WGAEF “Godfather IV” Benefit at Primary Stages a Success

Godfather IV

On Sunday May 2nd, the Writers Guild of America, East Foundation and Primary Stages jointly hosted a one-day only, celebrity benefit reading of “Godfather IV,” written by Emmy award-winner and WGAE Foundation President Tom Fontana (“OZ”, “Homicide Life on the Street”). Held at Primary Stages’ 59E59 Theater, Linda Laundra directed the two-performance benefit which reunited the cast of “Oz” in a hilarious homage to The Godfather, filled with plentiful “Oz” references and show biz in-jokes for good measure.

Audiences packed the theater for both the afternoon and evening performances of the play which finds three actors from the HBO Series “OZ” sitting in a diner, talking about their careers and the works of various screen immortals. When one of the trio (Chris Meloni) attacks the plausibility of the Jack Woltz scene in the movie The Godfather, the other two (Lee Tergesen, Dean Winters) decide to “re-enact” the scene by sneaking a horse’s head into Meloni’s bed. Unexpected complications arise.

The stellar cast starred Christopher Meloni (“Law & Order SVU,” “OZ”), Lee Tergesen (HBO’s “Generation Kill,” “OZ”, “Desperate Housewives”), and Dean Winters (“Life on Mars,” “30 Rock,” “Rescue Me,” “OZ”), and featured Mike Doyle, Zeljko Ivanek, Terry Kinney, David Laundra, Kristin Rohde, Eamonn Walker, and Catherine Wolf, with a special appearance by Mr. Fontana, who appears in a play once every seven years to “remind [himself] how tough a job acting is.”

The event concluded Primary Stages’ 25th Anniversary season, and patrons were provided with WGAE Foundation brochures upon leaving. Proceeds from the reading will benefit both organizations.

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WGAEF “Godfather IV” Benefit at Primary Stages a Success