Maria Mileaf (Going to St. Ives) stages the New York premiere of the work that began previews Oct. 3 and continues through Nov. 16.
Michael Cristofer and Laura Odeh join Lahti onstage in the three-character piece. (Lahti and Cristofer replaced originally announced performers Margaret Colin and David Rasche.)
"Who are we without our memories?," ask A Body of Water show notes. The drama begins as "Avis and Moss awake one morning in a house set in the forested hills above a picturesque body of water. The weather's great, the view's magnificent. However, neither of them seems to know whose house this is or who they are. Will the stranger at their doorstep be able to help?"
An Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner for her turn on television's "Chicago Hope," Lahti last appeared on the New York stage in 1990's Broadway run of The Heidi Chronicles. She appeared recently in another Wendy Wasserstein work, Third, at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse.
Cristofer (Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of The Shadow Box) appeared in the recent Shakespeare in the Park production of Romeo and Juliet and Off-Broadway's Trumpery. Odeh's credits include The Rivals, King Lear, Gaslight, Mrs. Warren's Profession and Moises Kaufman's 33 Varitations. The design team includes Neil Patel (set), Candice Donnelly (costumes), Jeff Croiter (lights) and Bart Fasbender (sound). The production stage manager is Larry Ash.
Playwright Blessing has also penned A Walk in the Woods, Going to St. Ives, Thief River and The Scottish Play, among others.
"Artist/Audience Talkbacks" will follow the performances on Oct. 16 and 23 for those in attendance.
Primary Stages' season continues with Daniel Jenkins and Robert Stanton's Love Child (now through Nov. 19), Donald Margulies' Shipwrecked! An Entertainment — The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (As Told By Himself) (Jan. 27-March 7, 2009) and Jane Alexander starring in the world premiere of Tina Howe's Chasing Manet (March 24-May 2, 2009).
Tickets for A Body of Water at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenue), are available by calling may (212) 279-4200. For more information visit the company's website at primarystages.org.
