New York, NY – Joan Stein and Richard Frankel (Producers) announced today that the new theatrical event Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, which premieres in an open-ended engagement Off Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theatre this fall, will join with Tectonic Theater Project (Moisés Kaufman, Artistic Director; Greg Reiner, Executive Director) for Standing on Ceremony: The National Event, to help take the play’s message across the country (and the globe). For one night only, on Monday, November 7, curtains will rise on Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays across America and beyond as participating theaters everywhere present the play to raise awareness in support of marriage equality.

Marriage equality is an issue that transcends borders, and it’s vital that the message of Standing On Ceremony reaches far and wide. The event will raise money for local, state and national marriage equality organizations. The Off Broadway production of Standing On Ceremony will kick off its open-ended run with this special performance at 8:00 PM, which will feature an introduction before the play that will be streamed live to participating theatres across the globe. Audience members can also watch a live streaming post performance Q&A, and can participate regardless of their locale, by submitting questions via Twitter in real time. To date, more than 40 theatres and universities are confirmed to participate, in 25 states across America including: Texas, North Dakota, Florida, Kansas and Michigan, where both gay marriage and civil unions are banned; North Carolina, where the vote on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage was moved up to 2012; California, where gay marriage was legalized and then overturned by the passage of Proposition 8 in 2008; and many states where marriage equality is not yet a reality. Beyond America, theatres as far flung as Sydney, Australia will also participate, making this a truly international event.

At The Vineyard Playhouse, 24 Church Street in downtown Vineyard Haven, this special staged reading performance of Standing On Ceremony, directed by MJ Bruder Munafo, will begin at 8 pm. The cast of the staged reading will feature Playhouse actors and community members.

ABOUT STANDING ON CEREMONY
Conceived by Brian Shnipper and directed by Stuart Ross, Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays began as a series of benefit events in Los Angeles, taking on a life of their own as an inspiring theatrical evening. The show begins previews at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane) on Monday, November 7 with an official opening night set for Sunday, November 13.

As was established in Los Angeles, a portion of each ticket purchased to every performance of Standing On Ceremony will be donated to marriage equality organizations. Responding to one of the defining issues of our day -- the on-going battle for marriage equality throughout the United States -- some of America’s most illustrious and Award-winning playwrights, including Obie Award winner Mo Gaffney, Heideman Award winner Jordan Harrison, Edgar Award winner Jeffrey Hatcher, Tony Award nominee Moisés Kaufman, Tony Award nominee Neil LaBute, Sundance Jury Prize winner Wendy MacLeod, Obie Award winner José Rivera, Obie and Outer Critics Circle Award winner Paul Rudnick, and Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Doug Wright, have created a heartfelt, funny and altogether illuminating evening that celebrates the courage to be in a relationship – any relationship.