Actors, writers and directors will pull an all-nighter later this month to build entire plays from nothing, all in service of a cause that rarely gets this much star power behind it. The Hollywood Rush, a 24-hour theater challenge, returns to Los Angeles on September 27 at the historic Wilshire Ebell Theatre, with proceeds benefiting FosterMore, a nonprofit supporting young people who have experienced foster care.
The format is deceptively simple and famously grueling: writers are handed themes inspired by FosterMore the night before the show, then spend that entire night writing their plays, according to MyNewsLA.com. Directors join the writers the following morning to review the scripts, and actors rehearse throughout the day before taking the stage that same evening. By curtain time, the cast has had less than 24 hours with the material.
Confirmed participants for the 2026 lineup include Tony Hale, Adam Shankman, Ben Falcone, Rachael Harris, Gloria Calderón Kellett, Peter Paige, Annie Gonzalez, Adam Faison, Angel Parker, Erinn Hayes, Lucy DeVito, Kandyse McClure, Kat Foster and Zibby Allen, per the outlet's reporting. The lineup also includes Angelique Cabral, Ben Hollingsworth and Christopher Redman. Shankman is providing overall creative direction for the night, while each of the five to six original one-act plays gets its own director.
A Youth-Led Stage Alongside the Stars
Beyond the celebrity roster, the evening carries a youth-led component: participants from Kids In The Spotlight will develop original material for the stage alongside Hollywood Rush writers and directors, culminating in a performance led by those young people. The Los Angeles nonprofit was founded in 2009, according to LISC Los Angeles. The organization's model uses hands-on screenwriting and production training to help foster youth process trauma while building creative skills.
Zibby Allen, one of the event's creators, said the Hollywood Rush brings together writers, directors and actors and gives them a platform to use their talent to spark change, per the MyNewsLA report. The event is produced by NightKAP Entertainment alongside Allen and fellow event creators Kate DiRienzo-Payne and Jason Daley Kennedy, who built the format around overnight scriptwriting and same-day rehearsals ahead of an evening show, according to FosterMore.
Why the Money Matters for Foster Youth
FosterMore co-founder Jennifer Perry said stories can change hearts and minds, and separately said FosterMore helps young people who have experienced foster care thrive, according to MyNewsLA's account of the organizers' remarks.
The stakes behind the stagecraft are steep. Nearly one in four formerly fostered youth reported homelessness between ages 21 and 23, according to an analysis of federal data by the California Policy Lab. Los Angeles County alone accounts for over one-third of California's total foster population, with local agencies supporting more than 30,000 youth in out-of-home care, per Youth Emerging Stronger. Nationally, roughly 328,947 children were in foster care during fiscal year 2024, down from a peak of nearly 437,000 in 2017–2018, according to AFCARS data cited by Finally Family Homes — a decline that hasn't eased the demand for transition support once youth turn 18 or 21.
A Storied Stage for a One-Night Show
The Wilshire Ebell Theatre is the venue for the one-night show.
Doors and the red carpet open at 6 p.m. ahead of a 7 p.m. curtain on September 27, per the venue's Eventbrite listing. The 2026 edition has been rescheduled to September 27. Event information and tickets are available at fostermore.org/thehollywoodrush, and organizers have confirmed that all proceeds from the night will benefit FosterMore's work supporting young people who have experienced foster care.
