deep-rooted prejudices and fear of the other.

The company includes Mario Cantone (Sex and the City, A Room of My Own), David Greenspan (five-time Obie recipient, She Stoops to Comedy), Martin Moran (Titanic, The Tricky Part), Stark Sands (Kinky Boots, Minority Report), and Michael Urie (Ugly Betty, Buyer & Cellar).

Additional company members and musical guest stars are to be announced.

New York University's Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is the premier venue for the presentation of cultural and performing arts events for New York University and lower Manhattan. Founded by Jay Oliva (President Emeritus, NYU) and led by executive director Michael Harrington, the programs of the Skirball Center reflect NYU's mission as an international center of scholarship, defined by excellence and innovation and shaped by an intellectually rich and diverse environment. A vital aspect of the Center's mission is to build young adult audiences for the future of live performance. www.nyuskirball.org

Abingdon Theatre Company is dedicated to developing and producing new American plays by emerging and established playwrights. Under the artistic direction of Tony Speciale, the company provides a safe home where playwrights, directors and actors can collaborate within a supportive and nurturing environment. Abingdon searches for stories about the human experience that reflect our social, political, historical and cultural diversity. To date, the company has collaborated with more than 200 playwrights, produced 87 New York and world-premiere plays, presented more than 700 readings, staged over 175 ten-minute plays, and commissioned 6 one-act plays. Notable artists who have worked with Abingdon Theatre Company include Carl Andress, Bryan Batt, Reed Birney, Robert Brustein, Mario Cantone, Maxwell Caulfield, Dick Cavett, John Epperson, Jane Greenwood, Arthur Kopit, Ralph Macchio, Roberta Maxwell, Iddo Netanyahu, Nancy Opel, Austin Pendleton, Sam Pinkleton, Marcia Rodd and Mark Waldrop. Abingdon's 2014 production of Brian Richard Mori's Hellman v. McCarthy, directed by founding artistic director Jan Buttram, was filmed and presented by WNET as part of its inaugural Theatre Close-Up series. For more information, visit www.abingdontheatre.org

Abingdon Theatre Company's benefit reading of Orson Welles' THE WAR OF THE WORLDS is set for Monday, October 24 at 7:00pm at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place). Tickets range from $25 to $100, and are now available at http://nyuskirball.org/calendar/waroftheworlds. For VIP packages, including a post-show dinner and sponsorship benefits, emailrsvp@abingdontheatre.org or call Denise Dickens, Director of Development, at 212-868-2055, ext. 221.