Spotlights, a red carpet, and Hollywood celebrities were all on hand at Penn last night for the Philadelphia premiere of The Woodsman -- a new movie by the producer of Monster's Ball.
The movie's stars -- including leading actors Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Benjamin Bratt -- spent the evening rubbing shoulders with Philadelphia socialities and a few students at the Annenberg Center for Performing Arts screening.
"I was born here, so I know the campus pretty well," said Bacon, paying homage to his Philadelphia roots. "I think it's great. It's a great spot."
Penn's campus was chosen for the premiere because many cast members had ties to the city, according to Nicole Cashman, president of the public relations firm that orchestrated the screening. Several cast members -- including Bacon, Hannah Pilkes and rapper Eve -- are Philadelphia natives.
The movie -- in which Bacon plays a sex offender struggling to rejoin society -- also takes place in Philadelphia.
Tickets to the event ranged from $250 to $350, with the proceeds benefiting several nonprofit organizations, including Stop It Now, which works to prevent child abuse.
Penn students who were present said they were excited to see the famous faces on campus.
The event was "really crazy," College freshman Victoria Perez said. Perez works as an usher in the Annenberg Center and was lucky enough to catch the free showing of the movie.
"There were a lot of people. Everyone was really excited to see the show," she said.
Some attendees, however, were not as starstruck by the presence of famous faces.
"They all put on their pants the same as we do," said Rob Oder, a housekeeper for the Annenberg Center. "They just make a lot more money."
