Planet Connections' 2017 Playwrights for a Cause Honors the NYCLU in July

Founded and curated by Glory Kadigan, the annual Playwrights for a Cause benefit, hosted by Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, addresses powerful social and topical issues in our society through the works of prominent playwrights. This year, the event will be Sunday, July 23, and will benefit the New York Civil Liberties Union with "The Protest Plays," stories of standing up to injustice written by celebrated authors, CATHERINE FILLOUX, Lyle Kessler, JOSE RIVERA, and ReGina Taylor.

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation's foremost defenders of civil liberties and civil rights. Its mission is to defend and promote the fundamental principles and values embodied in the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the New York Constitution, including freedom of speech and religion, and the right to privacy, equality and due process of law for all New Yorkers.

A reception will follow the performance. The cast and production team will be announced shortly - along with location of the event and how to reserve tickets. Benefit tickets for reserved seating will be $20 - $125.

Contributing Playwrights for this event:

Lyle Kessler's "Orphans" began its life at L.A's Matrix Theater. Gary Sinise directed the Steppenwolf Theater's production in Chicago, New York and London's West End where Albert Finney won the coveted Olivier Award. "Orphans" received two Tony nominations for the Broadway revival starring Alec Baldwin. Al Pacino and Jesse Eisenberg are among the other actors who have appeared in the play. "Orphans" continues to be produced in almost every country in the world. It is now running in Sydney, Australia, Istanbul, Turkey, Paris, France, Spain and Japan. Other plays include "Collision" at N.Y.'s Rattlestick Theater, "The Watering Place," Broadway's Music Box Theater, "Possession" and "Holy Land" at EST, "Robbers," American Place, "The Viewing," written and directed by Mr. Kessler at the Lucille Lortel Theater and "Unlisted" at L.A.'s Tiffany Theater. His play "The Great Divide" won the L.A Times Critic's Pick. His plays have been published by Grove Press, Random House, Samuel French and Dramatists Play Service. Mr. Kessler adapted his play "Orphans" for the screen, starring Albert Finney and Matthew Modine directed by Alan Pakula. He wrote and Executive Produced "The Saint of Fort Washington," starring Danny Glover and Matt Dillon. Other films include "Gladiator" starring Cuba Gooding Jr and Brian Dennehy and "Touched," written and co-starring Mr. Kessler, Robert Hays and Ned Beatty. While in acting school in Philadelphia, he and Bruce Dern starred in the Philly premiere of "Waiting for Godot." He played Lee Strasberg in Mark Rydell's film "James Dean," starring James Franco, Mr Kessler studied acting with Lee Strasberg. He is the director of The Actors Studio Playwright/Directors Unit. Mr. Kessler teaches a Master Class in acting for actors, writers and directors Monday nights in the East Village.

CATHERINE FILLOUX is an award-winning playwright who has been writing about human rights and social justice for twenty-five years. Catherine will be honored in New York City with the 2017 Otto René Castillo Award for Political Theatre. Her new play, "Kidnap Road," premieres at La MaMa in New York City in 2017, and was presented by Anna Deavere Smith as part of NYU's Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue in 2016. Filloux received the 2015 Planet Activist Award due to her long career as an activist artist in the theater community. Her play, "whatdoesfreemean?," about women and mass incarceration in the U.S. will premiere in 2018, produced by Nora's Playhouse. Recent productions include: "Selma '65" which premiered at La MaMa and has been performed around the U.S., including at Pygmalion Productions, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City, Utah; and Luz at La MaMa, and Looking for Lilith Theatre Company in Louisville, Kentucky. Catherine is the librettist for three produced operas, and has been commissioned by the Vienna State Opera to write the libretto for composer Olga Neuwirth's new opera, Orlando to premiere in 2019.

JOSÉ RIVERA is the first Puerto Rican screenwriter to be nominated for an Oscar. Many of Rivera's works have been produced nationally and translated into several languages. His works include "The House of Ramon Iglesias," "Cloud Tectonics," "The Street of the Sun," "Sonnets for an Old Century," "Sueño," "Giants Have Us in Their Books," "References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot" and "Adoration of the Old Woman." In 2003, "Cloud Tectonics" was presented in the XLII Festival of Puerto Rican Theater. Rivera also helped found the Los Angeles-based theater company, The Wilton Project. As a writer for television, Rivera contributed to the following shows: "The House of Ramon Iglesias" (1986) (TV), "Family Matters" (1989) (TV series), "The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story" (1998), "Night Visions" (2001) (TV series) and in the "Harmony" segment of "Shadow Realm" (2002). He also co-created and co-produced the NBC-TV series, "Eerie, Indiana" with Karl Schaefer. In 2002, Rivera was hired to write the screenplay for the film, "Diarios de Motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries)" by director Walter Salles. The movie, released in 2004, is based on Che Guevara's diary about a motorcycle trip which he and Alberto Granado had, and how it changed their lives. Rivera became the first Puerto Rican to be nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for "Best Adapted Screenplay" for the film. His screenplay won awards from the Cinema Writers Circle (Spain) and from the Argentine Film Critics Association; it was also nominated for awards by the American Screenwriters Association, the Online Film Critics Society, and the Writers Guild of America.This work with the subject of Che Guevara later led Rivera to write and perform a play entitled "School of the Americas" which focuses on Che's last few hours alive. Rivera has won two Obie Awards for playwriting, a Kennedy Center Fund for New American plays grant, a Fulbright Arts Fellowship in playwriting, a Whiting Award, a McKnight Fellowship, the 2005 Norman Lear Writing Award, a 2005 Impact Award and a Berilla Kerr Playwriting Award. His newest play, "Brainpeople," premiered in San Francisco in 2008, and was co-produced by the American Conservatory Theater. Rivera will also direct and write the screenplay for "Celestina", a film loosely adapted from his play "Cloud Tectonics", which will be produced by Walter Salles. Among his recent projects is the movie adaptation of "On the Road," a novel by Jack Kerouac.

ReGina Taylor's work encompasses film, television, theater, and writing. Playwriting credits include "Crowns" (four Helen Hayes awards), "Trinity River Plays" (Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award), "Oo-Bla- Dee" (Steinberg-ATCA New Play Award), "Drowning Crow" (Broadway), and "stop. reset." which Taylor directed at NYC's Signature Theatre Company and Goodman Theatre. As a Goodman Theatre Artistic Associate, ReGina Taylor is one of its most produced playwrights. She is a resident playwright at NYC's Signature Theatre. She has received a Golden Globe, two Emmy nominations, and an NAACP Image Award. Television credits include "I'll Fly Away"; "The Unit"; "Dig"; and the upcoming pilot "Time After Time."