Houdyshell & More Sign on to Die Mommie Die! Reading

More stars have signed on to join actor, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, director, and drag artist Charles Busch, Altar Boyz' Tyler Maynard and "Law and Order: SVU" star Christopher Meloni in Die Mommie Die!, an Actors' Fund reading of Busch's play which will be performed at the Hudson Theatre (145 W. 44th St.) on Monday, June 19th.

Die Mommie Die! is Busch's homage/parody to big-screen soaps that was originally performed in Los Angeles.

Recent additions to the cast include Tony-nominated Jayne Houdyshell, who just completed an acclaimed run on Broadway in Well; Jenn Harris, who made a splash with Silence! The Musical at last year's fringe festival; and "Oz" veteran Tom Mardirosian, who has also appeared in Wonderful Town and My Favorite Year on Broadway. The production is being directed by Carl Andress.

Die Mommie Die! was also the basis for the hit film, which won Busch the 2003 Sundance Film Festival award for best performance. "Busch will be returning to the role he premiered in Los Angeles in 1999, playing fallen pop diva Angela Andrews who, trapped in a loveless marriage and anxious to be with her ne'er-do-well young lover (Meloni), plots to murder her husband. Busch also starred in the film version of the play, for which he won a 2003 Sundance Film Festival award for best performance. The New York one-night-only production of Die Mommie Die! will feature costumes designed by Michael Bottari & Ronald Case, who designed all 40 of Busch's gowns in the film version, as well as the costumes for the original stage play," state press notes.

Busch's actor/playwright credits include Psycho Beach Party, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife. He received a 2003 Drama Desk award for career achievement and a Best Play Tony nomination for The Tale of the Allergist's Wife.

Founded in 1882, The Fund serves those in film, theatre, television, music, opera, and dance with a broad spectrum of programs including comprehensive social services, health services, supportive and affordable housing, emergency financial assistance, employment and training services, and skilled nursing and assisted living care. Administered from offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, The Actors' Fund is a safety net, providing programs and services for those who are in need, crisis, or transition.

Call 212-221-7300 x 133 for tickets or e-mail tickets@actorsfund.org.