Armed with just a wig and a barbie doll, Barbie Ann DeMarco Sanchez finds herself stranded -- far away from her beloved Neiman Marcus -- at an old diner in Texas. There she meets Persephone, daughter of the eatery's late owner, and Kenneth, a forgotten war hero. Ah, but then Barbie's sister shows up...

That's the premise of Lone Star Grace, a new play by Suzanne Bradbeer that opened Nov. 3 at Off-Broadway's Six Figures Theatre Company, where Bradbeer serves as co-artistic director. Author of Will O' The Wisp, Bradbeer is also currently serving as dramaturg on Signature Theatre's revival of Arthur Miller's The American Clock.

Directing Lone Star Grace is Linda Ames Key, producing director of Watermark Theatre. She's also worked at the Adirondack Theatre Festival and NYC's Miranda Theatre and Zena Group.

Lone Star Grace began previews Oct. 30 and runs to Nov. 16 at the Currican Theatre on West 29th St. Starring in the show are Rob Skolits, Gay Isaacs, Ellen Barker, and Julie Flanders as the stranded heroine. Lyricist and co-composer for the great but commercially unsuccessful musical group, October Project, Flanders also wrote and starred in the 1995 solo, Living In Pieces, at the now-defunct One Dream Theatre Off-Broadway.

Asked about the lead character, Flanders told Playbill On-Line what she liked most about Barbie was "her capacity for infinite forgiveness. I tried reading the character a few different ways, and that was the one that really worked. No matter what people do to her to hurt her, she finds a way to come back and forgive." Six Figures Theatre Company dedicates its work to plays that "attempt to dispel the multitude of cultural myths in our society surrounding `the fairer sex.'" Previous mountings include Alabama Rain and The Adding Machine, the latter directed by Key.

For tickets and information on Lone Star Grace at the Currican Theatre, call (212) 696-8931.

-- By David Lefkowitz