The evening will be hosted by Charles Busch, and will feature political humorist Kate Clinton, Michael Cunningham (author of The Hours), Sarah Jones (playwright of Bridge and Tunnel), Carson Kressley, Rosie Perez and feminist Martha Walsh among the starry line-up. Josh Woods Productions will produce the benefit, which will take place at the Chelsea nightclub Crobar.A VIP reception will commence at 6:30 PM, to be followed be performances and a live auction at 8 PM and a dessert after-party at 10 PM. Among the items to be auctioned off are a Miami weekend getaway and tickets to such shows as Hurlyburly and Altar Boyz. The Trevor Project was established in 1995 to prevent suicide among gay and lesbian teens. The non-profit program also maintains a confidential suicide hotline that can be called anytime--866 488 7386.Kushner's plays, which are known for their thematic audacity and mastery of language, have explored homosexual issues (among others) and combated intolerance. He won a Pulitzer Prize and two Tony Awards for his sprawling 2-play masterpiece Angels in America, which dealt with the personal and political ramifications of the AIDS crisis at the end of the Cold War. A 2003 HBO miniseries adapted from the plays was directed by Mike Nichols and swept the Emmys that year, winning 11 awards. The New York Theatre Workshop production of Kushner's Homebody/Kabul garnered a 2002 Obie for Playwriting, and other works include A Bright Room Called Day and Slavs.His controversial new play-in-progress, Only We Who Guard the Mystery Shall be Unhappy, is a politically-minded piece centered around First Lady Laura Bush; it was given a benefit reading in August of 2004. His adaptation of Brecht's Mother Courage will receive a 2006 production at the Delacorte Theatre that will star Meryl Streep.
Tickets for A Totally Funny Whatever 5 can be purchased by calling 212-414-1716 or 310-27- 8845. Prices range from $100 general admission to $1,500 table seats; $2,500 booth seats are sold out. The Crobar is located at 530 W. 28th St., between 10th and 11th Avenues.
