2011 - Montblanc Presents West Coast Debut Of The 24 Hour Plays - 18/06

Aleki! you have done an incedible work with all these HQs... wow!!!

Jennifer was on the stage !!!


she has the white dress (and she's barefoot xD)
too bad there aren't more pics of her on stage

adambrodyfan
adam brody acted with #grind costar jennifer morrison in 24 hour play.i wish again i have seen this

@TLeeLooLa
@jenmorrisonlive Lovely to see you ever so briefly Sat Night! you Killed it in the Play! Dinner soon, before we lose you to the "Couve" x
9 hours ago via web

Wild sexual antics, bear suits and chainsaws, that’s what theatergoers in Santa Monica got on Saturday night, July 18, as New York’s famed once-a-year theater experience called “The 24 Hour Plays” came West for the first time.

The conceit is simple, as the producers tell it: “a one of a kind theater experience where six short plays are written, rehearsed, directed and performed in a 24 hour period.” It’s the cause that’s complicated, as for the past ten years, the 24 Hour Plays have put on these special shows to benefit the Urban Arts Partnership, the organization devoted to
funding arts programs in public schools. Sponsored for the past five years by Montblanc, the all-for-charity hot ticket was $250, which included a pre-party, the show held at the Eli Broad Stage in Santa Monica and a star-studded after party at Pier 59.

It all went for a great cause, and where else can you see Eva Mendes dancing on stage in a pumpkin costume and Adam Brody spending quality time in a bear outfit? There was all that and more, during the show that Montblanc president and CEO Jan-Patrick Schmitz called “one of the most interesting and energetic things I have ever seen!”

Brody even joined the band, the alt-rock group the 88, dressed as the bear, doing a quick keyboard riff after cracking up the house in “Roar, a Love Story,” along with “How I Met Your Mother” beauty Jennifer Morrison, “30 Rock” jokester Jack McBrayer and “One Tree Hill” hottie Austin Nichols.

Hilarity reigned throughout the whole first half of the show, as morgue worker Saffron Burrows wielded a chainsaw while going after “Dr. Who” star Matt Smith, who happened to be dressed as Batman to Nick Swardson’s Robin. Their “Gotham Autopsy” skit was funny enough, but when the actors forgot their lines and Smith yelled to the audience, “Does anyone have Batman’s high concept tag line?” the crowd just lost it.

Going up on their lines is all in the day for the actors in the 24 Hour Plays, since the script had only been written the night before, and rehearsed once on the day of the show. It means the thespians have to really work hard, like they did in “Freak Flag,” as “Sex and the City” star David Eigenberg appropriately played the sex-crazed leader of a self-help group. The gals of “Community” (gorgeous Gillian Jacobs and Yvette Nicole Brown) played right up to his weakness, and, in a sight gag that brought the house down, the usually serious “Fantastic Four” star Ioan Gruffudd strutted on stage wearing just a bright yellow, itty bitty women’s bikini. The visuals were priceless, but as the organizers explained, no one will ever see it.

“This is only for us, no recording, no nothing,” production director Philip Naude insisted. “It is a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience art in its essence.”

Once the audience got re-lubricated on Svedka vodka and Chandon champagne at intermission it was time for more, as Sophia Bush, Zachary Levi, David Krumholtz and Saverio Guerra skewered Hollywood studio execs in “First Pitch.” But it was Nia Vardalos who stole that piece, as a gum-popping secretary without much to say but a lot of physical action.

“I couldn’t be at rehearsal today, so they let me do that walk-on,” Vardalos explained later. “I’ve done it on Broadway, too, so fun!”

Rosie Perez, Raven-Symone, Cam Gigandet, Andre Royo and Urban Arts scholarship winner Frank Turiano got more serious in “Father’s Day,” but then the big fun finale, “And Maybe Everyone Just Dances” brought the cheering crowd to their feet, as Eva Mendes wiggled around in that pumpkin costume, Leslie Bibb acted perky and Jenna Elfman and Amaury Nolasco pretended to be grumpy.

But there was no pretending at the after party, as everyone happily agreed that the 24 Hour Plays first foray into Hollywood (by way of Santa Monica) was a rousing success and then immediately began discussing next year’s show.

“It’s a great start to our next journey,” said Schmitz, the man who writes the Montblanc checks that help to keep the show going year after year. “We’re so happy to be helping to bring arts education to L.A.!”