Julianna Margulies and Paul Rudd Headline THE MERCY SEAT Reading to Benefit MCC Theater Tonight

by BWW News Desk Jun. 17, 2013

MCC Theater presents a one-night only reading of Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute's acclaimed play, The Mercy Seat, tonight, June 17, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC).

This staged reading will feature two-time Emmy Award winner and MCC Theater board member Julianna Margulies ("The Good Wife," "ER") who last appeared on MCC's stage in the 2002 production of Intrigue with Faye and stage and screen star Paul Rudd ("This Is 40," "Knocked Up") who appeared on Broadway this season in Craig Wright's Grace and will next star in the upcoming films Prince Avalanche and Anchorman 2. The event is part of MCC's celebration of a decade of collaboration and new work with Playwright-in-Residence Neil LaBute. Proceeds will benefit MCC Theater's literary development programs, including the Playwrights' Coalition and free PlayLab reading series.

The Mercy Seat is set on September 12, 2001. The twin towers are down and the world has changed overnight. Two people, a married man (believed to be among the victims of the tragedy) and his boss (and mistress) are holed up in her apartment contemplating their next move: return to their old lives or run away and start anew. Originally produced in 2002, The Mercy Seat was among the first dramatic works to respond to the events of 9/11, and marked the first collaboration between MCC Theater and LaBute, who have gone on to collaborate on 7 productions of new plays over the last 10 years, including this spring's Reasons to Be Happy, a companion piece to LaBute's Tony-nominated Reasons to Be Pretty, which had its world premiere at MCC Theater in 2008.

Julianna Margulies rose to fame with her Emmy Award-winning portrayal of Nurse Carol Hathaway in the long-running hit drama "ER" on NBC, and recently won her second Emmy for her leading performance in "The Good Wife" on CBS, now in its fourth hit season. She is also the recipient of a record-eight Screen Actors' Guild Awards and a Golden Globe for her television work. Other notable performances include an arc on HBO's "The Sopranos" and the acclaimed miniseries The Mists of Avalon.

Paul Rudd recently returned to the Broadway stage this past fall in Craig Wright's Grace, for which he recently received a Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Performance and the play was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Play. He made his Broadway debut in Tony Award-winning The Last Night of Ballyhoo in 1997 and has also starred in Three Days of Rain, Bash, The Shape of Things, Long Days Journey Into Night, and Twelfth Night. Rudd's other film credits include: This Is 40, Knocked Up, Admission, Our Idiot Brother, I Love You, Man, Role Models (co-writer), The 40 Year Old Virgin, Anchorman, Wanderlust (producer), Dinner for Schmucks, How Do You Know, Monsters Vs. Aliens, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Ten (producer), Night at the Museum, Diggers, The Cider House Rules, The Object of My Affection, Wet Hot American Summer, The Chateau, Clueless, and William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, among others. On television, Rudd recently guest starred on NBC's "Parks and Recreation." He also was co-writer/co-creator of the critically acclaimed series "Party Down" on Starz. Additionally, he garnered wide recognition with a recurring role on the TV sitcom "Friends" as Mike Hannigan. Rudd graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in LA and studied at the British Drama Academy at Oxford University, Britain.

Tickets are priced at $250 (Premium Seating and Post-show Reception with the cast), $100 (Orchestra and Front Mezzanine), and $75 (Mezzanine). Special advance tickets are available for MCC Patrons (on sale now) and MCC subscribers and Miscast 2013 gala supporters (on sale April 30th) and can be purchased by contacting the MCC Development Department at (212) 727-7722 ext. 232. Tickets go on sale to the general public on May 7th and may be purchased by visiting www.mcctheater.org or calling (212) 352-3101. General ticket buyers may also purchase Premium Seats by contacting the MCC Development Department at (212) 727-7722 ext. 232 starting on May 7th.