First Hartford Stage Performance of "Motherhood Out Loud"
to Benefit Haiti Disaster Relief

Hartford Stage will donate proceeds from the first preview performance of its upcoming world premiere production of Motherhood Out Loud to two charities providing disaster relief in Haiti.  The Reach Foundation and SOS Children's Villages will receive all funds from ticket sales for the Wednesday, February 24 7:30 performance.  All tickets for the benefit performance are priced at $25.

The Reach Foundation, which is collecting funds for the American Red Cross to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti, was established in 2000 by Mark and Wendy Wilson of Farmington, CT with the primary focus of helping children in need - physically, socially and financially.  The Reach Foundation works closely with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, YMCA, Girl Scouts, CCMC and other organizations that benefit children.

SOS Children's Villages was founded in 1949 in response to the needs of the many children left orphaned and abandoned after World War II.  The original concept is still working today, 60 years later, to provide children who have lost their parents or who are no longer able to live with them a loving home and a stable environment in which they can thrive.  The organization has Villages in 132 countries, including Haiti.

A loose chronological journey of motherhood, Motherhood Out Loud celebrates the very personal, diverse, funny, exciting, touching and altogether extraordinary experiences that boldly expose the unabashed truths that unite us all.  From stepmoms to single moms, immigrant moms to grandmothers, and new moms to empty nesters, Motherhood Out Loud reveals with illuminating insight (and humor), the raw emotions and rocky roads we travel in life.  Motherhood Out Loud is directed by Lisa Peterson (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) and features Tony Award winner Randy Graff, Academy Award nominee Amy Irving, James Lescene (The Mystery of Irma Vep, I Am My Own Wife) and April Yvette Thompson (A Raisin in the Sun).

For tickets and information, please call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151 or visit www.hartfordstage.org.  Hartford Stage has wheelchair accessible seating, assistive listening devices and other amenities.  The theatre is located at 50 Church Street in downtown Hartford with parking located in the MAT Garage, directly adjacent to the theatre. The theatre is easily accessible from I-84 and I-91.