The comedy whodunit Shear Madness celebrates its 15th anniversary at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 8. A host of special guests will take part in the 7 PM anniversary performance at the Kennedy Center's Theater Lab.

Real-life lawyers Robert Barnett, FOX-TV's Greta Van Susteren and Court TV's Rikki Klieman and Robert Bennett as well as other surprise guests will appear onstage to help solve the mystery that the play presents. The evening will benefit Neighborhood Legal Services Program, the Washington organization that provides free legal assistance to low-income D.C. residents.

Shear Madness concerns the murder of a concert pianist who lives above the Shear Madness hairstyling salon in Georgetown. About the play, which is the longest-running work in Kennedy Center History, Michael M. Kaiser, Kennedy Center President, says, "We at the Kennedy Center are delighted to be a co-producer of Shear Madness, which has provided so much laughter for audiences all these years and will no doubt continue for years to come."

Now in its 15th year at the Kennedy Center, the show by Marilyn Abrams and Bruce Jordan holds the Guinness record as the longest-running play in the history of the American theatre; Shear Madness is currently in its 23rd year in Boston. The Kennedy Center cast — under the direction of Jordan — includes Brigid Cleary, Mark Brutsche, Joe Sampson, Leslie R. Hollander, Josh Thelin and Aaron Shields.

Shear Madness  plays the Kennedy Center Theater Lab Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 8 PM, Friday at 9 PM, Saturday at 6 and 9 PM and Sundays at 3:30 and 7:30 PM.  All tickets are priced at $32 and can be purchased at the Kennedy Center box office, through the Kennedy Center website at www.kennedy-center.org or by calling Instant-Charge at (202) 467-4600.  —By Andrew Gans