Just a few weeks ago, A.R. Gurney's comedy Labor Day was playing at Off-Broadway's Manhattan Theatre Club. Now Lincon Center is already making plans for Gurney's next.

Lincoln Center's Off-Broadway Mitzi Newhouse space will travel Far East , Dec. 11-March 7, 1999, opening Jan. 10, 1999. Rehearsals begin Nov. 10, according to production spokesperson Philip Rinaldi.

Starring in the show, as Lieutenant "Sparky" Watts, will be Michael Hayden, who played Billy in the recent, acclaimed Broadway revival of Carousel. He's also a cast-member of TV's "Murder One."

Also in the Far East cast are Sonnie Brown, Lisa Emery, Bill Smitrovich and Connor Trinneer, according to a production spokesperson at the Philip Rinaldi press office.

Far East tried out at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts in July, with Daniel Sullivan directing. Emory and Smitrovich were that cast as well. Former Seattle Rep artistic director Sullivan will again helm the play Off-Broadway. Gurney is the author of The Cocktail Hour, Sylvia, Later Life, The Dining Room, Richard Cory, Sweet Sue, Darlene And The Guest Lecturer and Love Letters.

At Williamstown, designing Far East were Rui Rita (lighting), Danielle Castronovo (costumes), Jerry M. Yager (sound) and Michael Brown (set). Rita will again do the Off-Broadway honors, joined by Tom Lynch (set), Jess Goldstein (costumes) and Dan Moses Schreier (music & sound).

The last tenant at the Mitzi Newhouse was the William Finn musical, A New Brain. On the Broadway Vivian Beaumont stage of Lincoln Center Theatre, the musical Parade begins previews Nov. 12.

-- By Robert Simonson and David Lefkowitz