Montblanc Presents THE 24 HOUR PLAYS on Broadway With Nixon, Perez, Stiles and More

Montblanc presents The 24 Hour Company Production of THE 24 HOUR PLAYS ON BROADWAY on Monday, November 17th at the American Airlines Theatre.  Proceeds benefit Urban Arts Partnership (formerly Working Playground), an organization that brings arts education into New York City classrooms. This year’s company members, include Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show); Elizabeth Berkley (CSI: Miami), David Cross (“Arrested Development”), Hugh Dancy (The Jane Austin Book Club), Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live), Michael Ealy (The Miracle of St. Anna), Mamie Gummer (Dangereuses Liaisons, Evening), Peter Hermann (Law and Order: SVU), Justin Long (Live Free or Die Hard), Anthony Mackie (Eagle Eye), Julianna Marguiles (ER), Diane Neal (Law and Order: SVU), Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City, Tony Award winner for Rabbit Hole), Rosie Perez (Pineapple Express), Kim Raver (Lipstick Jungle), Horatio Sans (Saturday Night Live), Annabella Sciorra (The Sopranos), Liev Schreiber (Tony Award winner for Glengarry Glen Ross), Brittany Snow (Hairspray), Julia Stiles (The Bourne Ultimatum), Maura Tierney (ER) and Alicia Witt (88 Minutes); and playwrights Terrence McNally (four time Tony Award winner, The Ritz, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Ragtime), Beau Willimon (Farragut North), Ben Karlin (The Daily Show); and directors Peter Ellenstein (Assassins, L.A. premiere), Thomas Kail (Tony nominated for In the Heights), and Josie Rourke (Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre, London). Talent is scheduled to change based on availability.

An annual benefit event for Urban Arts Partnership, THE 24 HOUR PLAYS ON BROADWAY attracts some of entertainment’s biggest names as they join forces to participate in a rite of extreme live performance:  writing, directing, and performing six original short plays, all in just 24 hours! The creative process for THE 24 HOUR PLAYS ON BROADWAY will  begin at 10PM on Sunday, November 16th – the night before the show – when a group of six writers, six directors, 24 actors, one musical guest, and a production staff gather at the American Airlines Theater. After casts and crews have been briefed, each writer is tasked with composing a ten-minute play by 7 AM the following morning, when the directors return to read and select their piece. The Casts will meet for the first time at 8 AM and, over the next 12 hours the plays are rehearsed and produced for a live presentation. At 8:00 PM, ink barely dry, the six new plays – interspersed with six musical acts – will be performed for a live audience.

The 2008 production of THE 24 HOUR PLAYS ON BROADWAY marks the second year of Montblanc’s partnership with the project. As a brand that embraces arts and culture, Montblanc proudly joins forces with the program’s supporting company, Urban Arts Partnership, to celebrate theater and offer audiences the ultimate presentation of wit and talent. The series has drawn attention from some of Hollywood and Broadway’s biggest names over its seven-year-tenure, with participants including Jennifer Aniston, Chris Rock, Amanda Peet and Kerry Washington, and pays tribute to the art of live theater.

"Montblanc values the importance of art and culture in today's society and also recognizes its place throughout history," said Jan-Patrick Schmitz, President and CEO, Montblanc North America.  "Many of the world's greatest authors and playwrights, including Shakespeare, crafted their masterpieces with ink.  Montblanc views this partnership with 24 Hour Plays as a natural fit because the hard work and creativity that goes into this one special performance is similar to the passion that each of our master craftsmen dedicates to creating luxurious Montblanc pieces.”

This year, Montblanc joins the 24 Hour Plays on BROADWAY to celebrate the exclusive Montblanc Star Diamond.  Prominently featured in several of the luxury brand’s collections, amongst which include fine jewelry, timepieces and writing instruments; the Montblanc Star Diamond is the piece de resistance in the brand’s most recently launched Etoile fine writing instrument line.   Both Etoile and the Montblanc Star Diamond are a true testament to the skilled master craftsmanship, quality, and care that Montblanc has been so widely recognized and desired for over a century.

Proceeds from the event benefit Urban Arts Partnership, a not-for-profit cultural organization founded in 1991, to bring the arts into New York City classrooms with the belief that art is essential to human development, education and culture.  Over the past 17 years, their theater, video, visual arts, dance, design and poetry programs have visited over 250 New York City public schools and engaged more than 30,000 young people, teachers and community members. Currently, Urban Arts Partnership’s programs provide in-depth integrated arts education to over 50 schools and 10,000 young people citywide, and foster long lasting partnerships that enhance the artistic culture and educational practices of each school community.

About THE 24 Hour Company

Founded by the creator of The 24 Hour Plays, The 24 Hour Company is the long-standing incarnation of a group of artists and producers that has mounted over 300 short plays since 1995­--all written, cast, rehearsed and performed in a single day. The rotating cast and crew of The 24 Hour Plays have performed for sold-out houses at the American Airlines Theater, Atlantic Theater, Minetta Lane Theater, 45 Bleecker Theater, the NY International Fringe Festival and other downtown venues in New York, as well as in Chicago, Los Angeles and London. Participants have included diverse talents from all levels— from Tony, Oscar and Pulitzer Prize winners to emerging talent and high school students.  http://www.24hourplays.com/.

 
About Urban Arts Partnership

Urban Arts Partnership is a not-for-profit cultural organization, founded in 1991, with the belief that art is essential to human development, education and culture.  By supporting underserved schools and communities, Urban Arts Partnership inspires, enlivens and enriches students' educational experiences with the in-depth study of an art form. Through a dynamic range of programs including playwriting, theatre, film and documentary, animated music video production, instrument building, playwriting, science cartooning, dance performance and spoken word, Urban Arts Partnership empowers youth to develop the creative and analytic impulses that will serve them as students, professionals and responsible citizens.  The organization’s meaningful partnerships with schools and communities develop students’ potential to better understand essential academic content while supporting their social and emotional growth.  Urban Arts Partnership and The 24 Hour Plays piloted The 24 Hour Plays in the Schools last June and are excited to continue the program this academic year. www.urbanarts.org

 About MONTBLANC

For over 100 years, Montblanc has embraced the traditions of lasting value and exquisite craftsmanship.  The company’s uncompromising principles of design, style, quality and workmanship have allowed them to create heirloom collections that are passed from generation to generation.  The iconic Montblanc Star is a symbol of excellence – the pinnacle of luxury writing instruments, timepieces, jewelry and leather – and the brand has made an enduring commitment to encourage excellence through cultural advancement.  Montblanc is pleased to partner with the 24 Hour Company and Urban Arts Partnership to bring arts and culture to the city’s youth.   www.montblanc.com

Listings information for THE 24 HOUR PLAYS ON BROADWAY

Montblanc presents THE 24 HOUR PLAYS ON BROADWAY on Monday, November 17th at the American Airlines Theatre (227 West 42nd Street).  All participating artists are subject to change.  Via Subway, take the 1/2/3/A/C/E/N/Q/R/S/W to 42nd Street/Times Square or F/D/V/B trains to 42nd Street.    Tickets are available at www.SmartTix.com, (212) 868-4444. 

Photo by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.