Hiroshima anniversary reading of Atomic Bill set for Bellport

South Country Peace Group will present a one-night-only staged reading of the award-winning play ATOMIC BILL AND THE PAYMENT DUE on Aug. 6 in Bellport, New York, to mark the 81st anniversary of Hiroshima. The free event includes a post-show discussion with playwright Libbe HaLevy and spotlights the play’s take on journalism, the Manhattan Project and the enduring human cost of nuclear weapons.

Why it matters: - The reading marks the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima with a public program centered on nuclear weapons history and its lasting consequences. - The event brings together 12 peace groups, adding community reach to a play that links the Manhattan Project to questions about truth, power and public memory. - The performance is free, which makes the commemoration accessible to a wider local audience.

What happened: - South Country Peace Group will present a one-night-only staged reading of ATOMIC BILL AND THE PAYMENT DUE on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at 6 p.m. at the Bellport Community Center in Bellport, New York. - The event includes a discussion with playwright Libbe HaLevy after the reading. - HaLevy will play the lead role of the podcaster for this special performance. - Journalist Karl Grossman will play himself for this one-night-only reading. - Tara L. Lydy, M.Ed., director and adjunct instructor in Wilmington College Theatre Dept., will direct the performance.

The details: - ATOMIC BILL AND THE PAYMENT DUE won the International Uranium Film Festival Special Script Award. - The play follows a woman podcaster whose investigation into a celebrated New York Times reporter embedded in the Manhattan Project becomes an obsession. - As the podcaster uncovers forgotten history, the story raises questions about journalism, ambition, power and the narrative around the birth of the Atomic Age. - The play draws on extensive historical research and argues that the human consequences of nuclear weapons remain relevant more than eight decades after Hiroshima. - Doors open at 5:45 p.m. - Admission is free and no reservation is required. - The venue is Bellport Community Center, 4 Bell Street, Village of Bellport, NY 11713. - The event is presented by South Country Peace Group, with Michelle Santantonio as chairperson. - Cosponsors include Back from the Brink, LI Alliance For Peaceful Alternatives, North Country Peace Group, Old South Haven Presbyterian Church, Veterans For Peace LI Chapter 138, Pax Christi LI, Peace Action NYS, LI Progressive Coalition and Pax Christi NYS. - HaLevy is the investigative journalist and host of the weekly podcast Nuclear Hotseat, now in its 16th year, and the website is Nuclear Hotseat. - HaLevy is also identified as a Three Mile Island survivor.

Between the lines: - The play uses a personal investigative frame to examine how major historical events get filtered through media narratives and what gets left out. - The Hiroshima anniversary gives the reading a political and moral context beyond theater, positioning the production as both remembrance and advocacy. - The mix of peace groups and local civic partners suggests the event is aimed at community organizing as much as cultural presentation. - HaLevy’s live appearance in the lead role turns the event into a one-time, creator-led performance rather than a standard staged reading.

What's next: - Audience members will stay after the reading for a discussion with HaLevy about the historical events behind the play and their current relevance. - The event also offers interview, photo and video opportunities, including coverage tied to the Hiroshima anniversary where permitted. - Media inquiries can be directed to South Country Peace Group at southcountrypeace@outlook.com or to HaLevy at AtomicBillPlay@gmail.com.

The bottom line: - Bellport’s Hiroshima anniversary reading turns an award-winning play into a local commemoration of nuclear history, journalism and the stories society chooses to remember.