Several theatre companies collaborated on the special event, which raised funds to directly support Japanese theatre artists affected by the "shinsai" or "great quake."
Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza) directed the 3 PM and 8 PM presentations that featured ten-minute plays and musical numbers from a host of Broadway and Japanese authors.
The event promised a newly adapted scene from Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Pacific Overtures (specifically tailored for the benefit), as well as works by Edward Albee, Shoki Kokami, Oriza Hirata, Richard Greenberg, John Guare, Kumiko Shinohara, John Kander, Fred Ebb and Joseph Stein, Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori, Nen Ishihara, Toshiki Okada, Toshiro Suzue and Yoji Sakate.
Original material by playwrights Philip Kan Gotanda, Richard Greenberg, Suzan-Lori-Parks, Naomi Iizuka and Doug Wright was also performed.
Participating in the event were two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone, Richard Thomas, Mary Beth Hurt, Jay O. Sanders, Henry Stram, Michi Barral, Cindy Cheung, Lisa Emery, Joel de la Fuente, Angel Desai, Ann Harada, Jennifer Ikeda, Paul Juhn, Peter Kim, Ken Leung, Li Jun Li, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Paolo Montalban, Olivia Oguma, Jon Norman Schneider, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Jade Wu, Jonny Wo, James Yaegashi and Stacey Yen.
