Cause Celebre Announces Inaugural Show A BATTLE OF WILLS 5/31-6/21

Cause Célèbre, a not-for-profit theater dedicated to causes and charity, proudly announces the launch of Part-Time Productions and its inaugural presentation, A Battle of Wills: Internal and External. This debut production, presented in association with The New Group, is an evening of three one-act plays featuring award-winning actors, writers and directors. Performances will run consecutive Sundays from May 31 - June 21 at The Acorn @ Theatre Row. 

Part Time Productions connects theater to causes by opening a dialogue within the context of a theater event, raising awareness about a specific cause and offering proceeds from ticket sales to an organization connected to the cause. A Battle of Wills: Internal and External explores issues related to mental health via three one-act plays.
The evening leads with This is On Me, written by Emmy Award®-winning writer Tom Fontana based on the work of Dorothy Parker and directed by Antony Marsellis. Renowned author, screenwriter and critic Dorothy Parker drew inspiration from the time in which she lived, the dazzling and daring Roaring Twenties. Her work, which earned her an O'Henry Award and two Academy Award nominations, was fueled by her endless battle with men, alcohol and herself. Tom Fontana, having explored the dark side of human nature in his acclaimed television hits "Oz," "Homicide" and "St. Elsewhere," is the ideal writer to adapt Parker's thought-provoking and poignant work.

The evening continues with Ashes to Ashes, written by Nobel-prize winning playwright Harold Pinter and directed by Christopher Hart. In this extraordinary play, a wife's torment has a profound impact upon her husband, as reality and the inner-workings of her mind become indistinguishable. Regardless of their origin, the wife's troubled thoughts and images are very real - to her.

Love Divided By, written by award-winning writer Susan Charlotte and directed by Emmy winner John Shea, concludes the evening. During this compelling drama the audience watches as a sister gives in to her brother's desperate pleas to meet, only to discover why she has pushed him away. The film version, with original music by Philip Glass, was selected to reopen MoMA's Titus II Theatre.

The honoree for this program is The Lieber Recovery and Rehabilitation Clinic for Psychotic Disorders at Columbia University. The Lieber Clinic provides comprehensive psychiatric rehabilitation for individuals with persistent mental illness. It is particularly suited to patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, though people with other forms of mental illness may also benefit from its rehabilitation focus. For more information, please visit http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/pi/cs/lrrc.html.

Created by Susan Charlotte (the Founding Artistic Director of the award-winning theater company, Food for Thought Productions), Cause Célèbre and its new division Part-Time Productions are devoted to fostering an enhanced understanding of psychological, physical and social issues through theater. Each meticulously curated program focuses on a specific issue and consists of performances by the crème de la crème of the theatrical community. Cause Célèbre and Part-Time Productions share several purposes: to connect theater with different causes, provide visibility and educate the public vis-à-vis those causes, and to offer proceeds from ticket sales to a foundation connected to the specific cause of the program. Past Cause Célèbre honorees include The National Meningitis Association (performances by Marian Seldes & KT Sullivan), St. Jude's Hospital (performances by Marlo Thomas & Joan Copeland), The Fortune Society (performances by Christine Ebersole & Mercedes Ruehl), Tina's Wish (performances by Richard Easton & Frances Sternhagen) and The Glaucoma Foundation.

A Battle of Wills: Internal and External features an award-winning rotating cast including Delphi Harrington (B'way: Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Seagull. Off-B'way: Uncle Vanya), Tasha Lawrence (B'way: Wilder, Wilder, Wilder. TV: "Third Watch"), Lizbeth MacKay (B'way: The Price, All My Sons. TV: "One Life to Live"), Carolyn McCormick (B'way: Equus. TV: "Law & Order"), Larry Pine (B'way: Bus Stop. Film: Melinda and Melinda), Marian Seldes (B'way: Deuce, Dinner at Eight - Tony nomination. Film: The Visitor, Mona Lisa Smile. Three-time Tony recipient.), John Shea (B'way: Yentl. Off B'way: How I Learned To Drive. TV: "Gossip Girl." Film: A Broken Sole, Missing. Emmy Award recipient.) and Kevin Stapleton (B'way: Salome. TV: "One Life to Live"). 

A Battle of Wills: Internal and External marks the debut presentation of Part-Time Productions in association with The New Group at Theatre Row (Scott Elliott, Artistic Director; Geoff Rich, Executive Director).

Schedule: Sunday, May 31 @ 7:00 PM / Sunday, June 7 @ 3:00 PM / Sunday, June 14 @ 3:00 & 7:00 PM / Sunday, June 21 @ 7:00 PM. Tickets may be arranged at (646) 366-9340, or through Ticket Central at www.ticketcentral.com / (212) 279-4200, or at the Theatre Row Box Office. Tickets are $60 - $130 (A portion of each ticket purchase is tax deductible). A reception with the cast and creative team follows the performance on May 31. Tickets to the reception are $125 ($100 is tax deductible).
Theatre Row/Acorn Theatre is located at 410 West 42nd Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues.

For more information, visit www.causecelebre.info.