Montblanc Presents 14th Annual The 24 Hour® Plays On Broadway To Benefit Urban Arts Partnership

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Montblanc – the renowned producer of handcrafted pens, watches and leather goods – is proud to announce the 14^th annual performance of The 24 Hour® Plays on Broadway Benefit for Urban Arts Partnership, on Monday, November 17. The Benefit attracts some of the most distinguished players in the entertainment industry, to join forces and take part in an extreme rite of theater: writing, directing and performing SIX original short plays, in a 24 hour timespan. Proceeds from the evening's performance will support Urban Arts Partnership, NYC's largest arts education organization, in its efforts to close the achievement gap in NYC's underserved public schools.  Tickets can be purchased through [email protected] with special access packages available through www.citiprivatepass.com.

This year's company members (schedule permitting) include, actors: Sasha Alexander, Uzo Aduba, Jamie Chung, Billy Crudup, Peter Dinklage, Rachel Dratch, Nina Dobrev, Michael Ealy, Seth Green, Bryan Greenberg, Melanie Griffith, Taran Killam, Zoe Kravitz, Justin Long, Aasif Mandvi, Stephen Merchant, Diane Neal, Rosie Perez, Jay Pharoah, Amanda Seyfried,  Pablo Schreiber, Sebastian Stan, Julia Stiles, Tracie Thoms and Michael Kenneth Williams. Directors include America Ferrera, Andy Fickman, and Kathy Najimy. Writers include Christina Anderson, Bekah Brunstetter, David Cross, David Lindsay Abaire and Jonathan Marc Sherman. Musical Guests: Andra Day and Bryan Terrell Clark; and DJ: Samantha Ronson.

"1 Million students drop out of school each year. At Urban Arts Partnership, we know that for at risk students the best learning occurs when students are active and engaged in and outside of the classroom.  For our students, the act of creating something new is truly empowering - it opens them up to the idea that they can successfully create their own path in life. That's why the opportunity to participate in the The 24 Hour Plays process can be a game changer," -Philip Courtney, CEO of Urban Arts Partnership.

On October 20, 2014, a sixth participating writer was announced as the winner of the 5^th annual Montblanc Young Writers Program. In a 24-hour period, six students penned short plays that were performed by actors before an audience of industry professionals and a panel of judges. The winning playwright, Sarwat Siddiqui, will create one of the six short pieces for The 24 Hour® Plays on Broadway with Christina Anderson as a mentoring playwright. The Montblanc Young Writers Program was created to further enhance the classroom experience and foster emerging talent.  As a brand deeply rooted in the culture of writing, Montblanc understands the importance of the written word, communicating with intent and receiving the necessary support to achieve success. 

"Montblanc has always been committed to education and literacy. Our alliance with Urban Arts Partnership enables continuing support of the New York City public schools that are pressed for resources, as well as the fostering of young talent in arts and culture," said Mike Giannattasio, President and CEO of Montblanc North America. "Montblanc's production of The 24 Hour® Plays on Broadway ensures arts education programs remain integrated into students' curriculum, and we proudly celebrate this year's production."

The marathon process for The 24 Hour® Plays on Broadway will begin at 10PM on Sunday, November 16^th – the night before the final production. There, six writers, six directors, 24 actors, two musical guests, and a production staff gather at the American Airlines Theatre ready to begin the daunting process. After each of the actors share a costume, prop, a special skill and stage desire -- their assigned writer is tasked with composing a ten-minute play by 7 AM that morning. With the ink barely dry on the script, directors return to read and select their piece and meet with their cast for the first time by 9AM. In just 12 hours, the plays come to fruition with a final performance in front of a live audience at 8PM interspersed with six musical acts.

This season, Kevyn Aucoin Beauty will sponsor the evening's makeup looks using essential and timeless Kevyn Aucoin products to create classic, flawless faces for THE 24 HOUR PLAYS cast. Participating company members will also be prepped for stage by Boots No7 Skincare and Oscar Blandi Hair Care for Beauty.com. 

ABOUT MONTBLANC
For over 100 years, Montblanc has embraced the traditions of lasting value and exquisite craftsmanship. The company's uncompromising principles of design, style, quality and workmanship have allowed them to create heirloom collections that are passed from generation to generation. The iconic Montblanc emblem is a symbol of excellence – the pinnacle of luxury writing instruments, timepieces, jewelry, leather, eyewear and fragrances – and the brand has made an enduring commitment to encourage excellence through cultural advancement. Montblanc has its roots in writing culture and therefore sees a particular obligation to its own cultural commitment. Through various international activities, the company makes a creative contribution to modern cultural life: Montblanc itself writes a small piece of cultural history.

ABOUT URBAN ARTS PARTNERSHIP
Urban Arts Partnership, NYC's largest arts education organization, advances the intellectual, social and artistic development of underserved public school students through arts-integrated education programs to close the achievement gap. Through a dynamic range of programs including playwriting, theater, media, music, dance, spoken word, photography and the visual arts, Urban Arts Partnership empowers youth to develop the creative and analytic impulses that will serve them as students, professionals and responsible citizens. www.urbanarts.org

ABOUT THE 24 HOUR ® COMPANY
The 24 Hour Plays® is a long-running institution in New York and international theater, but its work is always fresh and new. Inspired by Scott McCloud's 24 Hour Comics, creator Tina Fallon intended The 24 Hour Plays® to be a one-time-only event when debuted on Manhattan's Lower East Side in 1995. Eighteen years and thousands of plays and musicals later, The 24 Hour Company produces these time limited events, including "The 24 Hour Musicals", on Broadway and in cities all over the world. In New York, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, Florence, Dublin, and Athens, theater icons and newcomers alike regularly participate in what insiders call "the 2-4." Through collaborations with organizations like the Old Vic, The Festival Del Sole, Dublin Youth Theatre and Urban Arts Partnership, The 24 Hour Company produces celebrity benefits that have raised millions for a variety of worthy causes. www.24hourplays.com

ABOUT FREESTYLE PICTURE COMPANY
The founders of Freestyle Picture Company, Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri, teamed up with the 24 Hour Company in 2001 to use the 24 Hour Plays concept in the creation of a truly unique sponsored benefit event. This partnership continues with this 1^4th year of the event in NYC, and has also brought the event to LA. Freestyle is a TV and film production company based in LA.

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SOURCE Montblanc