Carol Burnett and Marilu Henner headed the cast of the ensemble reading of the play, "Surviving Grace" Wednesday night.
They did it for US against Alzheimer's, a national advocacy group committed to stopping the disease by the year 2020.
The play is based on a real story of a daughter who becomes a caregiver for her mother when she's stricken with Alzheimer's.
"It's the sixth cause of death and it's the one that has absolutely no cure on the horizon," said Henner. "It's got such a minimal amount of funding, it's crazy. It's ridiculous that this is happening."
"Everybody's getting older and, you know, if they don't try harder to find a cure for Alzheimer's, think of what it's going to cost," said Burnett.
Also in the cast are Elliott Gould, Helen Reddy, Brian McNamara, Lou Gossett Jr. and Loni Anderson.
"I just want to be here to support everybody who's dealing with this. It's affecting my life, my friends," said Anderson.
Burnett said the story's writing and the message drew her to the project. Anderson also said the topic is something everyone can relate to, which makes for a compelling story.
"I'm all about Alzheimer's these days because I really want us to help find a cure," Henner said.
