Destined to be on Playbill On-Line's year-end list of weird and wonderful play titles is Never Whistle While You're Pissing, a satirical thriller by Carlos Murillo that won the 1996 National Latino Playwriting Award. Now the show will receive its world premiere at Seattle, WA's The Group Theatre, opening Jan. 27 for a run through Feb. 22. Previews began Jan. 24.

Alex Balderrama, Mark Dias, Kate Fleming, Jose Gonzales, Kimberly Helms, Danile Luna and Olga Sanchez star in this look at a young Colombian American man coming home from abroad for his sister's wedding. The evening before the event, his father is arrested and accused of laundering drug money. Group Theatre artistic director Jose Carrasquillo directs.

Previous plays by Murillo include Near Death Experiences With Leni Riefenstahl, Schadenfreude and The Subterraneans.

According to spokesperson Rigby Biddle, Murillo is of Colombian and Puerto Rican descent. Artistic director Carrasquillo did a workshop with Murillo of the play this past summer.

For tickets ($15 prev; $20-22) and information on Never Whistle While You're Pissing at the Group Theatre, 305 Harrison St., call (206) 441-1299. Author Murillo will be on-hand to sign autographs after the first preview, Jan. 24. After NWWYP will come a world premiere of the multi-media piece, Keepers Of The Dream by Nikki Nojima Louis, inspired by Brian Lanker's book, "I Dream A World," a photo anthology of African-American women. The show begins previews March 7 and opens March 11 for a run through April 5.

Closing the season will be Metamorphosis, Stephen Berkoff's adaptation of Franz Kafka's novella. Previews begin April 18 for an opening April 22 and a run through May 17.

-- By David Lefkowitz