Benny Scheckner, who will produce the event along with Dave Hensley and Sean Perrotta, said in a statement, "We know now that free speech isn't just inherent to being an American, it's something we need to fight for. We hope that people come away from the read feeling empowered, and ready to start taking a more active role in the upholding of free speech."
In the wake of the Sony hack, which released various documents as well as the film remake of "Annie," several versions of "The Interview" screenplay have surfaced online. The film, which centers on a journalist charged by the CIA to kill the North Korean political leader, stars Seth Rogen and James Franco.
Producers plan to use as close to a final draft of the script as possible.
The Treehouse Theater will present the reading Dec. 27 at 7 PM. The event will be presented on a first-come, first-served basis.
The cast of the reading will include performers from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, including Frank Garcia Hejl as Aaron (the Seth Rogen role), Jon Bershad as Dave (the James Franco role) and Kate Riley as Agent Lacey (the Lizzy Caplan role). At 9:30 PM, the Treehouse Theater also plans to present Fuck You Kim Jong Un! A Comedy Show to Benefit the People of North Korea featuring Jaime Lutz as Sony executive Amy Pascal in a satirical piece about the Sony hacking scandal. Tickets are $5 and all proceeds will go to Human Rights Watch.
For further information visit treehousetheaternyc.com. The TreeHouse Theater is located at 154 W 29th St in Manhattan.