Carolyn Cantor (Regrets, In A Dark Dark House) directs the limited benefit run through June 16 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Proceeds support MCC Theater's Playwrights' Coalition program, free PlayLab reading series and literary development activities.

The cast includes Cheyenne Jackson ("30 Rock," Finian's Rainbow, Xanadu), Emmanuelle Chriqui ("Entourage," "The Borgias"), Krysten Ritter ("Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23," All New People), Emmy winner Tammy Blanchard (Gypsy, How to Succeed, "Me and My Shadows"), Eddie Kaye Thomas (The Submission, "American Pie") and Michael Chernus (In The Wake, The Aliens).

Here's how it's billed: "When acclaimed playwright-provocateur Neil LaBute turns his acid wit to affairs of the heart, one thing is certain...there will be blood! Passion, emotion, sexual negotiation, and infidelity all converge in this collection of recent one-act plays, each featuring a pair of lovers in crisis. The Heart of the Matter is an attempt to comprehend the true nature of love (or at least the fallout it can leave behind)."

Tickets, priced between $39 and $99, may be purchased by visiting MCCTheater.org or by calling (212) 352-3101. A limited number of $25 tickets, for theatregoers under 30, are also available at mcctheater.org/25under30.html.

The Lucille Lortel Theatre is located at 121 Christopher Street.