Mary Gail's comic drama, Planet Of The Mutagens opened Oct. 17 at NY's 28th Street Theatre, home of Mutt Rep.

Simply put, Mutagens follows a teenage linguist-savant's attempts to translate the arcane speech of two former patients undergoing an evolutionary metamorphosis due to a genetics experiment gone awry. Do these "Mutagens" hold the visionary key to the future of humankind?

Mary Gail's play was selected for development by the Sundance Institute Playwrights Lab and has received the L. Arnold Weissberger Award, the Stanley Drama Award, and the Basic Issues Forum Playwriting Award. Previous plays by Gail include Center Theatre International Playwriting Competition's 1994 award-winner, Fuchsia, about two generations of artistic women.

John Blaylock, Wendy Leigh Flynn, Patricia Cardello, Bruce Montgomery and Bianca Edmonds make up the cast, which is directed by Douglas Green. Green also created the set, while Sarah Sidman designed the lighting and Karen Rowland designed the costumes.

Based in NY's Hell's Kitchen, Mutt Rep is a multi-cultural theatre company striving to present "unheard voices from the best of new American playwrights." They've produced shows before (Doorwolves, Happy Birthday MF), but this will be their first full season. Don Wilson Glenn serves as artistic director of the company. For tickets ($12) and information on Planet Of The Mutagens call (212) 262 7250.

-- By David Lefkowitz