Get Lit benefit show in Culver City Nov. 20

Get Lit, a leading non-profit presenter of literary performance, education, and teen poetry programs, is hosting an extraordinary afternoon of poetry and performance to benefit poetry/literature programs at arts-deprived inner city Los Angeles schools, impacting the lives of over 10,000 Los Angeles-based teens. The event will occur on Sunday, November 20, 2011 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at The Actor’s Gang, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232.

The special afternoon of entertainment will feature an original poem written specifically for Get Lit by David Mamet and performed by Helen Mirren, as well as performances by Tim Robbins, Carol Muske-Dukes (California Poet Laureate), Jimmy Santiago Baca, Ned Colletti (Dodger GM, performing Casey At the Bat), Sekou Andrews, Jeff Perry (formerly on Nash Bridges), James Franco (via a special pre-recorded video message), and the organization’s own Get Lit Players/Literate members, all of whom are local teens.

As part of this unique and star-studded event, an auction will be held with the winner receiving a personal note and a copy of the poem from Mamet. General tickets are $200 and V.I.P. tickets (which include free parking, program recognition, and premiere seating) are $250.

Diane Lane started Get Lit in 2005. She was inspired by Chicano poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, who learned to read and write in maximum security prison and whom Lane played in a one person show (“Deep Sea Diving”) she wrote and performed. Lane eventually opened for Baca at detention centers, universities, and high schools across the American southwest. After receiving tremendous response and requests from students and teachers alike, Lane put together the Get Lit curriculum and started the program at multiple high schools in Los Angeles. Get Lit now affects the lives of over 10,000 teens each year.

“This afternoon of entertainment is extraordinarily special,” noted Lane. “Here we have some of the biggest and most respected names in the industry coming together to help benefit arts programs in inner city Los Angeles. There is no better way to enjoy outstanding performances, experience transformative poetry and literature, and to give back to the community at the same time,” she added.

To learn more about this extraordinary event or Get Lit, please call the ticket hotline at (310) 962-6696, or visit http://getlit.org.

About Get Lit – Words Ignite
Founded in 2005 in Los Angeles, Get Lit is a leading non-profit presenter of literary performance, education, and teen poetry programs. Get Lit uses the memorization and recitation of classic poetry as a launch pad for teen-created spoken word responses, fusing the two forms of expression into compelling performances, conducted by teens in school, after school, and through the organization’s own select group of Get Lit Players. These poet ambassadors from throughout Los Angeles perform both classic and spoken word poetry, inspiring fellow teens to read, write, participate in the arts, and be leaders in their community. Get Lit has reached over 15,000 at-risk teens in more than 45 high schools, turning students into motivated scholars inspired to stay in school and thrive. Learn more at http://getlit.org.