"The Battle for Ulysses" tells the story of an American bookseller's struggle to publish a banned novel that became a literary classic: James Joyce's "Ulysses." Sylvia Beach moved to Paris, opened a bookstore, and was the first to stand up to censors to publish the novel. "The Battle for Ulysses" recounts Beach's personal tragedies, including the loss of her beloved bookstore and the six months she spent in a Nazi concentration camp rather than sell one of Joyce's novels to a member of the SS. It is a witty and passionate story of her tenacity and grace. Jayne Lyn Stahl adapted the play from a feature-length screenplay she wrote in 2001.

What: Staged reading of "The Battle of Ulysses" to benefit the ACLU Foundation of Southern California

When: Wednesday, April 18, 8 p.m.

Where: Odyssey Theatre Ensemble 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West L.A.

How Much: $35-$50

RSVP: (310) 477-2055 ext. 2

The reading is co-sponsored by Stanley K. Sheinbaum, Ed Asner, Danny Goldberg, and Linda and Arthur L. Carter. Proceeds support the ACLU Foundation of Southern California.