WordTheatre Taps Amber Tamblyn, Ben Schwartz, Ari Graynor To Read Pushcart Prize Winners

When Amber Tamblyn was introduced to Cedering Fox, she was caught completely unaware—because while Ms. Fox was undoubtedly familiar with the actor’s body of work, Ms. Tamblyn didn’t realize her new acquaintance was the daughter of one of her favorite poets, Siv Cedering.

They quickly connected, sparking a now seven-year partnership with Ms. Tamblyn—who is known for her roles in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “127 Hours”—performing during Ms. Fox’s annual WordTheatre reading, a celebration of short stories and poems published by The Pushcart Press.

Last Saturday’s performance at Guild Hall marked four decades of the Pushcart Prize—and a decade of readings at the East Hampton venue—and Ms. Tamblyn, appropriately, read a poem written by Ms. Fox’s mother, “Ukiyo-E.”

“When I first met Cedering, I was a big fan of her mother’s poetry, and didn’t know that they were related,” Ms. Tamblyn said, laughing, during a pre-show interview in the East Hampton green room. “This poem is really beautiful, and it sort of crescendos the night. So it’s really special that I can read it.”

According to Ms. Fox, all of the actors donate their time, not to mention their travel expenses, to honor the authors, who this year included Richard Bausch, Andre Dubus III, Peter Orner, Pamela Painter, Matthew Vollmer, Brian Doyle, David Means and Ms. Cedering.

Actors Carla Gugino, Chris McDonald, Vincent Piazza, Ari Graynor, Zach Grenier and Ben Schwartz also performed during the reading, which was kicked off by Sarah Wynter, whom audiences recognized from television dramas “24” and “Windfall.”

“I’m reading this really loaded and charged story this time,” she said before the performance. “It’s about a woman who receives a letter in the mail from an ex-lover and very, very complex feelings come out when she sees the writing.”

Ms. Graynor, who starred in “For a Good Time, Call …” entered the WordTheatre fold thanks to her friend, Ms. Tamblyn, and made her debut with “What They Did” by David Means.

“I did a cold reading of it without having read it before, and I was completely swept up in it,” she said. “It takes you on this sad and incredible, moving journey. People are going to need boxes of Kleenex.”

Together with Mr. Graynor, Ms. Tamblyn and Mr. Grenier read a three-header, “Map Readings,” by Mr. Bausch.

“In it, Ari is my girlfriend,” Ms. Tamblyn said with a smirk. “Zach and I read it, and there’s this [girlfriend] part, so Zach, Cedering and I thought it would be great if Ari read it.

“It works out perfectly because, in real life, Ari is my bottom,” she joked.

Just before the night closed, Ms. Fox welcomed Ms. Tamblyn on stage to wrap up the readings with an emotional introduction.

“My mother, who has won two Pushcart Prizes, died very young of pancreatic cancer, and my dad is in the audience tonight. This is very meaningful to me,” she said, holding back tears. “Amber Tamblyn, who is a great poet and force for contemporary poetry here in America, will read ‘Ukiyo-E’ written by my mother, Siv Cedering, that won the Pushcart Prize.”

Ms. Tamblyn's voice boomed from the John Drew Theater speakers, each word imbued with emotion. The final lines were met with deafening applause.

Hiroshige's landscape is so soft/What child, woman, would not want to go out/Into that dark, and be caught/And caught again, by you?/I want these pictures of the floating world/To go on, but when/The light begins to dim, catch me./Give me whatever a child imagines/To keep me aglow, then/Let me go."

For more information about the Pushcart Prize, visit pushcartprize.com.

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