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Kyra Sedgwick, Owen Teague, David Zayas, Garret Dillahunt Set for The Demand of Avarice Reading
The reading of Matthew McLachlan's play is part of the newly relaunched Cherry Lane Alternative.
April 16, 2026 By Andrew Gans
Following a six-year hiatus, non-profit creative development organization Cherry Lane Alternative relaunches this month with a new iteration of works in progress and artist mentorships.
The Tongues reading series, named in honor of director Joseph Chaikin and Sam Shepard’s Cherry Lane play of the same name, will offer a staged reading of Matthew McLachlan's The Demand of Avarice, directed by David Zayas Jr. and co-presented by Clayton Howe of Roxedge Entertainment. The play follows the world’s three richest billionaires, who are kidnapped by a masked vigilante who demands a price their wealth cannot meet.
The April 27 reading will be held at The Clark Studio Theater at Lincoln Center with a cast that includes Emmy and Golden Globe winner Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer), Owen Teague (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), David Zayas (Dexter), and Actor Award winner Garret Dillahunt (Raising Hope, 12 Years a Slave). Casting is by Caparelliotis Casting's David Caparelliotis and Joe Gery. The reading will be general managed by Ampersand Theatrical Management. A reception will follow.
The Cherry Lane Alternative, founded in 1997 by Angelina Fiordellisi, is returning under the new leadership of Artistic Director Mary Geerlof. The organization's mission is to support playwrights and small theatre companies whose programs uplift emerging writers.
Cherry Lane Alternative separated from the Cherry Lane Theatre after the venue was acquired by the indie film studio A24, allowing the Alternative to continue its cultural development into the future. Programming includes the Obie-winning Mentor Project, the Tongues reading series, and various programs and grants that support emerging artists and new works.
In a statement Founder and Board President Fiordellisi said, “Our goal is to make sure talented writers get the right support at the right moment. We do this by putting the theatre’s greatest living practitioners in direct relationship with those who will carry the artform into the future—and then giving those new voices a stage.”
Cherry Lane Alternative is in development on Remember Me Remember by Lisa Ramirez and Esai’s Table by Nathan Yungerberg.
For more information, visit CLAlt.org.
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