Danny Boyle will direct Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon, James McAvoy and Ewan McGregor for one night only on the US stage.
The cast will tell stories of children growing up in Rammulotsi, a small rural township in the Free State province of South Africa, in The Children’s Monologues.
Slumdog Millionaire filmmaker Boyle said: “These stories capture some extraordinary moments in the lives of these kids.
“There is something so powerful about their words – the simple humanity of them – that creates an intimate connection between each actor and the audience, across thousands of miles, across continents, race, age, income, and gender.
“The effect is to transport all of us in the theatre to the townships and into these children’s shoes. It is exactly what great theatre should do, move you to see something so far away from your own experience as if it’s right up close.”
The one-night-only benefit will take place at New York’s Carnegie Hall in November.
The monologues recount the stories of young people expressing personal and sometimes harrowing experiences in their own words.
Net proceeds will benefit African-based arts charity Dramatic Need and Carnegie Hall’s artistic, education, and social impact initiatives.
Lena Dunham and Trevor Noah are among the other star names taking part.
Amber Sainsbury, Dramatic Need’s founder and producer of The Children’s Monologues, said: “The ability to create, to express what you are going through, is a vital part of the human condition.
“For many of the children that Dramatic Need works with, there’s no recourse to self-expression except through violence or cycles of abuse and conflict from which it is difficult to escape.
“By helping kids in these remote areas access the arts, we invite them to tell their story and to be listened to. Through storytelling, they learn to express themselves, cope with difficult experiences, and empathise with others.”
Boyle previously directed The Children’s Monologues in London, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
