Zosia Mamet and Melissa Rauch to Bring THE SECRET LUNCHES OF CHELSEA & IVANKA Reading to Joe's Pub

A staged reading of "THE SECRET LUNCHES OF CHELSEA & IVANKA" is headed to Joe's Pub as a benefit for Planned Parenthood on Monday, July 24, at Joe's Pub, starring Melissa Rauch ("The Big Bang Theory") and Zosia Mamet ("Girls").

The work is a "modern day presidential satire" that explores the events leading up to the 2016 election through the unlikely friendship and clashing perspectives of two American First Daughters, written by Melissa and Winston Rauch and directed by Carolyn Cantor ("Sell Buy Date").

"We were moved when Meryl Streep reminded us of Carrie Fisher's beautiful advice to, "Take your broken heart and make it into art" and this is our humble attempt to do so. The idea for this play was sparked by a fascination over the reported friendship between Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump. We felt this provided a perfect filter through which we could fictionally explore the epic roller-coaster that led up to the election last November and a comedic requiem for the dream that so many of us held during that time."

Melissa and Winston Rauch are no strangers to political satire. Fans will remember them from their critically acclaimed show "The Miss Education of Jenna Bush" which enjoyed sold out runs in NYC and LA and was an official selection of the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. The show won top honors in The New York International Fringe Festival in 2005 including "Outstanding Solo Show" as well as "The Audience Favorite Award."

The reading is set for Monday, July 24, 2017 at 7:00pm at Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St, New York, NY. Tickets can be purchased at www.joespub.com. The artists will donate 100% of all proceeds to the 501(c)3 Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.

ABOUT THE CAST & CREW:

Melissa Rauch (Actor/Co-Writer): Rauch is best known for her portrayal of the role of Bernadette on "The Big Bang Theory." Rauch has been nominated for a Critics' Choice TV Award in the category of "Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series." The show was nominated for an Emmy Award from 2011-2014 and a Golden Globe Award in 2011, 2013, and 2014. Rauch and the cast were also nominated in the category of "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series" by the Screen Actors Guild from 2012-2017. Her feature film, The Bronze, which she starred in, co-wrote and Executive Produced with her husband, Winston Rauch, was the official opening night film selection of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was later released by Sony Pictures Classics. Up next, Rauch will voice the role of "Harley Quinn" in the Warner Bros and DC animated movie Batman and Harley Quinn. Rauch's television career spans such shows as "True Blood," "The Office," "Kath & Kim," "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Best Week Ever." Among her feature film credits are roles in I Love You Man, Delirious and You Are Here.

Zosia Mamet (Actor): Mamet is best known for her work in the Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning HBO series "Girls." Mamet's character 'Shoshanna' strived for a lifestyle akin to the "Sex and the City" aesthetic and served as an unlikely voice of reason within a group of assorted misfits with their own eccentricities. The show's sixth and final season premiered on HBO on Sunday, February 12th, 2017. This summer, Mamet starred opposite Norbert Leo Butz and Dolly Wells in the Off-Broadway world premiere production of "The Whirligig," and in May, it was announced that Mamet, along with her husband Evan Jonigkeit, will executive produce the modern anthology series "Fabled" as part of Refinery 29's new original programming. Mamet's additional upcoming projects include the independent comedic film The Boy Downstairs, written and directed by Sophie Brooks and A24 thriller Under the Silver Lake opposite Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough and Jimmi Simpson.

WINSTON RAUCH (Co-Writer): Rauch's feature film The Bronze, which he co-wrote and Executive Produced along with his wife, Melissa Rauch, was the official opening night film selection of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was later released by Sony Pictures Classics. Rauch was also the co-writer and executive producer of The Condom Killer, a film-noir comedic short, an official selection of the 13th Annual Hollywood Film Festival and The Friar's Club Comedy Film Festival. Rauch currently has a number of projects in development for film, theater and television.

Carolyn Cantor (Director): Cantor is a NY based director of new plays and musicals. She is known for her direction in "Sell By Date," "Regrets" and "Pumpgirl" (Manhattan Theatre Club), "Indian Summer," "Fly By Night" (Drama Desk Nomination), "The Great God Pan," "After the Revolution" (Callaway Award) and "Essential Self Defense" (Playwrights Horizons), "Arlington" (Vineyard), "In A Dark Dark House" (MCC), "The Talls" (Second Stage), "Something You Did" (Primary Stages), "Core Values" (Ars Nova), "Orange Flower Water," "Now That's What I Call a Storm," "Living Room in Africa" and "Stone Cold Dead Serious" (Edge Theater). Among her regional credits are "The Violet Hour" (Old Globe), "Rabbit Hole" (Geffen, Garland Award), "Diary of Anne Frank" (Papermill), "After the Revolution," "Not Waving" and "King Stag" (Williamstown Theater Festival), "Vera Laughed" and "Get What You Need" (NYS&F), "Finer Noble Gases" and "After Ashley" (O'Neil Playwrights Conference), and "Nocturne" (Ojai Playwrights Conference). Carolyn has received the Kanin-Seldes Award from the Theatre Hall of Fame, the Boris Sagal and Bill Foeller Fellowships from Williamstown, a Drama Desk League Directing Fellowship and an Obie Grant for Edge Theater where she was the Founding Artistic Director. She is a NYTW Usual Suspect, a member of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab and a graduate of Dartmouth College.