Release Party Held For 'Our Time' With Rudd, Simon, Spring Awakening Cast 6/23

Individual Stories and Struggles Helped 'Listen' Take Shape, as Paul Rudd,Carly Simon, Daryl Hall and Many Others Became Involved in Our Time

In-Store Event Scheduled for June 23rd, to Coincide With Benefit CD Release

In a world where reality shows and talent contests dominate media coverage, it's worth taking a deep breath and embracing the stories of these quiet superstars: children who deal with the daily shame of stuttering. Each of the five children (introduced below) overcame their real-world challenges to write songs that will appear on Our Time¹s June 23rd Benefit CD, 'Listen'.

Our Time is a non-profit organization centered on a one-of-a-kind Arts program that provides children who stutter with an environment of unconditional acceptance- a creative forum, where they can express themselves through art, music, writing and theater, slowly and without risk of being ridiculed.

Our Time¹s kids have inspired Paul Rudd, Carly Simon, Daryl Hall and numerous others to join together in support of an organization that brings sensitivity and compassion to a group of youngsters who are often ignored.

On June 23rd, Kelli O¹Hara, Michael Cerveris, Mary Testa, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Sherie Rene Scott and cast members of ŒSpring Awakening¹ will join together
to celebrate the release of ŒListen¹ at an in-store event. Also appearing will be the kids of Our Time, as well as Founder Taro Alexander. The in-store performance and CD signing will take place at 4pm, at the new Barnes and Noble East Side event space, at 86th and Lexington Avenue.

Until then, please meet these very speciAl Young people:
Keith Russell began Our Time when he was 13 years old. At that time, he was a closed-off young man, afraid to express himself. As time went by, Keith became a leader at Our Time and an inspiration to many younger kids who
stutter. When he was 16, he wrote and directed a play called 'Perfect Place'. Paul Rudd, a Board Member at Our Time, played the lead - a teenager who stuttered, who yearned for a place in the world where he could be accepted for who he was, where there was no violence based on the color of your skin, or the way you spoke. Keith wrote a song, 'Perfect Place', for the play, and Paul Rudd was actually the first person to perform it. For the
making of Our Time's 'Listen' album, artists Adam Pascal, John Forte, Carly Simon and Ramona Dunlap came together to record Keith¹s powerful song. Keith lives in Brooklyn, and will be a counselor at Camp Our Time this
August.

Dashawn Taylor began coming to Our Time when he was 10 years old, and displayed extraordinary promise as a budding songwriter, even at that young age. Though he had never written music before he joined Our Time, in the
five years since, he has composed, traveled and performed all over the country. Dashawn wrote two of the 15 songs on 'Listen', impressing Daryl Hall along the way (Hall sings his 'Nothing In This World' on 'Listen').
Dashawn will be a Junior in High School this Fall, and his dream is to become a jazz & r&b singer. He¹s already on the right track, thanks to Our Time.

Naudia Jones began stuttering at age 11 (unusually late for a child,) and it affected her greatly. In fact, because of her stutter, she abandoned her dream of becoming a teacher. After years of struggling in her hometown in Guyana, she moved to the United States with the hopes of overcoming her stutter, and joined Our Time at age 17. Once at Our Time, Naudia not only found a surrogate family and unconditional acceptance, but she re-discovered the power of her voice. Naudia wrote two songs on 'Listen', Flaunt It and Breathe In (the latter sung by Mandy Patinkin).

Linda Gjonbalaj began Our Time when she was 14 years old. At the time, she was terrified of EVERYTHING! She cried often. She was paralyzed by her anxiety about stuttering. But time has passed, and Linda is now 22 years old
and an usher for Broadway's Studio 54 Theater. While at Our Time, Linda wrote many songs and discovered that she could be a leader and an inspiration to younger members. Linda wrote two songs for 'Listen': 'What We Have To Say' (which has become a theme song for Our Time) and 'You Don't Know Hurt'. When icon Carly Simon first heard You Don't Know Hurt, she was blown away. The song speaks to kids who stutter, as well as to anyone who
has experienced pain or heartache. When Linda found out that the legendary Carly Simon was going to record her song, she told Taro Alexander, "thank you for making my dreams come true."

Andre Gillyard began Our Time when he was 15 years old. Andre has a severe stutter and before he joined Our Time, he didn't speak to anyone other than his parents. He wouldn¹t answer the phone, spend time with his friends, or
fully participate in school. For most of Andre's life, he has felt disrespected and misunderstood by society. But Andre found a second home at Our Time, a place where his ideas and dreams could flourish. When Andre wrote 'All I Want Is Love' for Listen, he had no idea that this song would become an anthem for people who stutter, and for anyone who has ever felt dispondent. Andre grew up and still lives in Queens. This August, for the 2nd year in a row, he will be a counselor at Camp Our Time.

Our Time's 'Listen' CD is a collection of 15 original songs, written by children who stutter, and recorded by iconic artists. Though these are not kids songs, the fact that the tracks were written by children makes the
achievement of 'LISTEN' all the more impressive. Check out a five-song sampler here: http://www.sethcohenpr.com/player/listen/

USA TODAY previewed the release in an exclusive column of the cover of their LIFE section, in which Carly Simon spoke of her debilitating stammer:

By Elysa Gardner, 4/23/09

A variety of pop and musical-theater artists have joined with Our Time Theatre Company, a non-profit group devoted to helping young people who stutter, on Listen, due June 23.

Recorded at Jon Bon Jovi's studio, the album features 15 songs written by such teens and pre-teens. Performers include Carly Simon, Duncan Sheik and Daryl Hall and John Oates, alongside Mandy Patinkin and other Broadway stars
such as Kelli O'Hara, Adam Pascal, Michael Cerveris and Sherie Rene Scott. Simon, who "had a debilitating stammer for most of my life," was inspired by group founder Taro Alexander, who "has contributed his gifts (so that)
having a stammer or a stutter has grace and originality, and does not have to be hidden in the dark chambers of shame."

Watch Our Time's NBC NIGHTLY NEWS segment:
http://www.ourtimenyc.blogspot.com/ Founded by Taro Alexander (who has stuttered since he was five years old,) and fueled by the incomparable energy of Musical Director Everett Bradley, Our Time Theatre Company is a
free resource for these children and their families. There is no place quite like Our Time. Their 'LISTEN' album will be released on Sh-K-Boom Records, and proceeds will benefit Our Time. The CD features songs written by Our
Time Kids aged 8-18 under the stewardship of Everett Bradley and Associate Musical Director Carl Danielsen.

Other artists who recorded for ŒLISTEN¹ include Blue Man Group, Ann Hampton Callaway, Michael Cerveris, Amanda Kravat, Adriane Lenox, Norm Lewis, Kelli O¹Hara, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Nicki Richards, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Sherie Rene Scott, Stomp, Mary Testa, Michelle Weeks, Lucy Woodward, Cast Members from Spring Awakening, and the youth of Our Time. Our Time¹s Taro Alexander and Everett Bradley provide vocals as well.

Learn more about Our Time here: http://www.ourtimetheatre.org/

Watch the Our Time video here: http://www.ourtimenyc.blogspot.com