Emmy winner Rosie O'Donnell emcees a one-night-only benefit reading of the new pulp comedy Hollywood Nurses June 19 at the Mainstage Theatre to benefit The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative of the Actors Fund.
The cast features Golden Globe Award winner Kathleen Turner (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) as Head Nurse Stone, Tony nominee Geneva Carr (Hand to God) as Faye Kettering and Dot Diamond, Olivier winner Lesli Margherita (Matilda) as Nurse Suzanne Medford, Taylor Louderman (Kinky Boots) as Nurse Jenny Tyler, and Tony nominee Max von Essen (An American in Paris, Evita) as Dr. Brad/Kris.
Written by Sheila Head (Character Witness, Head Games) and Peter Michael Marino (Desperately Seeking the Exit, Late with Lance!), the event is directed by Carl Andress (Die, Mommie, Die!, The Tribute Artist).
Hollywood Nurses is a modern take on lesbian pulp novels of the mid-twentieth century. “Nurse Jenny Tyler (Louderman) is running from her past,” according to press notes. “Nurse Suzanne Medford (Margherita) is running from her present. When their secret worlds collide at Holly View Hospital they ignite forbidden passions, erupting into a dangerous scandal that even the most modern medicine cannot cure.”
Geoff Josselson, CSA, serves as casting director.
“I am thrilled to present this reading of an extraordinary play about forbidden love and acceptance during Gay Pride Month,” said producer Norma Lana in an earlier statement. “And with our mission to benefit this vital organization, which supports female artists, we couldn’t ask for a better emcee than the inimitable Rosie O'Donnell!”
The evening kicks off with a cocktail reception at 6:30 PM, followed by the 7:30 PM reading.
The Actors Fund established the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative in 1996 to provide a safety net for women in the entertainment industry who are coping with critical health concerns. The Women’s Health Initiative dedicates a range of resources solely to addressing the health needs and concerns specific to women.
The Mainstage Theatre is located at 416 W. 42nd Street. The performance is sold out. For more information, visit HollywoodNurses.com.
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(Updated June 19, 2017)
