12/08/2007

Write Aid - A Benefit Concert

Marti Noxon, Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin and the United Showrunner Committee cordially invite you to attend

WRITE AID

A Benefit Concert to Provide Assistance to Industry Employees Affected by the WGA Strike

Performers currently scheduled:
Eddie Izzard
Lewis Black
Patton Oswalt
Sarah Silverman
Tenacious D (Jack Black & Kyle Gass)

ONE NIGHT ONLY!
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14th at 8 p.m.
ROYCE HALL at UCLA

Tickets - $75 per person
Tickets can be purchased by visiting UCLAlive.org
Or calling (310) 825-2101
Or by contactingTicketmaster

Tickets also available in person at the UCLA Central Ticket Office, (southwest corner of the James West Alumni Center,) and at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Write Aid is presented by members of the Writers Guild of America West, the Screen Actors Guild and West Beth Entertainment.

The idea originated with the United Showrunners Committee who wanted a way to reach out to the Industry community during the strike. Dawn and Nicole, Executive Producers of “The Riches” approached star Eddie Izzard. “I wanted to help because the WGA struggle is in the same area as the SAG struggle will be in a few months time.” Izzard said. “We will also be negotiating over Internet residuals, so doing the benefit seemed like a good way of helping out and showing solidarity.”

“A small group of writers and performers came together recently in the hopes of reconfirming our solidarity, as well as raising spirits and money as the Holidays fast approach,” explains Marti Noxon, Executive Producer and Showrunner of the series “Private Practice.”

For 30 years WestBeth Entertainment, led by President Arnold Engelman, has produced critically acclaimed work in live entertainment. Productions have included the sold-out national tours of Eddie Izzard’s Dress to Kill, Circle and Sexie; Billy Connolly’s Too Old to Die Young (North American Tour); Lewis Black’s Nothing’s Sacred (Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall) and Red, White and Screwed (NY City Center); The Family Guy Live (NY, Los Angeles, Chicago) and Wigfield featuring Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello (Off-Broadway, National Tour); WestBeth recently produced Margaret Cho’s The Sensuous Woman in New York and Eric Idle’s play What About Dick? in Los Angeles.

A block of discount tickets for entertainment union members in need will be available Monday, December 10th. Details to follow on Monday.

14 comments:

Occasional Showrunner said...

Sounds like a great show and a good cause. Thanks to everyone involved for setting this up.

dsforz said...

you going to give money to the thousands of IATSE, TEAMSTERS and IBEW fellow union members that are being put out of work because of your strike? Or is the money going to go to your fellow writers that are getting paid in residuals anyway?

Captain Obvious said...

I'm a writer and I'm not being paid residuals. Amazing how that works.


As for your concerns; the post seemed self-explanatory to me.

Hollywood Ninja said...

It ain't obvious captain.

Skyfleur said...

Actually, the post is perfectly clear.
A Benefit Concert to Provide Assistance to Industry Employees Affected by the WGA Strike

It shows some bad faith on your part not to read it properly. The WGA has a strike fund for their own members. They don't need more assistance. If they were going to do a concert for their own strike fund, they would have said A Benefit Concert to Provide Assistance to writers.

They can use their strike fund, unlike the other unions which can't use their own strike fund since they're not on strike. They're trying to raise more money for non WGA members besides the pencils2mediamoguls campaign, the strike swag etc. Stop the bad faith it's getting on everyone's nerves and it reflects badly on everyone, whether you realize it or not.

Praynhippie said...

I AM SICK TO MY STOMACH,THERE IS NO TOY DRIVE, "DIRECTLY" FOR NON WRITING STRIKERS KIDS AND TEENS. MY BLOGS ARE ON THIS," http://praynhippie.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-toys-and-union-workers.html
or Praynhippie,here at Blogger. P.S. YOU MADE AUNT DONA CRY BEING SO HARSH. CREATIVE PEOPLE TEND TO CARE AND RESPECT OTHERS' DILEMAS! MAKE IT UP TOME AND READ MY BLOG1

Praynhippie said...

Okay, here's one idea I have. If any more of these charity things are done before Christmas, where there's 2 0r 3 days notice, Everyone should be asked to bring a toy , a gift for a tween, or a teen, TO "GO DIRECTLY TO STRIKE FAMILIES"...

here's my problem with the fire department toy drive I respect--it is not "aimed at strike strugglers". with the fires, how much can they stretch? I'm working hard to blog and think of ideas for toys for industry employees kids. Everybody, put on your thinking caps, or Christmas caps. You can't save the world, but I'd settle for 3 people at this point!

MY BLOG ON THE STRIKE AND KIDS AND CHRISTMAS IS UNDER THE USER NAME,PRAYNHIPPIE. CRAP,I COULDN'T LINK!

Unknown said...

I've never posted a comment before, but praynhippie, I need to let you in on something. The kids you're talking about already have toys. What they need for Chrismas is for their dads and moms not to lose the homes and lives they've worked so hard to build over their loyal years of industry employment. The businesses affiliated with the industry need to not have to lay off employees...at Christmas, or any time. Working families are being affected by this strike and toys for Christmas won't fix that. Unions are part of the fiber of this country, and fair distribution of profit should be an American ideal to promote personal and business strength. Honestly, after so many billions, it's all just holiday toys to the studios anyway!
UP THE UNION!!!

local 705 said...

I think this benefit concert is a wonderful idea. My question is how do non WGA crew affected by this strike apply for benefits should they need to?

Fortez007 said...

Bad faith? It was an honest question on Hollywood Ninjas part. It's not obvious or clear. And who designates who the relief goes to? I'm an A.D. out of work? Will I see any of the relief? Or better yet, how about the 4 p.a.'s that work under me that have to sacrifice a good christmas just so they can make the rent this month? Will they see any relief? I think not. I love how they always do these benefits and the money always goes to the same people that are causing the problems. None to those that really need it. Deliver a rent check or a christmas dinner to any one of my p.a.'s in need, and I'll come out and volunteer myself for the cause. Until then, gime us break with your self rightous b.s... Let's get back to work.

texi said...

we are going to the benefit. my husband is an out of work crew member (set lighting). this strike is hitting us very hard - just like eveyone else. how do we apply for "aid" or "relief" or "assistance" or whatever - from the fund this event is benifitting? i can't find info answering this question anywhere.

and writers - we were on your side 100% but now its starting to look like you are not actually willing to get this resolved at all. "reasonableness" seemed on your side - now you're looking mighty unreasonable. i hope you're getting good advice and counsel. i realize we don't know the inside story - but from the outside you're not looking so hot.

Praynhippie said...

ROCHELLE HAS ASKED ME IF I REALIZE MOMS AND DADS ARE LOOSING HOUSES. I DO! CAN I ASK THE AVERAGE PERSON IN LOS ANGELES OR NEW YORK TO PAY YOUR MORTGAGE?OFCOURSE,NOT. CAN I ASK PEOPLE TO DONATE A HOILDAY GIFT IF THEY SEE STRIKERS? I DID? DON'T WORRY-- I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS GOING GET EVEN ONE TOY AT MY SUGGESTION. BY SAYING KIDS OF UNION WORKERS HAVE TOO MANY TOYS MAKES THEM SEEM AS SPOILED AS PARIS HILTON. I BET THEIR GOOD KIDS.I ONLY WANTED A COUPLE MORE KIDS TO HAVE A CHRISTMAS PRESENT IN THIS HARD TIME ECONOMY.

IS IT NOT OBVIOUS? THE STRIKE WAS NEVER GOING TO END AT CHRISTMAS BY THE POWER MOGULS? LOYALTY? THE FUTURE? STUDIOS ARE GONNA "USE" THE WRITERS AS THEIR LITTLE EXCUSE TO GET INEXPERIENCED PEOPLE FOR A FOURTH OF THE PRICE TO SCAB NONWRITING ESSENTIAL JOBS. YOU BLAME THE WRITERS. THEY ALSO WILL GET SCABS FOR WRITERS. IT HAD HAPPENED TO MY FATHER AT TVA IN THE 1980'S. SUDDENLY--THEY COULDN'T AFFORD UNION JANITORS WITH EXPERIENCE. THINK ABOUT IT.IHAVE NOTICED SOMETHING ABOUT HOUSES. THE BIG WIGS ARE NOT WORRIED EXPERINCED WORKERS WILLL LEAVE LOS ANGELE SOR NEW YOR KBY LOOSING THEIR HOMES. THEY CUT SALARIES EARLY. SCAB SET DESIGNERS AND MOVERS HAVE A FUTURE IF THE WRITERS ARE NOT SUPPORTED INSTEAD OF THE STUDIOS. THEY DON'T LOVE NONWRITERS ANYMORE THAN THE WRITERS.IT'S COLD,HARD MONEY.YOU CAN STOP BEING IN A SNOT OVER ME,BEING A WGA MEMBER OR A STUDIO WORKER.I AM AN INDEPENDENT,NON PAID VIDEOBLOGGER.JUST LIKE WGA WRITERS WILL BE SOME DAy! I AM JOKING WGA WRITERS!

Praynhippie said...

THE REASON I CARED ABOUT TOYS FOR KIDS, AND TWEENS, WHEN I WAS A CHILD,(8), MY MOVIE STAR BEAUTIFUL MOTHER WORKED 18 TO 20 HOURS A DAY TO SAVE OUR LAND, WHERE WE FARMED. MY DAD WORKED AN 8HOUR JOB AND DROVE HOME AN HOUR EVERY NIGHT AT UNSAFE MIDNIGHT TO GET THE OVERTIME. MY STOMACH HURT 24 HOURS A DAY, AS I SAW WE WERE GOING TO LOOSE OUR MORTGAGE STRUGGLE, WE LOST ALL THE LAND, (NOW WORTH A HALF A MILLION),THE FARM BUILDING,WORTH$75,000, AND 25% OF THE HOME MONEY,FOR A JOB WITH NO VACATION AND AN 18 HOUR A DAY...

I ASKED MY FAVORITE AUNT FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL BABY DOLL, WHO LIVED IN FRONT OF ME, BUT BECAUSE MY PARENTS WERE TOO ASHAMED TO ASK--MY TWO COUSINS GOT THE EXACT SAME DOLL FROM MY AUNT, ALL WRAPPED IN THE PRETTIEST PAPER I'D EVER SEEN AND HUGE BOWS. BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T THINK I NEEDED A TOY, MAYBE SHE THOUGHT I HAD TOYS, BIG DEAL. THE DOLL I HAD SO WANTED TO CUDDLE WELL,MY BRATTY COUSINS WITHIN 5 SECONDS HAD PULLED THE HAIR OUT, USED THEM AS WEAPONS BY SWINGING THEM AS GOLF CLUBS. THEY FINISHED BY HIDING THEM IN THE DIRTY CLOSET WHERE THEIR MOM HALFWAY HOME RETURNED TO RETRIEVE THEM AS THEY GAVE AN EF YOU THANK YOU TO MY AUNT. I NEVER FORGOT NOT BEING SPECIAL AT XMAS. OBVIOUSLY!

WE ATE 10 CENTS A CAN SPAM FOR A WHOLE YEAR AND ONE AFTER THAT.I WOULD HAVE LOVED A TURKEY OR HAM. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN POVERTY, NATIONALGUARD KIDS. ( I GUESS TEXICALI- GIRL AND ROCHELLE WOULD SAY I DIDN'T END THE WAR. PEOPLE OF KATRINA. I GUESS ROCHELLE AND TEXICALLIGIRL WOULD SAY, BUT I DIDN'T BUILD A HOUSE. A LOT OF TOY ORGANISATIONS COULD HAVE USED MY FREE VIDEOBLOG AND WRITTEN BLOG. TIME. I WORRY I WASTED TIME IN A COUNTRY WITH NATIONALGUARD AT WAR AND KATRINA HOSTAGES.PERHAPS, "MESELF" (I'M IRISH), CARING ABOUT STRIKERS KIDS AND XMAS WAS NOT IMPORTANT, BUT I'VE BEEN UNIMPORTANT BEFORE,AND SURVIVED.I STILL CARE ABOUT KIDS AND XMAS.

quip said...

What a load of crap that was. No Lewis Black and not even an explanation or even a comment that he wasn't going to be there. Instead, we were forced to endure Andy Dick - a guy's whose idea of comedy is 'Roses are red, violets are blue... penis.' This wasn't a comedy show, it was a cry for help. Eddie Izzard was the only funny thing all night, and unfortunately, it was a long night!