Screen and stage actress Shirley Knight will read the writings of Elizabeth Layton in a conjunction with a new exhibit of Layton’s drawings at the Lawrence Arts Center.

The event will be 7:30 p.m. Friday at the center, 940 N.H.

Knight, a native Kansan, was recently seen in two episodes of “Desperate Housewives.” Her recent television appearances have been on the shows “Law and Order,” “House” and “Ally McBeal.”

Layton became nationally known for her self-portrait drawings, which she credited to end a 30-year depression. Her one-person shows have been in more than 250 places across the country, including The Smithsonian.

Tickets for Knight’s performance will be available at the door for $20, and by calling the arts center at 843-2787.