Making the most of one shot at glory

DIRECTOR Ricka Fisher and actresses Andrea Martin, Ari Graynor and Juanita Jennings probably would not call themselves “women of courage” for participating in a one-night-only performance.

But it’s safe to say it takes some nerve to do just that in “Women of Courage,” a staged reading that opens -- and closes -- tonight at the Los Angeles Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium. And the only rehearsal takes place today, before the show.

The piece is based on Katherine Martin’s books “Women of Courage” and “Women of Spirit,” interviews with women who’ve faced some of life’s toughest challenges. Fisher says that, for a director, a one-night event requires as much preparation as a long run. “You want to give the audience the excitement and thrill of seeing a professional production,” she says. Fisher hopes, however, the show will have an extended life, becoming a theatrical franchise in the tradition of “The Vagina Monologues.”

For the actors, a one-night stand is both easier and more difficult. You get to skip the traditional weeks of rehearsal. On the other hand, there’s something a little unnerving about meeting the rest of the team mere hours before curtain time. “You’ve done all this preparation, but it’s terrifying to get up in front of a director four hours before the show and say: ‘This is what I’ve done, I hope you like it,’ ” Graynor says.

Andrea Martin says that, for a staged reading, an actor spends almost as much time preparing as for a role performed from memory. “You could just show up, but what is the point of that?” she says.

Martin notes that a unique energy permeates a one-night performance but adds that she chose “Women of Courage” because of the message, not the adrenalin. “If that’s what I wanted, I’d go down to the Comedy Store and do stand-up,” she says. “You try to put meaning to the celebrity status by lending your name to something that can be educational, informative and heart-wrenching.”

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‘Women of Courage’

Where: Los Angeles Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium

When: Tonight at 7; free

Info: www.peoplewhodare.com or Facing History Exhibition, (626) 744-1177, Ext. 25