Rolff Comes to PS 255 with BookPALS to Read Dr. Seuss Favorite, 3/18

Heather Jane Rolff (Shrek the Musical, Cartoon Network), makes her Broadway play debut this spring in the pivotal role of ‘Helen' alongside Dane Cook, Josh Hamilton and Julia Stiles, completing the cast for the first Broadway production of Neil LaBute's FAT PIG.

Rolff joins the SAG Foundation's BookPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools) Program for a special reading of Dr. Seuss favorite, "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" to third grade students at Brooklyn's PS 255. Volunteer BookPALS readers will join the celebration and over 500 students will be read to in two hours.

PS 255, 1866 East 17th Street in Brooklyn (between Ave S and Ave R) Brooklyn, NY 11229, Friday, March 18th, 10:00 - NOON (Eastern)

The special reading celebrates Dr. Seuss's birthday and the NEA's annual Read Across America program. Each year, New York City BookPALS participate in Read Across America by reading Dr. Seuss books aloud to thousands of public school children in the five boroughs of New York City. Read Across America is celebrated all month long at PS 255.

The SAG Foundation is a national co-sponsor for the National Education Association's Read Across America, an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on or near the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss.

In cities and towns across the nation, teachers, teenagers, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents and others develop NEA's Read Across America activities to bring reading excitement to children of all ages. Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.

The core program of the SAG Foundation's Children's Literacy Initiative, BookPALS (www.bookpals.net) engages over 2200 actors in reading to over 100,000 children weekly at schools, shelters and hospitals across the country, empowering children with the love of the written word. PencilPALS volunteers participate in letter-writing correspondence with students.

Ms. Rolff joins a distinguished list of talented working actors devoting time and talent to BookPALS and the SAG Foundation's efforts to promote children's literacy. She will soon be seen in Neil LaBute's FAT PIG at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street), an eagerly-anticipated production which also marks LaBute's Broadway directorial debut. Performances begin Tuesday, April 12, 2011 for an official opening night of Tuesday, April 26, 2011.

Founded in 1985, the Screen Actors Guild Foundation is an educational, humanitarian and philanthropic 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Governed and funded independently of SAG, the SAG Foundation offers substantive services to Guild members, free of charge, in its mission to assist, educate and inspire actors toward their fullest potential in career, life and community. For more information, please visit www.sagfoundation.org or call (323) 549-6708.