By Adam Hetrick
09 Nov 2009

Lee Stark, Dan Daily and Robin Leslie Brown will lead the cast of George Bernard Shaw's Misalliance for the Pearl Theatre Company, currently in residence at New York City Center Stage II, in December.

The Pearl production will be directed by Seattle's A Contemporary Theatre former artistic director Jeff Steitzer, who makes his New York directorial debut with the Shaw work. Misalliance begins previews Dec. 4 and will officially open Off-Broadway Dec. 13.

Lee Stark will portray Hypatia Tarleton alongside Dan Daily as Mr. Tarleton and Robin Leslie Brown as Mrs. Tarleton, in a cast that also features Bradford Cover (Johnny Tarleton), Dominic Cuskern (Lord Summerhays), Sean McNall (Gunner), Steven Boyer (Bentley Summerhays), Michael Brusasco (Joey Percival) and Erika Rolfsrud (Lina Szczepanowska).

"Fast and funny, Misalliance," according to the Pearl, "is a spirited comedy framed by the behavior—and misbehavior—of an Edwardian family on a lazy summer day at their country estate. Shaw’s comedy assembles a cast of characters from a myriad of classes, sexes, ages, and nationalities in the English country house of underwear magnate John Tarleton. At the heart of the play is Tarleton’s restless daughter, Hypatia, hopelessly stuck in her predictable upper-class life and waiting, as her father puts it, for 'adventure to drop out of the sky.' Shaw (literally) shatters the conventions and pretensions of Tarleton’s high society with his typically brisk pace, careening, and provocations."

Designing the production are Bill Clarke (scenic design), Liz Covey (costume design), Stephen Petrilli (lighting design), Jane Shaw (sound design), Rod Kinter (fight direction), Dudley Knight (vocal direction) and Kate Farrington (dramaturg).

Misalliance will run through Jan, 24, 2010. For tickets phone (212) 598-9802 or visit PearlTheatre. New York City Center Stage II is located at West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. 4