A Tony winner for Next to Normal, Ripley will co-star opposite Breen (The Normal Heart, Next Fall) in a cast that also includes John Behlmann (The 39 Steps), Gideon Glick (Spring Awakening, Spider-Man), Jay Armstrong Johnson (8, Hair) and Daniel Stewart Sherman (A Streetcar Named Desire at Williamstown).

Trip Cullman (A Small Fire, Bachellorette) will direct the Nov. 3-Dec. 11 run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. It will officially open Off-Broadway Nov. 20.

According to MCC, "Matthew (Johnson) and Jacob (Glick) are an unlikely pair of friends. Matthew is a soccer star, full of brio and teenage swagger. Jacob is, well, not. Beneath the surface, though, the two are locked in an innocently erotic game of cat and mouse. When Matthew's reluctant father, Walter, (Breen) is wrangled by his wife Marsha (Ripley) into chaperoning the boys' trip to a wilderness scout camp, he finds himself drawn into their adolescent game. But Matthew has secretly decided just how far he's willing to go for his final act of scouting and everyone might do well to heed the scouts' motto: Be Prepared."

Wild Animals You Should Know  was previously developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference. Higgens works also include This Modern House, The Elephant Party and The Home Maker.

Visit mcctheater.org. The Lucille Lortel Theatre is located at 121 Christopher Street.