The Center at West Park will present a one-night-only staged reading of the 1983 classic “The Big Chill” on Monday, August 31, at Guild Hall in East Hampton. The performance will have a single showing followed by a talkback with the cast and creative team.
From director David Saint, the staged reading brings to life “The Big Chill,” the 1983 film written by Lawrence Kasdan and Barbara Benedek, nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture and awarded the TIFF People’s Choice Award. The film was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2025.
The cast is led by Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei, Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick, Emmy Award-winning Actress Ayo Edebiri, Emmy Award-nominated Actress Amy Brenneman, Actor Spencer Garrett, Drama Desk Award winner Frederick Weller, Actress Ilana Levine, and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams.
The staged reading is produced by Julianne Hoffenberg alongside Debby Hirshman, Executive Director of The Center at West Park, and Madelyn Paquette, Resident Producer at The Center at West Park.
The event continues CWP’s annual summer tradition at Guild Hall, following last year’s staged reading of “All the President’s Men,” which featured Alec Baldwin, Andy Cohen, Maddie Corman, Robert Downey Jr., Corey Hawkins, Nathan Lane, Kenneth Lonergan, Julianne Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Wendell Pierce, Mark Ruffalo, J. Smith-Cameron, Jumaane D. Williams, and Ramy Youssef.
“It’s a tremendous privilege for The Center at West Park to serve audiences across New York and to continue our summer performance tradition in East Hampton at Guild Hall,” said Debby Hirshman, Executive Director of The Center at West Park. “After the incredible response to last summer’s staged reading of ‘All the President’s Men,’ we’re thrilled to return with ‘The Big Chill’ — a timeless film whose humor, heart, and unforgettable characters continue to resonate. We’re especially excited to welcome an extraordinary cast, including Marisa Tomei, Matthew Broderick, Amy Brenneman, Spencer Garrett, Frederick Weller, Ilana Levine, and Jumaane D. Williams. We look forward to sharing another unforgettable evening of storytelling with audiences at Guild Hall.”
Tickets for the one-night-only performance range from $1,000 to $10,000 and are available now at centeratwestpark.org/big-chill.