Paul Rudd and Julianna Margulies Will Star in a One-Night-Only Reading of Neil LaBute’s The Mercy Seat

Paul Rudd (Grace) and Emmy winner Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) will co-star in the one-night-only presentation of Neil LaBute’s acclaimed play The Mercy Seat. This special MCC Theater benefit reading will take place on June 17 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

The Mercy Seat is set on September 12, 2001. The twin towers are down and the world has changed overnight. Two people, a married man (believed to be among the victims of the tragedy) and his boss (and mistress) are holed up in her apartment contemplating their next move: return to their old lives or run away and start anew.

The Mercy Seat was originally produced in 2002 and marked one of the first collaborations between MCC Theater and their current Playwright-in-Residence LaBute. Since that time, the company and playwright have worked together on seven productions, including MCC’s upcoming production of LaBute’s Reasons to Be Happy.

Margulies is a MCC Theater board member, who last appeared on stage in their 2003 production of Intrigue with Faye. A celebrated TV star, she picked up Emmy Awards for her roles in the popular series ER and The Good Wife. Her other stage credits include Ten Unknowns, Festen and The Vagina Monologues.

Rudd made his Broadway debut in The Last Night of Ballyhoo, and has since starred in Twelfth Night, Three Days of Rain and Grace and The Shape of Things off-Broadway. Among his many film credits are This Is 40, Clueless, Romeo + Juliet, Wet Hot American Summer, The Shape of Things, Anchorman, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You Man, Our Idiot Brother and Role Models.