Stage and screen star Ayo Edebiri, fresh off her Broadway run in Proof, has joined the cast of The Center at West Park’s upcoming starry benefit reading of the 1983 film The Big Chill. The event is set for August 31 at Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York. The performance will be followed by a talkback.
Edebiri joins a previously announced cast that includes Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei, Tony winner Matthew Broderick, Amy Brenneman, Spencer Garrett, Frederick Weller, Ilana Levine, and Jumaane D. Williams. David Saint is directing, with proceeds to benefit the company.
The film—which boasted a cast including Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams—centers on a group of college schoolmates reuniting after 12 years apart when a friend ends their life. In the years since its premiere, the movie has become a cult favorite, and was nominated for three 1984 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
The upcoming reading is being produced by Julianne Hoffenberg, Debby Hirshman, and Madelyn Paquette, and is being presented with the support of Columbia Pictures.
“It’s a tremendous privilege for The Center at West Park to serve audiences across New York and to continue our summer performance tradition in East Hampton at Guild Hall,” said Center Executive Director Hirshman in an earlier statement. “After the incredible response to last summer’s staged reading of All the President’s Men, we’re thrilled to return with The Big Chill—a timeless film whose humor, heart, and unforgettable characters continue to resonate.”
Tickets are at CenteratWestPark.org.