Second Stage Theatre's 36th Season Announced

The Second Stage Theatre Company have announced two productions in its upcoming 36th Season. The first will be a new production of Terrence McNally's play Lips Together, Teeth Apart, which will run at the Tony Kiser Theatre from 07 October 2014. This will be followed by the world premiere of The Way We Get By by Neil LaBute in Summer 2015.

Founding Artistic Director of the Second Stage said of the announcement: "I'm proud to announce these two productions from writers I consider to be among the most important currently working in American theatre. 'Lips Together...' is one of Terrence's finest plays - I've wanted to mount a production for several years and I'm so pleased that both Terrence and Peter will be back at our theatre. I've long admired Neil LaBute's plays and I'm thrilled we are debuting one of his works at Second Stage - I know our audiences will embrace his powerful voice and this surprising and uncompromising new work."

Lips Together, Teeth Apart has not been produced in New York for over 23 years. This new production will be directed by Peter DuBois, who returns to Second Stage after directing previous productions of 'Becky Shaw', 'Trust', 'All New People' and 'Modern Terrorism'.

The play is set on Fire Island on the 4th of July Holiday. As a brother and sister and their spouses spend the weekend in a typical summer getaway, they are unable to enjoy themselves fully due to their prejudices and insecurities. Whilst the grill is fired up, the drinks are cold and the pool is open but no one is going in...

LaBute's play The Way We Get By is a play about "love and lust and the whole damn thing..." Both Beth and Doug have no problems in getting dates, and find themselves in an awkward situation after a drunken encounter at a wedding reception. As they wake up to face their action they are met with the rules of attraction, which leads them to consider how much they actually know about each other, and how far we should care what others think.

The Tony Kiser Theatre is an off-Broadway 296-seat theatre, designed by Rem Koolhaas. In 2002, Second Stage launched "Second Stage Theatre Uptown" series to showcase the work of up and coming artists at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre. The company have recently acquired the right to purchase Broadway's Helen Hayes Theatre which will help continue their work in the development and presentation of contemporary American theatrical productions.

- by Dom O'Hanlon