LONG BEACH, CA -- Corpse!, the final play of International City Theatre's 1998 season at the Center Theatre, will open Sept. 4 for a limited four-week run.

A British comedy thriller, Corpse! is set in 1936 London during the abdication of King Edward VIII and tells the story of twin brothers, one of whom, an out-of-work actor, plots the murder of the other. In theatre lingo, "corpse" is a verb meaning to laugh on stage when one shouldn't. And this is a play in which murders provoke giggles.

Ron Campbell plays both twins. Jules Aaron is the director.

Written by Gerald Moon, Corpse! had its world premiere at the American Stage Festival in Milford, NH. It opened at the Apollo Theatre, London, in 1984 with Keith Baxter as the twin brothers and Milo O'Shea as Major Powell, the small-time crook who is enlisted as an accomplice.

Through Sept. 27 at the Center Theatre, 300 E. Ocean Blvd. Perfs are Thurs.-Sat. at 8 PM; Sun. at 2 PM. Tix are $28-$30, with discounts for students and seniors. Call (562) 938-4128. -- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent