Howe was previously heard at Off-Broadway's Atlantic with her world premiere translations of Ionesco's The Bald Soprano and The Lesson.

Atlantic associate artistic director Christian Parker will direct Birth and After Birth, launching the new Atlantic season. Performances play to Oct. 29.

According to ATC, "Birth and After Birth is a wildly comic tale that explores the joys and terrors of birth and parenthood. Sandy (Kiley) and Bill (Binder) have been up all night preparing a birthday party for Nicky (Gelber), their rambunctious four year-old son. Desperate to impress, Sandy and Bill frantically ready the house for their party guests, Jeffrey (Benson) and Mia (Blumberg), childless anthropologists who study primitive children in far flung places. The party spins out of control as each couple tries to convince the other of their social and personal superiority."

For the run, 29 seats at every performance are available for $10 each (in ATC's "Play for the Price of a Movie" initiative) and may be reserved in advance by calling (646) 216-1119 or at the box office (336 W. 20th Street) two hours prior to curtain.

* The design team includes scenic designer Takeshi Kata, costume designer Bobby Tilley, lighting designer Joshua Bradford and sound designer by Obadiah Eves.

Birth and After Birth was written in 1972. "Over the last 30 years, it has been taught, anthologized and has had numerous secret and illegal productions," according to ATC. The play received its official world premiere production at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia in September 1995 and was produced subsequently at Washington’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre.

Benson appeared in Broadway's The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town, Cabaret, Little Me, State Fair and An American Daughter; Binder was in Broadway's The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Lion King and Side Man; Blumberg is a member of the Atlantic Theater Company who appeared in The Syringa Tree, and ATC's Celebration and The Room, and A Second Hand Memory and Writer’s Block by Woody Allen; Gelber played Avenue Q on and off Broadway; Kiley is an Atlantic company member and most recently appeared in ATC's The Bald Soprano and The Lesson.

Tina Howe's best known plays include Museum, The Art of Dining, Painting Churches, Coastal Disturbances and Pride's Crossing.

Birth and After Birth will play Tuesday through Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 2 PM and 8 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. Tickets are available by calling Telecharge at (212) 239-6200 (Telecharge.com).

Atlantic Theater Company is located at 336 W. 20th St. (between Eighth and Ninth Avenues).

For membership information, wheelchair seating, and/or group sales call (212) 691-5919, ext. 1092.

For more information, visit www.atlantictheater.org.