"Sometimes, love is just an hors d'oeuvre away ..." is the keep-the thought motto of Cater-Waiter, Eric Lane's Comedy about two gay cater waiters at a Republican fund-raiser. It will bow in full play-length form January 9 at HERE, the multi-arts center at 145 Avenue of the Americas (a block south of Spring) in New York City.

The play was previously an award-winning short film that played to sold out houses at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre and the Director's Guild of America in Los Angeles; it's currently touring the world. Tim Deak, who starred in the short with David Drake, John Kelly and Lisa Kron, is the only stage carry-over; co-starring with him are Jed Diamond, James Georgiades and Tyrone Mitchell Henderson. Directing is Martha Banta, assistant director of Rent.

Lane who helmed the short film himself, hopes Cater-Waiter will ultimately wind up a feature-length film. Its original short-play version was awarded Finalist in Actor's Theatre of Louisville's National Ten Minute Play Contest.

Orange Thoughts, a not-for-profit theatre and film company dedicated to developing original American works, is presenting this latest resurrection at HERE. The company came into existence in 1988 when it presented an earlier Lane work, Dancing on Checkers' Grave. It is currently developing one of his latest plays, Times of War, a 1996 O'Neill Center Finalist which explores three generations of women in one family over a period of a half century.

--By Harry Haun