The Actors’ Reading Collective presents: a reading of Mary Jane, by Amy Herzog, proceeds benefiting the Parent Infant Program of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Oakland
ARC Benefit: Mary Jane
August 15, 2022 | 7 pm PT
at Z Below
Directed by ARC members Amy Kossow and Tim Redmond, a cast of brilliant Bay Area actors, all members of ARC, join together to read Amy Herzog’s beautiful play, Mary Jane. As single mother Mary Jane navigates both the mundane and the unfathomable realities of caring for Alex, her medically fragile young son, she finds herself building a community of women from many walks of life. Mary Jane is Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog’s remarkably powerful and compassionate portrait of a contemporary American woman striving for grace.
Ticket reservations are free. We will be fundraising on the night of the event (please bring your checkbook and spare change!) or you may also make a donation anytime here.
CAST
Catherine Castellanos, Amy Kossow, Danielle Levin, Leontyne Mbele-Mbong, Julia McNeal, Lisa Morse, Tim Redmond, Mia Tagano, Jessica Tate-Simms, Valerie Weak
About ARC
The Actors’ Reading Collective’s (ARC) mission is to share the artistic, spiritual, and emotional passion uniquely inherent to theater and storytelling. ARC was founded at the height of the pandemic when theatres were shuttered and has grown from a handful of actors telling stories into a community of actors expanding employment opportunities in a profession that has seen much change. Built entirely by actors all volunteering their time, we seek to provide an equitable and inclusive haven and creative space for theatre artists.
With Mary Jane, and after two years of virtual work, ARC presents its first ever in-person performance.
About Z Space/Subspace support of ARC
Z Space’s Subspace Program supports this event by providing the theater and all staff time, free of charge. Formalized in 2018, the Subspace program provides subsidized or free space and technical support to artists who cannot afford the regular rental rates. This program has been radically expanded in response to the pandemic and the need to reopen Z Space to our arts community with financial accessibility at the forefront.
The Actors' Reading Collective extends our deep thanks to Z Space for their generosity on our first in-person performance.
About the Parent Infant Program
The Parent Infant Program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland provides services to parents with infants, birth to 3 years old, who are at risk for or have been diagnosed with a developmental disability. The relationship based multilingual program utilizes skilled Infant Developmental Specialists, Mental Health Clinicians and parents with lived experience to offer weekly in-home and/or center-based intervention and parent support. Creating community and building relationships are the foundation of the program.
About the Playwright
Amy Herzog’s plays include After the Revolution (Williamstown Theater Festival; Playwrights Horizons; Lilly Award), 4000 Miles (Lincoln Center; Obie Award for the Best New American Play, Pulitzer Prize Finalist), The Great God Pan (Playwrights Horizons), and Belleville (Yale Rep; New York Theatre Workshop; Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Finalist; Drama Desk Nomination). Amy is a recipient of the Whiting Writers Award, the Benjamin H. Danks Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Helen Merrill, the Joan and Joseph Cullman Award for Extraordinary Creativity, and the New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award. She is a Usual Suspect at NYTW and an alumna of Youngblood, Play Group at Ars Nova, and the SoHo Rep Writer/Director Lab. She has taught playwriting at Bryn Mawr and Yale. M.F.A., David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.
COVID Safety Protocols
For the health, safety and well-being of everyone in our space, Z Space’s current COVID-19 policy requires all patrons and staff to be fully vaccinated and to wear masks while in the building. You will be asked to show proof of vaccination with ID before entering. Children under 5 are not currently permitted at Z Space. Pre-sale ticket purchases are encouraged.
Click here for more details on our COVID policies.
