The Keen Company announces its 2017-2018 Season

The Obie Award-winning Keen Company has announced its upcoming 2017-2018 season under the banner of A Season of Connection, which will include two 25th Anniversary revivals: Keen's Artistic Director Jonathan Silverstein will direct Steven Dietz's Lonely Planet in the fall of 2017, followed by A.R. Gurney's Later Life in the spring of 2018. Both productions will be staged at Theatre Row's Clurman Theatre.

Mr. Silverstein released the following statement:

"I am thrilled to introduce Keen Company's 18th Season. This year we will present two very different stories about the ties that bind. This fall, Steven Dietz's landmark play Lonely Planet. Steven's play is a beautiful testament to the value of friendship during a time of crisis. In the spring, we will present A.R. Gurney's Later Life, our third Gurney play in Keen's history having previously produced The Dining Room in 2008 and The Old Boy in 2013. While we mourn the recent passing of our dear friend and collaborator, we are honored to be able to reunite with his deeply human characters in a story of lost love, told with Pete's singular theatrical flair."

Lonely Planet will begin performances on October 3, 2017, before officially opening on October 19, and will conclude its limited engagement on November 18, 2017.

Synopsis: "Lonely Planet is the story of friendship in a time of crisis. Set in a small map store on the oldest street in an American city, Lonely Planet is an intimate portrait of two friends at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Shop owner Jody becomes increasingly fearful of the world outside and the dangers it poses, refusing to leave his shop. Meanwhile Carl, his spirited friend, begins filling the store with a variety of mysterious chairs. Lonely Planet examines how we all navigate troubled times."

Later Life will begin previews on February 27, 2018, before officially opening on March 15, and will conclude its limited engagement on April 14, 2018.

Synopsis: "What would you do if you were given a second chance on love? In Later Life, a middle-aged man and woman meet at a cocktail party and ponder beginning the relationship that eluded them 30 years ago. While the pair rediscover each other and themselves, a bevy of delightful guests rally behind them. Later Life reminds us of the infinite possibilities in life just waiting to be pursued. A romantic tale of missed connections and hope for new beginnings."

Casting and creative team information for both productions will be released at a later date.