Sarah Ruhl's THE OLDEST BOY Set for Benefit Readings Across the U.S.; Celia Keenan-Bolger to Appear in NYC

After a critically acclaimed run at Lincoln Center's Mitzi Newhouse Theater in 2014, Sarah Ruhl's play THE OLDEST BOY is set to be read at leading regional theaters around the country for the one-year anniversary of the Nepal earthquake, as part of a national effort to raise relief funds for the victims of the disaster.

A consortium of organizations has come together to inspire a nationwide effort, including Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, Central Square Theater, The Goodman Theatre, Irondale Ensemble Project, Lantern Theater Company with support from the Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists, the MFA in Playwriting Program at Brown University in collaboration with the URI Center for Nonviolence and Trinity Repertory Company, Shaking the Tree Theatre and Soulpepper Theatre Company.

Each theater will all hold readings of THE OLDEST BOY, with the proceeds of the nationwide event going to the Tibet Fund's Emergency Earthquake Relief Fund. Companies producing full productions of the play in 2015-16 (including Marin Theatre Company, Unicorn Theater, San Diego Repertory Theatre and Jungle Theater) are also set to participate in the awareness and fundraising effort.

"I am so moved by how theaters are coming together to support a relief effort in Nepal. The news cycle is so terribly short, and so many people are still suffering in that part of the world." explains Pulitzer prize finalist and Tony award nominated playwright Sarah Ruhl. "I'm so happy THE OLDEST BOY can be a very small part of reaching out to Tibetans affected by the earthquake in Nepal, and so grateful to the participating theaters for their generosity,"

In this moving and delightful exploration of motherhood, love and letting go, THE OLDEST BOY follows an American mother whose young son is believed to be the reincarnation of a high Buddhist lama. When Tibetan monks arrive unexpectedly, asking to take her child away for a life of spiritual training in India, she and her Tibetan husband must make a life-altering choice that will test their faith and their hearts. "An extraordinary story with playful humor and unstinting compassion."- The Hollywood Reporter. "Bewitching, ingenious and seriously moving."-Linda Winer, Newsday.

On April 25, 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal, taking a huge toll on human life and property. With over 3,700 confirmed dead, and the number continuing to rise, rescue efforts are still under way. Currently, there are more than 20,000 Tibetan refugees and hundreds of thousands of Tibetan Buddhist practitioners living along the Himalayan Buddhist Belt in Nepal. The rebuilding process will be a monumental task requiring financial support for years to come. The Tibet Fund has established an Emergency Earthquake Relief Fund to ensure that resources reach those most affected by the quake, bringing urgently needed supplies and assistance to survivors and coordinating long-term efforts to rebuild communities. Read more at tibetfund.org.

The benefit readings are being spearheaded by playwright Sarah Ruhl, whose other plays include In the Next Room, or the vibrator play (Pulitzer Prize finalist, Tony Award nominee for best new play), The Clean House (Pulitzer Prize Finalist, 2005; The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, 2004). Sarah's work has been produced on Broadway at the Lyceum by Lincoln Center Theater, off-Broadway at Playwrights' Horizons, Second Stage Theatre, Lincoln Center, and regionally all over the country. Originally from Chicago, Ms. Ruhl received her M.F.A. from Brown University where she studied with Paula Vogel. She is currently on the faculty at Yale School of Drama and lives in Brooklyn with her family.

In New York City, THE OLDEST BOY will be presented at The Irondale Center, 85 South Oxford Street in Brooklyn on Monday, April 25, 2016. Melissa Crespo will direct a cast featuring Tsering Dorjee, Celia Keenan-Bolger, James Saito, Jon Norman Schneider and James Yaegashi.

Tickets to readings around the country can be purchased at each participating theater's website. For more information about local dates and personnel, visit www.sarahruhlplaywright.com/Benefit or www.facebook.com/oldestboybenefit.

Photo Credit: T. Charles Erickson