Contacts:
Rebecca Baker, SPJ National President, 203-640-3904, rbaker@spj.org
Jennifer Royer, SPJ Communications Strategist, 317-361-4134, jroyer@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS --- National President Rebecca Baker will represent the Society of Professional Journalists at a special, one-night-only reading of "All The President’s Men," at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, Jan. 27. Donations made at and leading up to the event will benefit SPJ.

Bradley Whitford (“The Post,” “Get Out,” “The West Wing”), Joshua Malina (“Scandal,” “The West Wing”), Richard Schiff (“The Good Doctor,” “The West Wing"),
Ed Begley, Jr. (“Future Man,” “St. Elsewhere,” “The West Wing”) and Jeff Perry ("Scandal," "My So-Called Life") will head the cast of a special, one-night-only reading of William Goldman’s screenplay for “All The President’s Men,” presented by the award-winning Fountain Theatre in partnership with the City of Los Angeles and with exclusive permission from Warner Bros Entertainment and Simon & Schuster.

The free event will be hosted by Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell and will be at 7:30 p.m. PST Jan. 27 in the John Ferraro Council Chamber of Los Angeles City Hall. A catered reception will follow in the City Hall Rotunda.

“We’re grateful to Councilman O’Farrell, the event’s organizers and the actors for recognizing the importance of a free press and hosting this fun, creative and important event to support it,” Baker said.

“SPJ relies heavily on people willing to fight for the First Amendment through donations or by joining the Society as members. Their support makes it possible for SPJ to continue helping journalists who are wrongfully arrested, training journalists of all ages and educating the public about solid, ethical journalism through the SPJ Code of Ethics,” she said.

Based on the book by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the 1976 film tells the story of their Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation of the Watergate scandal, which brought down the presidency of Richard M. Nixon.

"This high-profile reading will be a statement asserting the First Amendment, advocating freedom of the press and honoring the tenacity of American journalism in a free society," said Fountain Theatre co-artistic director Stephen Sachs, who will direct the reading. "As the current administration is under investigation, the echo of Watergate rings loud and clear. Reporters from The New York Times and [The] Washington Post have been heroes, warriors for our democracy, as they were forty-five years ago."

"All the President's Men is a reminder of the parallels between Richard Nixon and the corruption that brought his presidency to an end and the current state of corruption overshadowing the Donald Trump administration. I want to thank the Fountain Theatre for producing this live reading, which underscores the importance of art in its many forms that can illuminate the conditions that affect us as a nation and as a society," O’Farrell added.

The Fountain Theatre is one of the most successful intimate theaters in Los Angeles, providing a creative home for multi-ethnic theater and dance artists. The Fountain has won over 225 awards, and Fountain projects have been seen across the U.S. and internationally.

Admission for the event is free; however, seating is extremely limited. Please go to www.FountainFreePress.com or
emailfreepress@fountaintheatre.com to inquire about reservations. Due to high security at the venue, no walk-ups will be permitted.

Those who cannot attend but would like to donate may do so here.

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund, or give to the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation.

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