Obie winner and Tony nominee Craig Lucas turns his pen from his recent dark thrillers to a comic struggle for civil rights and freedom from persecution in The Singing Forest, workshopping at A Contemporary Theatre Feb. 1-10. The Seattle venue hosts the developing work in the Allen Theatre, where ACT's artistic director Gordon Edelstein will direct.

In The Singing Forest, the struggle for civil freedoms becomes bound into the history of psychoanalysis. Lucas is the author of Stranger, The Dying Gaul, Blue Window, Prelude to a Kiss and Recklass. His latest play, a collaboration with David Schulner entitled The Thing of Darkness, will make its world premiere at Off-Broadway's Atlantic Theatre Company May 1.

The Singing Forest stars Laurence Ballard, Michael Black, Clayton Corzatte, Kevin Donovan, Kristin Flanders, Jay Goede, Daniel Gold, Zoaunne LeRoy and Marianne Owen.

Tickets are $10. A Contemporary Theatre is located at Kreielsheimer Place at the corner of 7th Avenue and Union Street in Seattle. For reservations, call (206) 292-7676. ACT is on the web at http://www.acttheatre.org.

— By Christine Ehren