Montblanc Presents the 4th Annual Production of THE 24 HOUR PLAYS in Los Angeles to Benefit Urban Arts Partnership

LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Montblanc and Urban Arts Partnership announced the highly anticipated return of THE 24 HOUR PLAYS, now in its fourth year in Los Angeles, on Friday, June 20, 2014.

Hollywood's finest will join forces to participate in this one-night-only live performance, produced by Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri of the Freestyle Picture Company and the 24 Hour Company. The entire creative process, from writing to directing and performing, will take place in just 24 hours.

Montblanc and Urban Arts Partnership are pleased to announce this year's event will feature (schedule pending): Actors: Alanis Morissette (Weeds), Alicia Witt (Justified), Andra Day (The Gap summerloves cover girl as Warner Bros artist), Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break), Ashley Fink (Glee), Constance Zimmer (House of Cards), David Krumholtz (This is the End), Danny Pudi (Community), Gavin Rossdale (Bling Ring), Gillian Jacobs (Community), Jason Ritter (Parenthood), John Cho (Star Trek), Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Judy Greer (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy), Kelly Osbourne (E! Fashion Police), Michael Ealy (Almost Human), Michelle Trachtenberg (Killing Kennedy), Ramon Rodriguez (Need for Speed), Retta (Parks and Recreation), Rosie Perez (Artistic Board Chair, The Counselor), Sasha Alexander (Rizzoli & Isles), Seth Green (Robot Chicken), Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect), Tracie Thoms (Annie) and Wilmer Valderrama (That 70's Show).

Writers: Ben Karlin (Emmy Award Winner for Colbert Report, Modern Family), Bill Wrubel (Emmy Award Winner for Modern Family, Will & Grace), Gabrielle Allan (Scrubs, What's Your Number?), Jenny Bicks (Emmy Award Winner for Sex and the City, The Big C), Jennifer Crittenden (Arrested Development, The New Adventures of Old Christine), LaToya Morgan (Shameless).

Directors: Edoardo Ponti (La Voice Umana), Fred Savage (Friends with Better Lives), Leigh Kilton Smith (Acting Coach to the stars), Rob Greenberg (How I Met Your Mother, Happy Endings)

Musical Talent: Andy Davis, a Nashville-based singer and guitarist who released the album Heartbreak Yellow in 2012, and Katie Stevens, a finalist in the ninth season of American Idol who stars on MTV's series Faking It!

Urban Arts Partnership is one of the nation's leading education organizations and works in 100 under-resourced public schools reaching more than 12,000 students annually to help them achieve better educational outcomes. "Our work in Los Angeles has more than doubled this year, in large part due to support from the LAUSD led by Superintendent John Deasy and The Los Angeles Fund for Public Education," said Philip Courtney, CEO, Urban Arts Partnership. "It is encouraging that industry leaders such as Montblanc are willing to invest in the future of underserved students by bringing the arts back into public schools' classrooms."

Over the years, Montblanc has helped raise over 2 million dollars for Urban Arts Partnership in New York City and Los Angeles. The proceeds from the event will benefit Urban Arts Partnership, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the intellectual, social and artistic development of underserved public school students through arts-integrated education programs to close the achievement gap. In addition, Kevyn Aucoin Beauty is the make-up sponsor for the evening.

The creative process of THE 24 HOUR PLAYS in Los Angeles will begin at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, 2014 when six writers, six directors, twenty-four actors, and a dedicated production team meet at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica. After the community of artists share a costume, a prop, his or her special skill set, each writer will compose a ten-minute play by 7 a.m. the following morning. By 9 a.m. directors will have selected their pieces and their cast will rehearse over the course of the day. At 8:00 p.m, ink barely dry, the six new plays – interspersed with musical acts – will be performed before a live audience. This celebration of theater will offer Los Angeles' audience a rare experience to witness the thrill of live theater and the talents of Hollywood's brightest stars.

This is the eighth year that Montblanc, the international luxury brand, will support THE 24 HOUR PLAYS BENEFITS FOR URBAN ARTS PARTNERSHIP, demonstrating their support of Arts and Culture. Their ongoing commitment to fostering emerging talent came to life when Montblanc held their 2^nd annual Young Auditioner's Program on May 12, 2014 and the two winners of the audition, who will be joining the cast line-up, are ArTES seniors Alexia Cardenas and Oskar Guzman.

Additionally, in April 2014, the premiere luxury maison celebrated the 90^th Anniversary of their iconic fountain pen, the Meisterstuck, and it launched the Meisterstuck Collection, a unique selection of sensual leather goods, meticulously crafted timepieces, refined jewelry and of course a new Meisterstuck featuring a limited-time only special nib. The iconic Meisterstuck has been an enduring symbol of the brand's values: writing culture, arts and celebrating innovative thinkers.

Tickets are already on sale at www.urbanarts.tix.com and exclusive access packages are available through https://www.citiprivatepass.com/.

For further information please contact:
Jason Wanamaker at Mission PR: 424.274.3223 or Email
Danielle Whitaker at Mission PR: 424.274.3223 or Email

Notes to Editors

About MONTBLANC - For over 100 years, Montblanc has embraced the traditions of lasting value and exquisite craftsmanship. The company's uncompromising principles of design, style, quality and workmanship have allowed them to create heirloom collections that are passed from generation to generation. The iconic Montblanc Star is a symbol of excellence – the pinnacle of luxury writing instruments, timepieces, jewelry and leather – and the brand has made an enduring commitment to encourage excellence through cultural advancement. Montblanc is pleased to partner with the 24 Hour Company and Urban Arts Partnership to bring arts and culture to the city's youth. www.montblanc.com

About THE 24 HOUR COMPANY- The 24 Hour Plays® is a long-running institution in New York and international theater, but its work is always fresh and new. Inspired by Scott McCloud's 24 Hour Comics, creator Tina Fallon intended The 24 Hour Plays® to be a one-time-only event when it debuted on Manhattan's Lower East Side in 1995. Eighteen years and thousands of plays and musicals later, The 24 Hour Company produces theses time-limited events, including "The 24 Hour Musicals" on Broadway and in cities all over the world. In New York, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, Florence, Dublin, and Athens, theater icons and newcomers alike regularly participate in what insiders call "the 2-4."

Through collaborations with organizations like London's Old Vic, The Del Sole Foundation, and Urban Arts Partnership, The 24 Hour Company also produces celebrity benefits that have raised millions of dollars for a variety of worthy causes. In 1997, The 24 Hour Company began licensing its trademark The 24 Hour Plays® along with the process, production handbook and other materials to select charitable and educational groups. Licensed affiliates have produced their own versions of it in regional and professional theaters, colleges, and universities and just about everywhere you can find a curtain and a stage. The 24 Hour Company's "The 24 Hour Musicals" were launched at Joe's Pub in 2009, and recently enjoyed their first international production at The Old Vic in London. 24 x 24: The 24 Hour Plays Anthology was published by Playscripts, Inc. in 2009. In 2013, the documentary One Night Stand about the 24 Hour Musicals - featuring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Rachel Dratch, Richard Kind and Cheyenne Jackson -premiered on hundreds of screens nationwide. http://www.24hourplays.com

About FREESTYLE PICTURE COMPANY- The founders of Freestyle, Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri, teamed up with the 24 Hour Company in 2001 to use the 24 Hour Plays concept in the creation of a truly unique sponsored benefit event. This partnership continues with this 14^th year of the event in NYC, and has also brought the event to LA. Freestyle is a TV and film production company based in LA.

About URBAN ARTS PARTNERSHIP - Urban Arts Partnership advances the intellectual, social and artistic development of underserved public school students through arts-integrated education programs to close the achievement gap. Through a dynamic range of programs including playwriting, theater, media, music, dance, spoken word, photography and the visual arts, Urban Arts Partnership empowers youth to develop the creative and analytic impulses that will serve them as students, professionals and responsible citizens. The 24 Hour Plays in the Schools runs throughout the academic year. www.urbanarts.org

#24HRLA

Press contact for Montblanc: Jason Wanamaker, Email, (o) 424.274.3223, (c) 310.923.6547l or Danielle Whitaker, Email, (o) 424.274.3223, (c) 626.375.6458

Press contact for Urban Arts Partnership: Chris Kanarick, Email, (o) 212.344.0333
Jill Ormand, Email, (o) 212.344.0333 or
Carolyn Zweifel, Email, (o) 323.822.4800

SOURCE Montblanc