Lewis Black and Robert Sean Leonard Set for Williamstown Theatre Festival's PITCHING TO THE STAR Reading, 8/4

Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten presents a benefit reading of Pitching To The Star by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies. Lewis Black and Robert Sean Leonard revisit the roles they originated 25 years ago for this special one-night-only reading, Sunday, August 4 at 7:30 p.m. on the Main Stage. Following the reading will be The Perfect Pitch, a panel discussion about perfect (and not-so-perfect) Hollywood pitches.

A hilariously satirical one-act play by Donald Margulies, Pitching To The Star glimpses behind the Hollywood glitz into the world of Peter Rosenthal, played by Robert Sean Leonard (WTF's Pygmalion, "House," Dead Poet's Society), an up-and-coming writer pitching his script (and blood, sweat, and tears) to a glamorous star, Dena Strawbridge. Acclaimed Broadway and screen actress, Tina Benko (Hedda Gabler, The Avengers), returns to the Festival to play Dena Strawbridge after wowing audiences in last year's WHADDABLOODCLOT!!! Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian Lewis Black plays the idiosyncratic producer, Dick Feldman, who is in cahoots to change Rosenthal's script completely. Heather Lind (WTF's Pygmalion, "Boardwalk Empire")plays Lauri Richards, the assistant to Dick Feldman. Jason McDowell-Green directs the reading.

Following the reading, audiences can get an insider's view of the world of TV and film with The Perfect Pitch, a panel discussion with industry experts sharing their best (and worst) pitches along with tales of what goes on behind the closed doors of Tinseltown. The panel will feature award-winning playwright and screenwriter Donald Margulies (Dinner With Friends; HBO adaptation of Jeffrey Eugeniedes's Middlesex), Lewis Black ("The Daily Show," "Inside the NFL," Black on Broadway), Emmy Award-winning writer and lyricist Willie Reale (Johnny Baseball, A Year With Frog And Toad), and screenwriter and producer Jay Tarses (The Muppets Take Manhattan, "The Bob Newhart Show," "The Carol Burnett Show," "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd").

Pitching To The Star tickets are $35 and $75 for premium seats. Tickets for all 2013 Williamstown Theatre Festival productions can be purchased online at wtfestival.org, by phone at 413-597-3400, or in person at the '62 Center for Theatre and Dance Box Office at 1000 Main St (Route 2), Williamstown, MA 02167.

Since 1955, the Williamstown Theatre Festival has brought America's finest actors, directors, designers, and playwrights to the Berkshires, engaging a loyal audience of both residents and summer visitors. Each WTF season is designed to present unique opportunities for artists and audience alike, revisiting classic plays with innovative productions, developing and nurturing bold new plays and musicals, and offering a rich array of accompanying cultural events including Free Theatre, Late-Night Cabarets, readings, workshops, and educational programs. While best known for our acclaimed productions, WTF is also home to one of the nation's top training and professional development programs for new generations of aspiring theatre artists and administrators. WTF was honored with the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 2002 and the Commonwealth Award for Achievement in 2011.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

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