The 24 Hour Plays coming to L.A., with some help from Jennifer Aniston

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The 24 Hour Plays have become an annual fixture of the Broadway scene, bringing together celebrities and playwrights in an all-day theatrical marathon to benefit charity. In June, the event will make its Los Angeles debut with a roster of stars scheduled to include Jennifer Aniston, Eva Mendes, Sam Rockwell, Zachary Levi and Rosie Perez.

Organizers said that the L.A. version of the 24 Hour Plays will take place June 18 at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. The event will begin the night before the show when six writers, six directors, 24 actors and more will convene at the Broad. Actors will come up with ideas before the dramatists begin composing the plays, which must be completed by 6 a.m. the next morning.

The actors will then rehearse for 12 hours before performing the six new plays for a live audience on June 18. The performance will benefit the Urban Arts Partnership, an organization that supports arts education in under-served schools. As in New York, the 24 Hour Plays are sponsored by the luxury brand Montblanc.

Also scheduled to participate in the L.A. production are Nia Vardalos, Seth Green, Kathy Najimy and Leslie Bibb. The full list of participating playwrights and actors will be announced later.

Aniston has participated in past versions of the 24 Hour Plays in New York, as have some of the other participants in the L.A. version.

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-- David Ng

Upper photo: Jennifer Aniston. Kevin Winter / Getty Images

Lower photo: The Broad Stage. Credit: Benny Chan / Fotoworks