Adam Driver to host play reading for Armed Forces

Actor Adam Driver is hosting a special reading of a play to benefit the Armed Forces in honour of Veterans Day (11Nov14).

The Girls star is the co-founder of Arts in the Armed Forces (AITAF), an organisation which stages performances for military personnel.

Ahead of the national holiday, Driver is hosting and co-producing a live reading of playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis' dark comedy Our Lady of 121st Street on Monday night (10Nov14).

Sam Gold, a Broadway stalwart who helmed the current production of The Real Thing featuring Ewan McGregor and Maggie Gyllenhaal, is directing the reading, with actors including Justin Long, Amy Ryan and Orange is the New Black star Samira Wiley included in the cast.

Driver tells Entertainment Weekly the cause is extremely close to his heart because he turned to the arts following a medical discharge from the Marines - a career move that changed his life forever.

He says, "Having been exposed to theatre in my post-military life, I know what a powerful tool for self-expression it can be. In my platoon, I often saw how violence came from those who couldn't express themselves and regretted that the people I served with weren't made aware that language can be as valuable a tool as the rifle on their shoulder. If people take nothing else from Monday's event other than that, I'll consider it a huge success."

Proceeds from the event will go towards the AITAF's upcoming holiday tour to US bases in Asia in December (14).