Melissa Benoist, Calista Flockhart, and Chris Wood Will Lead TERMS OF ENDEARMENT Benefit Reading in Los Angeles

Berlanti Productions and Jessica Queller will present an exclusive one-night-only reading of Terms of Endearment at The Geffen Playhouse, it was announced today. All proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit Stand Up To Cancer and Geffen Playhouse's New Play Development Program.

The event will take place Monday, October 1, at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. The all-star cast includes Golden Globe-winning and Emmy Award-nominated Calista Flockhart (Supergirl, Ally McBeal) as Aurora Greenway, Chris Wood (Supergirl, The Vampire Diaries) as Flap Horton and Melissa Benoist (Supergirl, Glee) as Emma Greenway, with additional casting to be announced. They will be performing an intimate reading of the iconic, five-time Academy Award-winning classic film, including Best Picture (1983). The original Terms of Endearment cast featured Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito and John Lithgow. A dessert reception will follow.

Supporting artists is central to The Geffen Playhouse's mission, and the New Play Development Program is a cornerstone of that support. As one branch of the Geffen's many efforts to foster new work, The Writers' Room playwrights group creates community between visionary Los Angeles artists, many of whom are emerging on the national theater scene. This monthly group provides the resources to help writers develop ambitious passion projects-plays and musicals that shed new light on the pressing issues of our city and our time.

Stand Up To Cancer enables scientific breakthroughs by funding collaborative, multidisciplinary, multi-institutional scientific research teams and investigators. Thanks to the support of our dedicated partners and the entertainment community, SU2C is able to bring widespread attention to cancer research. 100% of donations received from the public support Stand Up To Cancer's collaborative cancer research programs. In just 10 years, SU2C research has contributed to FDA approval of five new cancer therapies, including treatments for breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers and difficult-to-treat leukemias.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are priced at $100 - $200 and available in person at The Geffen Playhouse box office or online at www.geffenplayhouse.org/endearment. Host Committee packages are available at $5000 by contacting Jamie Mikelich at jamiem@geffenplayhouse.org or 310-208-6500 ext. 128.

Geffen Playhouse has been a hub of the Los Angeles theater scene since opening its doors in 1995. Noted for its intimacy and celebrated for its world-renowned mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and second productions, the not-for-profit organization continues to present a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the initial donation to the theater, the company was founded by Gilbert Cates and is currently helmed by Executive Director Gil Cates, Jr., Artistic Director Matt Shakman and Board Chair Howard Tenenbaum. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen welcomes an audience of more than 130,000 each year, and maintains extensive education and community engagement programs, designed to involve underserved young people and the community at large in the arts. www.geffenplayhouse.org

STAND UP TO CANCER (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. A division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), SU2C was established in 2008 by media and entertainment leaders who utilize these communities' resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, to increase awareness about cancer prevention, and to highlight progress being made in the fight against the disease. As of April 2018, more than 1,500 scientists representing more than 180 institutions are involved in the SU2C-funded research projects.

Under the direction of our Scientific Advisory Committee, led by Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp, PhD, staff at SU2C and the American Association for Cancer Research, our Scientific Partner, implement rigorous competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and ensure collaboration across research programs.

Current member of the SU2C Council of Founders and Advisors (CFA) include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, serves as SU2C's President and CEO.

For more information on Stand Up To Cancer, visit StandUpToCancer.org.