Stephen Kaplan and Will Nolan's new work, When the Mayonnaise Goes Bad, will be read 7 PM May 10 at the Vital Theatre Company in New York City.

Nolan directs the reading of the black comedy that pays homage to Christopher Durang and Joe Orton with bits of Caryl Churchill, Quentin Tarantino and Rodgers and Hammerstein thrown in. The play tells the story of a British family who enjoy a quiet evening of playing Twister with a serial killer.

The reading is sponsored by the Coffee Clutch Playwright's Workshop.

The cast includes Farah Alvin, Spencer Aste, Tracy Bryce, Tonya Canada, Kaplan, Margaret O'Connor and Marc Palmieri.

Kaplan is a five-time winner of the Blank Theater Company's Young Playwrights Festival in Los Angeles. He has won the New America Comedy Award (for his play The Book of Daniel), Bank of America's Young Artist Award and wrote Tim Eless, Private Eye (starring Noah Wyle at the Blank Theatre Co.), And Jack Came Tumbling After (Old Globe, Ensemble Studio Theatre, HERE and Lincoln Center Theatre's American Living Room Series), Self Addressed (Edinburgh Festival and Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles), Dreams of Reason (Northwestern University) and other plays. Nolan's writing credits include Jalapeno Cornbread & Crazy Women, Crumbs, Knowing You and Tuna Wiggly. Nolan is also a writer performer for the sketch comedy duo, Naked Dog Walking.

Nolan is associate artistic director of Coffee Clutch Playwright's Workshop.

The Vital Theater Company is at 432 W. 42nd St., Third Floor. For more information and reservations, call (212) 592-3516.

-- By Kenneth Jones