The cast of the military drama will feature (in alphabetical order) Chris Bauer as Chaplin White, Stephen Lang as Colonel Littlefield, Trevor Long as Gunney, Margaret Colin as Margaret Littlefield, Jeremy Strong as Private Evan Davis and Chris Chalk as Captain Lee King.

Performances begin at MTC City Center Stage I on Feb. 9.

Defiance is billed as "part of an intended trilogy of plays by playwright John Patrick Shanley that began with Doubt."

According to MTC, "Defiance is set on a United States Marine Corps base in North Carolina in 1971. Two officers, one black (Chalk) and one white (Lang), are on a collision course over race, women, and the high cost of doing the right thing. The play is about power, love, and responsibility — who has it, who wants it, and who deserves it."

Shanley said in MTC production notes, "Doubt was about the birth of uncertainty in a person of faith set in a church school I attended in the '60s. Shortly thereafter, the country went through a cultural earthquake. The authority of most of our institutions was called into question, and a powerful cynicism took hold. In short, Doubt turned into Defiance, which is my second play about American hierarchy. I feel doubt is an important and valuable exercise, a hallmark of wisdom. Defiance is a necessary step in the life of an individual and in the life of a nation, but it is an intermediate step — that's why there's going to be a third play." The production is scheduled to open Feb. 28.

The design team will feature John Lee Beatty (set), Catherine Zuber (costume), Pat Collins (lighting), David Van Tieghem (original music and sound design).

Tickets are $65 and can be reserved by calling CityTix at (212) 581-1212. Group and student rates are available. For group ticket information, call (212) 399-3000 ext. 134. Student tickets are $25 and are on sale for all performances based on availability on the day of the performance, up to one hour before showtime. Call (212) 581-1212 for further information.

Visit www.manhattantheatreclub.com.