Phillipa Soo, Blair Underwood, Michael R. Jackson & More Set for Third Edition of THE HOMEBOUND PROJECT

Following their debut on May 6, The Homebound Project has announced the lineup for its third edition of new online theater benefiting children affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The all-volunteer team behind this independent theater initiative has also announced that a fourth edition will take place June 24-28, 2020.

To date, the project has raised over $59,000 for No Kid Hungry, a national campaign working to end childhood hunger. The playwrights in the third edition of The Homebound Project, running June 3-7, have been given the prompt of "champions." Participating actors, playwrights, and directors include:

Jennifer Carpenter and Thomas Sadoski in a work by John Guare, directed by Jerry Zaks;

Ralph Brown in a work by Donnetta Lavinia Grays, directed by Jenna Worsham;

Diane Lane in a work by Michael R. Jackson;
Paola Lázaro in a work by Gina Femia, directed by Taylor Reynolds;

Joshua Leonard in a work by Mara Nelson-Greenberg;

Eve Lindley in a work by Daniel Talbott, directed by Kevin Laibson;

Arian Moayed in a work by Xavier Galva;
Ashley Park in a work by Bess Wohl, directed by Leigh Silverman;

Will Pullen in a work by Samuel D. Hunter, directed by Jenna Worsham;

Phillipa Soo in a work by Clare Barron, directed by Steven Pasquale; and
Blair Underwood in a work by Korde Arrington Tuttle.

The third edition of The Homebound Project will stream online beginning at 7pm on Wednesday, June 3 until 7pm on Sunday, June 7. View-at-home tickets are currently on sale at homeboundtheater.org and begin at a donation level of $10. Complimentary viewings for first responders and essential workers have been made possible by an anonymous donor. Each collection is available to stream over a strictly limited 4-day period.

Founded by playwright Catya McMullen and director Jenna Worsham, The Homebound Project is an independent, online theater initiative created to help feed children affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Each edition features a collection of new theater works written by homebound playwrights and recorded by sheltering actors.

The Homebound Project features costume consultation by Andy Jean, original music and sound design by Fan Zhang, and video editing and design by Jon Burkland/ZANNI Productions.

"The Homebound Project grew from a desire to support frontline organizations by doing what we artists do best: creating and gathering, in newly imagined ways," says co-creator Jenna Worsham. "The response from our artistic community of volunteers has been intense and moving. While theaters, schools, and our physical places of gathering may be empty, it's clear that our imaginations are not. We are overwhelmed by the spirit of creative generosity that is filling the empty space."

"The outpouring of support from artists and audiences alike has been truly incredible," said Billy Shore, executive chair of Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. "We're so grateful to The Homebound Project and all the viewers that are helping bring sustenance to children who so desperately need it both during and beyond this crisis."

"When the school year ends in the United States, kids in need will have missed nearly 2 billion meals at school due to closures - and that includes millions of missed meals in New York City," said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry in New York. "We can't thank The Homebound Project enough for their support, and we must continue to raise the funds and awareness needed for all kids to count on three healthy meals a day."

The first edition of The Homebound Project was available May 6-10, 2020, and featured Christopher Abbott in a work by Lucy Thurber, Glenn Davis in a work by Ren Dara Santiago, William Jackson Harper in work by Max Posner, Jessica Hecht in a work by Sarah Ruhl, Marin Ireland in a work by Eliza Clark, Raymond Lee in a work by Qui Nguyen, Alison Pill in a work by C.A. Johnson, Elizabeth Rodriguez in a work by Rajiv Joseph, Thomas Sadoski in a work by Martyna Majok, and Amanda Seyfried in a work by The Homebound Project co-creator Catya McMullen.

The second edition of The Homebound Project was available May 20-24, 2020, and featured Utkarsh Ambudkar in a work by Marco Ramirez, Ngozi Anyanwu in a work by Anne Washburn, Nicholas Braun in a work by Will Arbery, Betty Gilpin in a work by Lily Houghton, Kimberly Hébert Gregory in a work by Loy A. Webb, Hari Nef in a work by Ngozi Anyanwu, Mary-Louise Parker in a work by Bryna Turner, Christopher Oscar Peña in a work by Brittany K. Allen, Taylor Schilling in a work by Sarah DeLappe, Babak Tafti in a work by David Zheng, and Zachary Quinto in a work by Adam Bock. As well as special appearances by chef Marcus Samuelsson and actor Amanda Seyfried.

Visit homeboundtheater.org for more information.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos