MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN Cast to Lead AMERICAN BEAUTY Live Reading

Jason Reitman's next live reading at LACMA will take a stroll down memory lane of '90s nostalgia.

Director Jason Reitman is back for the fourth season of his internationally acclaimed and popular Live Read series on Oct. 16. For Live Read, Reitman chooses a classic film script and directs a group of actors in a live reading of the material. The debut production of the fourth season will be Alan Ball's Academy Award®-winning script, the scabrous comedy-drama AMERICAN BEAUTY, which celebrates the 15th anniversary of its release this year. The Men, Women, and Children cast will be performing this piece.

"I had a such a great experience working with the cast that I was looking for any excuse to get them ALL TOGETHER again," Reitman told Entertainment Weekly. "It occurred to me while I was trying to figure out who to put into the American Beauty read that the casts kind of lined up nicely."

The cast includes Adam Sandler as Lester Burham (the role played by Kevin Spacey, for which he won an Oscar), Rosemarie DeWitt as Carolyn (originally played by Annette Bening), Kaitlyn Denver as Jane (originally played by Thora Birch), Olivia Crocicchia as Angela (originally played by Mena Suvari), and Travis Tope as Ricky (originally played by Wes Bentley).

"I thought Adam Sandler would be a fascinating Lester Burnham, unlike any I'd ever imagined, Rosemarie DeWitt is about as phenomenal an actress as you can find right now," says Reitman of the casting decision. "Kaitlin Dever probably would be cast in the Thora Birch role if American Beauty were being made today, just as Dean Norris could have easily have been cast in the Chris Cooper part."

Reitmer also revealed future readings:

November- Diner (1982)
December- The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
January- Goodfellas (1990)
February- Sideways (2004)
March- Dazed and Confused (1993)

In conjunction with Film Independent at LACMA.

LACMA, Bing Theater

$25 for Film Independent, LACMA Film Club, and the New York Times Film Club members. Members of these three groups can purchase tickets starting at 12 pm on Thursday, September 18. | Limit two tickets per membership. | Proof of member status is required to reserve tickets during advance reservation period.

Tickets for this event can be picked up at LACMA's Ticket Office, located in the Hammer Building, on THE DAY of the event-as early as 11 am. Tickets are for general, unreserved seating. Ticketed guests must be in their seat at the advertised start time of the event or seat(s) may be released. All ticket sales are final; no refunds or exchanges. Program and guest participation subject to change or cancellation without prior notice. Tickets are nontransferable and can only be picked up by the individual who purchased or reserved them.

STANDBY ONLY: Tickets for this event are no longer available for reservation in advance. A standby line will form at 6:30 pm at the Hammer Building Ticket Office on the night of this event. Guests in the standby line will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis, though unfortunately there is no guarantee of tickets being made available to guests in this line