The Off-Broadway staging's first performance is a pay-what-you-can show.

Presented in association with Edelstein's Long Wharf, the fresh production features Jeremy Hollingworth (Broadway's Sly Fox, Fortune's Fool), Scott Hudson (Off-Broadway in Our Lady of 121st Street, MCC's The Glory of Living ), three-time Obie Award winner Karen Kandel (Lear, Peter and Wendy), Sue Jean Kim (The Imaginary Invalid at The Pearl), Kel Martin (2004 NYU/Tisch graduate in her Off-Broadway debut), James McMenamin (Austin Pendleton's Three Sisters and Ann Reinking's Tonight at 8:30 at Williamstown), Olivia Oguma (the national tour of Les Misérables, Sarah Plain and Tall at The Lortel), Kate Rigg (Off-Broadway in The Vagina Monologues, Dogeaters, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told ) and James Saito (Broadway's Golden Child, national tours of Flower Drum Song, The King & I).

In BFE, "An Asian-American family attempts to escape its stifling Arizonan home life." The play "tells the story of Panny (Olivia Oguma), a spunky 14-year-old; her socially awkward uncle (James Saito); her homebound mom (Kate Rigg), who fantasizes about General MacArthur; and the serial killer (Scott Hudson) that stalks their neighborhood in search of bubbly blondes. A cautionary tale about the devastating effects of an image-obsessed society, BFE calls into question the nature of beauty and desirability in contemporary America."

Opening at Playwrights Horizons' intimate Peter Jay Sharp Theater is set for May 31. Performances of BFE continue to June 12. Downstairs on the PH Mainstage, Dianne Wiest stars in Memory House.

* Director Gordon Edelstein is in his third season as Long Wharf Theatre's artistic director. Prior to his return to Long Wharf, he was the artistic director of ACT Theatre in Seattle for five years. Edelstein was the associate artistic director of Long Wharf.

BFE is the winner of the 2004 L. Arnold Weissberger Award. Julia Cho's plays include 99 Histories and The Architecture of Loss.

The production will feature scenic design by Takeshi Kata, costume design by Jayde Chabot, lighting design by Paul Whitaker and sound design by Andre J. Pluess. Production stage manager is Linda Marvel.

The performance schedule for BFE will be Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays at 2 & 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2 & 7 PM. Tickets are $38.

For subscription and ticket information to all PH shows, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200, Noon to 8 PM daily. Visit www.playwrightshorizons.org.