''Acting for a Cause'' is a live read series of classic plays and screenplays created, produced, directed and hosted by Brando Crawford. The script is typically announced days before the event alongside a playbill featuring the cast and an animation on

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

. The actors have one rehearsal ahead of time. Each reading is organized to raise money for charity. The readings garnered over 500,000 viewers between the first play read on March 27, 2020 and the last announced read on July 31, 2020. The series has featured young Hollywood actors such as Florence Pugh, Margaret Qualley, Ruby Rose,

Madelaine Petsch Madelaine Grobbelaar Petsch (born August 18, 1994) is an American actress and YouTuber. She is known for portraying Cheryl Blossom on The CW television series '' Riverdale'' and Marissa in '' F the Prom''. Early life Petsch was born on August ...

, Zazie Beetz, David Corenswet,

Jacob Elordi Jacob Elordi (born 26 June 1997) is an Australian actor. He is known for his roles as Noah Flynn in Netflix's The Kissing Booth (film series), ''The Kissing Booth'' teen film franchise and Nate Jacobs in the HBO series ''Euphoria (American TV s ...

, Natalia Dyer,

Corbin Bleu Corbin Bleu Reivers (; born February 21, 1989), known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor and singer. He made his acting debut in the 2004 adventure comedy film '' Catch That Kid''. He has since appeared in the Discovery Kids dr ...

, Julia Fox,

Tommy Dorfman Tommy Dorfman (born May 13, 1992) is an American actress, best known for playing Ryan Shaver in the Netflix series ''13 Reasons Why'' (2017). Early life and education Dorfman was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia to a Jewish family. He ...

, Madeline Brewer, Sophia Lillis, Wyatt Oleff, Cameron Monaghan. Recurring participants include

Auliʻi Cravalho Chloe Auliʻi Cravalho (; born November 22, 2000) is an American actress and singer who made her acting debut as the voice of the titular character in the 2016 Disney 3D computer-animated musical feature film '' Moana''. She went on to star in ...

, Brandon Flynn, Justice Smith, Alex Wolff, Ronen Rubinstein, Jessica Frances Dukes, Mason Alexander Park, Sydney Lemmon, and Xxavier Lavell. While Brando Crawford serves as director and producer for every reading. Alex Wolff co-produced the reading of "This is our Youth", and Xxavier Lavell co-directed the reading of "Hit the Wall". The reading series was a direct response to the pandemic and launched Brando Crawford's career as a director and producer.

Readings

Brando Crawford directs and reads the stage directions unless otherwise noted. Many of the actors play multiple supporting roles. Specific roles are stated only when information is known.

2020

March 27, 2020

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

'' by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

Directed and produced by Brando Crawford * Justice Smith as Jack * Alex Wolff as Algernon *

as Gwendolen * Jessica Frances Dukes as Cecily * Sarah Ramos as Lady Bracknell * Odessa Young as Lady Prism * Jessica Carlson as Lane * Brando Crawford as the Master of Ceremonies Note: This cast originally included

Diana Silvers Diana Margaret Silvers (born November 3, 1996) is an American actress and model, best known for playing Erin Naird in the comedy series '' Space Force'' (2020–2022). Early life Silvers was born in Los Angeles on November 3, 1996, the daug ...

but she was unavailable at the last minute.

April 10, 2020

'' This Is Our Youth'' by

Kenneth Lonergan Kenneth Lonergan (born October 16, 1962) is an American film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He is the co-writer of the film '' Gangs of New York'' (2002), and wrote and directed '' You Can Count on Me'' (2000), ''Margaret'' (2011), and ...

Directed and produced by Brando Crawford, co-produced by Alex Wolff * Florence Pugh as Jessica Goldman * Justice Smith as Dennis Ziegler * Alex Wolff as Warren Straub * Brando Crawford as the Master of Ceremonies

April 24, 2020

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...

'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

Directed and produced by Brando Crawford * Willa Fitzgerald as Hamlet * Brandon Flynn as Ophelia * Madeline Brewer as Claudius * Hari Nef as Polonius *

as Laertes * Ronen Rubinstein as Horatio * Mason Alexander Park as Rosencrantz * Christopher Collins as Guildenstern * Chandler Lovelle as King Hamlet's Ghost * Brando Crawford as Queen Gertrude and the Master of Ceremonies

May 1, 2020

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'' by William Shakespeare Directed and produced by Brando Crawford * Margaret Qualley as Juliet * David Corenswet as Romeo * Brandon Flynn as Mercutio * Skylar Astin as Tybalt * Michael Gandolfini as Benvolio *

Jackie Cruz Jackie Cruz (born August 8, 1986) is a Dominican–American actress, singer and former model. She is known for her role as Marisol "Flaca" Gonzales on the Netflix original series ''Orange Is the New Black''. Early life Born Jacqueline Chavez ...

as Lady Capulet * Kathryn Gallagher as Friar Lawrence * Erin Sanders as Nurse * Samuel H. Levine as Tybalt * Will Hochman as Lord Montague * Brando Crawford as Lord Capulet and the Master of Ceremonies

May 8, 2020

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...

'' by Jane Austen Directed and produced by Brando Crawford * Melissa Barrera as Elizabeth Bennet *

as Mr. Darcy *

as Jane Bennet * Sam Corlett as Mr. Bingley * Sydney Lemmon as Mrs. Bennet * Andy Allo as Kitty Bennet, Caroline Bingley * Katherine McNamara as Lydia Bennet * Lexi Underwood as Mary Bennet * Ronen Rubinstein as Mr. Collins * Daniel Newman as Mr. Wickham *

as Lady Catherine * Matthew Postlethwaite as Sir William * Brando Crawford as Mr. Bennet and Master of Ceremonies

May 15, 2020

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...

'' by

Charlotte Brontë Charlotte Brontë (, commonly ; 21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels became classics of English literature. She enlisted i ...

Directed and produced by Brando Crawford * Natalia Dyer as

* Alexander Hodge as Mr. Edward Rochester * Sophia Lillis as Helen Burns * Elle Loraine as Mrs. Fairfax * Sydney Lemmon as Bertha * Richard Ellis as St. John Rivers * Jessica Frances Dukes as Mrs. Reed *

Rudy Pankow Rudy Pankow () is an American actor. He stars as JJ Maybank on the Netflix teen drama series ''Outer Banks''. Early life Pankow was born and raised in Ketchikan, Alaska. He began his interest in acting and production in middle school via YouTube ...

as Brocklehurst * Brando Crawford as the Master of Ceremonies

May 22, 2020

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins V ...

'' by William Shakespeare Directed and produced by Brando Crawford * Ruby Rose as Viola * Brandon Thomas Lee as Duke Orsino *

Taylor Trensch Taylor Hunt Trensch (born May 3, 1989) is an American stage and film actor. Early life and education Trensch was born in Tampa, Florida. He began his education at Howard W. Blake High School in Tampa, Florida. He was an acting major and stud ...

as Sebastian * Froy Gutierrez as Sir Andrew Aguecheek *

Ben Levi Ross Benjamin Levi Ross (born January 15, 1998) is an American stage actor and singer. He is best known for his work in the Tony Award winning musical ''Dear Evan Hansen,'' where he played Evan, Connor and Jared (understudy) on Broadway and Evan in t ...

as Feste * Will Roland as Malvolio * Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Olivia * Nicole Kang as Maria * Brando Crawford as Sir Toby Belch and the Master of Ceremonies

June 23, 2020

''Hit the Wall'' by Ike Holter Directed and produced by Brando Crawford * Ryan Jamaal Swain as A-Gay * Angel Bismark Curiel as Newbie *

Daniel Kyri Daniel Kyri (born October 10, 1994) is an American actor, best known for portraying firefighter Darren Ritter on '' Chicago Fire''. Early life and education Kyri was born on October 10, 1994 and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. He performed ...

as Mika * Eve Lindley as Peg * Clark Moore as Cliff *

Dilone Janiece Altagracia Dilone (born May 13, 1994), known mononymously as Dilone, is an American model. She has been on the cover of Allure and is currently ranked one of the Top 50 models in the industry by models.com. Early life Dilone has nine si ...

as Roberta * Jan Luis Castellanos as Tano * Travis Bryant as Carson *

Imani Hakim Imani Hakim (born 1993) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Tonya Rock on the UPN/ CW sitcom ''Everybody Hates Chris'' as well as portraying Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas in the 2014 Lifetime original movie ''The Gabb ...

as Madeline * Xxavier Lavell as Narrator and Co-Director * Brando Crawford as the Cop and the Master of Ceremonies

June 30, 2020

'' Up in the Air'' by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner Directed and produced by Brando Crawford * Zazie Beetz as Natalie Keener (originally played by Anna Kendrick) * Pom Klementieff as Alex Goran (originally played by Vera Farmiga) * Michael Zegen as Ryan Bingham (originally played by

George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...

) *

as Craig Gregory (originally played by

Jason Bateman Jason Kent Bateman (born January 14, 1969) is an American actor, director and producer known for his roles of Michael Bluth in the Fox/Netflix sitcom '' Arrested Development'' and of Marty Byrde in the Netflix crime drama series '' Ozark'' (201 ...

) * Jessica Parker Kennedy as Kara Bingham (originally played by

Amy Morton Amy Morton (born April 3, 1959) is an American actress and director, best known for her work in theatre. Morton was nominated two times for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performances in ''August: Osage County'' and ''Who's Afrai ...

) * Benjamin Barrett as Jim Miller (originally played by Danny McBride) and Steve (originally played by

Zach Galifianakis Zachary Knight Galifianakis (born October 1, 1969) is an American actor and comedian. He appeared in '' Comedy Central Presents'' special and presented his show '' Late World with Zach'' on VH1. Galifianakis has starred in films including ''T ...

) * Mason Alexander Park as Bob (originally played by J. K. Simmons) and Maynard Finch (originally played by

Sam Elliott Samuel Pack Elliott (born August 9, 1944) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Board of Review Award, and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Aw ...

) * Zoey Burger as Julie Bingham (originally played by

Melanie Lynskey Melanie Jayne Lynskey ( ; born 16 May 1977) is a New Zealand actress widely known for her portrayals of complex women in several independent films and television shows and also known for her command of American dialects. Lynskey is the recipi ...

) * Brando Crawford as Master of Ceremonies

July 7, 2020

Ferris Bueller's Day Off ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' is a 1986 American teen comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes and co-produced by Tom Jacobson. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck with supporting roles by Jennifer G ...

'' by John Hughes Directed and produced by Brando Crawford * Cameron Monaghan as Ferris Bueller (originally played by

Matthew Broderick Matthew Broderick (born March 21, 1962) is an American actor. His roles include the Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of the title character in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), the voice of adult Simba in Disney's ''The Lion King'' (1994), ...

) * Brando Crawford as Cameron Frye (originally played by

Alan Ruck Alan Douglas Ruck (born July 1, 1956) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller's best friend, in John Hughes's film '' Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986); Stuart Bondek, a lecherous, power-hungry member o ...

) and as Boy in Police Station (originally played

Charlie Sheen Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Platoon'' (1986), ''Wall Street'' (1987), '' Young Guns'' (1988), '' The Rookie'' (1990), '' The Th ...

) *

Emeraude Toubia Emeraude Toubia (born March 1, 1989) is a Canadian-born American actress and model, who portrayed Isabelle Lightwood on the Freeform fantasy series ''Shadowhunters''. Of Mexican and Lebanese descent, she previously appeared on the Venevisión t ...

as Sloane Peterson (originally played by

Mia Sara Mia Sarapochiello (born June 19, 1967), known professionally as Mia Sara, is a retired American actress. She made her film debut as Princess Lili in the fantasy film ''Legend'' (1985), and had her breakthrough starring as Sloane Peterson in the ...

) * Charlie Weber as Rooney (originally played by Jeffrey Jones) and as Economics Teacher (originally played by Ben Stein) *

as Jeannie Bueller (originally played by Jennifer Grey) * Jeanine Mason as Grace (originally played by

Edie McClurg Edith Marie McClurg (born July 23, 1945) is an American actress and comedian. She has played supporting roles in the films ''Carrie'' (1976), ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), and ''Elvira: Mistress of the Dark'' (1988), and bit parts in ...

) * Xxavier Lavell as Narrator Note: This cast originally included Kelvin Harrison Jr. but he was unavailable at the last minute.

July 31, 2020

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict ...

'' by William Shakespeare Directed and produced by Brando Crawford * Brando Crawford as Bottom the Weaver, Egeus, and Master of Ceremonies *

as Puck (also plays Quince – this script has them being the same person; as if Puck has disguised himself as Quince entirely) * Julia Fox as Hippolyta (also plays Titania) *

Andrew Matarazzo Andrew Matarazzo (born March 4, 1997) is a Brazilian-American actor, best known for joining the cast of the MTV television series ''Teen Wolf'' in its final season. Early life Matarazzo was born in São Paulo, Brazil but raised mostly in Miami, F ...

as Theseus (also plays Oberon) *

Erinn Westbrook Erinn Veronica Westbrook is an American actress, singer, dancer and model. She is known for portraying Bree in ''Glee'', Gabby Richards in the MTV series ''Awkward'', and Magnolia Barnard in the Netflix series '' Insatiable''. As of 2022, she ...

as Hermia *

Pauline Chalamet Pauline Hope Chalamet (born January 25, 1992) is a French and American actress, writer and director. She made her feature film debut in Judd Apatow's comedy '' The King of Staten Island''. Chalamet stars in the HBO Max original comedy ''The Sex Li ...

as Helena *

Drew Starkey Drew Starkey is an American actor. He portrays Garrett Laughlin in the Simonverse films ''Love, Simon ''and ''The Hate U Give'', Rafe Cameron in the Netflix teen drama series ''Outer Banks'' and Hawkins in the VH1 series '' Scream: Resurrection ...

as Demetrius * Wyatt Oleff as Lysander * Lauren McCrostie as Mustardseed/Snug/Lion * Paris De Chantal Smith as Cobweb/Starveling/Moon and Philostrate * Alyssa Jirrels as Narrator/Snout/Wall * Ashleigh Morghan as Peaseblossom/Flute/Thisbe

Other events

On June 5, 2020, Brando Crawford, Xxavier Lavell, and Daniel Wilson uploaded the

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police brut ...

Manifesto on Acting for a Cause's YouTube channel unannounced, in place of a reading.

References

External links

* * {{COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Screenplays Charity events Cultural responses to the COVID-19 pandemic Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performing arts