On Thursday, May 22, Roust Theatre Company hosts a special
performance of its 20th Anniversary production of Lee Blessing's TWO
ROOMS -- a penetrating political drama about hostage-taking, the
story-hungry press, and the staggering ineptitude of government which,
despite the twenty intervening years, remains frighteningly relevant
-- to benefit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) at The
Gene Frankel Theatre (24 Bond Street) in Manhattan.

In addition to the performance of TWO ROOMS, the May 22nd benefit
includes a wine reception and post-show talkback with the cast and
creative team, director James Phillip Gates, and special guest IAVA
Executive Director and Founder Paul Rieckhoff, who is also the author
of the controversial book "Chasing Ghosts: A Soldier's Fight for
America from Baghdad to Washington."

"Roust strongly believes in the work the IAVA does on behalf of
veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan," says Mr. Gates,
Artistic Director of Roust Theatre Company. "It is our goal to
generate as much awareness and funds as possible to help IAVA address
the most urgent issues facing these returning troops."

Founded in June 2004 by Mr. Rieckhoff -- who served a tour of duty in
Iraq as a 1st Lieutenant and Infantry Platoon Leader and continues to
serve his country in the New York Army National Guard -- Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is a nonprofit, non-partisan
veterans' education and advocacy organization. The first and largest
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans group in America, IAVA has thousands of
active member veterans and more than 80,000 grassroots supporters
nationwide.

IAVA's mission is to improve the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan
veterans and their families. IAVA addresses critical issues facing new
veterans and their families, including mental health, Traumatic Brain
Injury, a stretched Veterans Affairs system, inadequate health
coverage for national guardsmen and reservists, and outdated GI Bill
educational benefits. For additional information about IAVA, visit
www.iava.org.

In Lee Blessing's TWO ROOMS, a single playing space serves as window
onto the separate lives of Michael, an American hostage being held by
Arab terrorists, and his wife, Lainie, in their attempts to reconnect
with one another, and as a setting for Laine's conversations with an
exploitive, ambitious young reporter in search of an exclusive and a
emotionally detached representative from the State Department.
Eventually, a frustrated and distraught wife, exhausted from "keeping
hope alive," talks to the press -- with catastrophic results.

TWO ROOMS stars Tori Davis, Garrett Lee Hendricks, Tracy Hostmyer and
Joe Osheroff. The production features set design by Casey Smith and
lighting design by Kryssy Wright.

Lee Blessing's TWO ROOMS runs May 8-31 at The Gene Frankel Theatre
(24 Bond Street, between Lafayette and Bowery). Wednesdays-Saturdays
at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm (with the following exceptions: no performance
Wednesday, May 28). General admission tickets are $18. Tickets to the
IAVA Benefit Performance of TWO ROOMS on Thursday, May 22 at 8pm are
$60. For reservations, call 212-868-4444 or online at
www.SmartTix.com. For additional details, visit www.RoustTC.com.