The annual event, which will be held Nov. 17 at 8 PM at the American Airlines Theatre, will feature Melanie Griffith (Chicago), Amanda Seyfried ("Les Miserables," "Mamma Mia!"), Uzo Aduba (Godspell, Coram Boy), Peter Dinklage ("Game of Thrones," "X-Men: Days of Future Past"), Nina Dobrev ("The Vampire Diaries," "The Perks of Being a Wallflower") and Pablo Schreiber (Awake and Sing!, Desire Under the Elms) performing in plays that were written the previous night and rehearsed throughout that day.
Additional performers include Sasha Alexander ("Rizzoli & Isles," "NCIS"), Jamie Chung ("Once Upon a Time," "The Hangover Part II"), Tony Award winner Billy Crudup (The Coast of Utopia, Arcadia), Rachel Dratch ("Saturday Night Live," Love's Labour's Lost), Michael Ealy ("Think Like a Man," "Common Law"), Seth Green ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Family Guy"), Bryan Greenberg ("Prime," "Friends With Benefits"), Taran Killam ("12 Years a Slave," "Saturday Night Live"), Zoe Kravitz ("X-Men: First Class," "Divergent"), Justin Long (Seminar, "New Girl"), Aasif Mandvi (Disgraced, Oklahoma!), Stephen Merchant ("The Office," "The Ricky Gervais Show"), Diane Neal ("Law and Order," "Power"), Jay Pharoah ("Saturday Night Live," "Portlandia"), Sebastian Stan (Picnic, Talk Radio), Julia Stiles (Oleanna, Phoenix), Tracie Thoms (Rent, Lost Lake) and Michael Kenneth.
Playwrights will begin writing a 10-minute play Nov. 16 at 10 PM and finish writing by 7 AM the next morning. The actors will rehearse for 12 hours and perform the plays Nov. 17 at 8 PM.
Directors include America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty"), Andy Fickman ("Reefer Madness!") and Kathy Najimy ("Veronica's Closet"). Writers include Christina Anderson (Good Goods), Bekah Brunstetter (Oohrah!), comedian David Cross, David Lindsay Abaire (Rabbit Hole) and Jonathan Marc Sherman (Things We Want). Sarwat Siddiqui, the winner of a young writers' project from Fordham University, will join the playwrights.
Proceeds help the Urban Arts Partnership. Visit 24hourplays.com for more information.
