At the auction, held at 6:30 PM, the donors can "purchase" a playwright, which will allow them to provide the first spark of inspiration for a play that the writer will complete in just a couple hours. Twelve plays will be performed at 9 PM by a company of twelve actors led by three directors.

The playwrights include Sarah Ruhl (The Clean House), Israel Horovitz (The Indian Wants the Bronx), Tanya Barfield (Blue Door), Sheila Callaghan (recent Susan Smith Blackburn Award winner for Dead City), Lucy Thurber (Stay), Marcus Gardley (dance of the holy ghosts), Michael Hollinger (Opus), Young Jean Lee (Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven) and Sung Rno (wave). Julia Jordan (Dark Yellow) will write a song with the composer Adam Gwon.

Hollinger and Callaghan will be writing from out of state and will email their commissions.

New Dramatists artistic director Todd London is the auctioneer, and actor-comedian Nancy Giles is the emcee.

Doors open at 6 PM. Dinner will be served between the auction and performance. Last year's benefit raised more than $59,000. New Dramatists, which won a special 2001 Tony honor, was founded in 1949 by playwright Michaela O'Hara with the mission of nurturing talented member playwrights.

New Dramatists is located in Manhattan at 424 West 44th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. For tickets, priced $100, call Jessica Sher at (212) 757-6960, ext. 21.