Melissa McCarthy and husband Ben Falcone are teaming up with actors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash to raise money for The Groundlings Theater and School in Hollywood.
McCarthy, Falcone, Rash and Faxon will host limited live informational classes on Zoom video chat, with registration proceeds benefitting The Groundlings, which shut its doors in late March and is one of many small venues nationwide facing financial pressures because of the pandemic. In April, improv house Upright Citizen’s Brigade closed its New York school and theater because the group couldn’t afford to keep the location open during the pandemic.
Rash is known for his work in the NBC sitcom “Community,” and Faxon has starred in films including “The Way Way Back” and “Downhill.”
McCarthy and Falcone are both alumni of The Groundlings. The two will teach a class called “Auditioning for Film and TV,” which will be held Thursday, May 14, from 6-8:30 p.m. PT. During the class, the couple will share their perspective of auditions from both in front of and behind the camera. The class is currently sold out and a waitlist is being formed.
Faxon, Rash and Falcone will team up for a second class on “Directing for the Screen,” which will take place Thursday, May 21, from 6-8:30 p.m. PT. Enrollment for the class begins Sunday, May 17, at 10 a.m. PT. The class is designed for early-career directors and actors and promises a “lively and candid discussion” about key elements of directing, including breaking in, running a set and collaborating with other artists.
Each class will be followed by a question-and-answer session. The online classes are available to participants around the globe, and people can sign up at The Groundlings website.