Manhattan Theatre Club celebrates the official opening of Eleanor Burgess' play The Niceties, directed by Kimberly Senior, October 25. The two-hander follows a discussion between an ambitious young black student at an elite East Coast university and her esteemed white professor who meet to discuss a paper about the American Revolution.

Performances of The Niceties began October 12 in The Studio at Stage II – Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Series at New York City Center.

The New York premiere stars Lisa Banes, seen on Broadway in Present Laughter and Arcadia, as Janine, alongside Jordan Boatman (The Path) as Zoe. Both liberal and intelligent, their conversation quickly turns to race and reputation, placing them in dangerous territory and facing implications that can’t be undone.

The production is presented in association with Huntington Theatre Company, where the play ran August 31–September 30, and McCarter Theatre Center, where it will be produced in January 2019.

The design team for The Niceties includes Cameron Anderson (scenic design), Kara Harmon (costume design), D.M. Wood (lighting design), and Elisheba Ittoop (sound design).

The Niceties was originally presented as part of MTC’s Ted Snowdon Reading Series in 2017.

For more information, visit ManhattanTheatreClub.com.