Directed by Marc Geller, the limited engagement of De Santis' church-themed play is set to begin previews Oct. 6 with an official opening Oct. 11. Starring Stephen (The Scarlet Pimpernel) Hope, Lucy (More Than This) McMichael and Brandon ("Boy in the Bathtub") Ruckdashel, the play will run through Oct. 21. Ascension, according to press notes, concerns "an ambitious Catholic priest [who] struggles to hold together the fabric of the world he has created to keep his desires at bay. He is confronted by the schizophrenic wife of a butcher, who accuses him of sexually abusing her son eight years earlier. Then drawn into a web of evil and deceit comes a visit by the angelic young man, himself; and now their worlds unfolds with a volcano of desire that is close to exploding."

The creative team for the production also includes set designer Aaron Mastin and costume designer Dennis Ballard.

Playwright De Santis has also penned Making Peter Pope, The Language of Kisses, More Than This, Recensio and American Subway. A founding member of The Harbor Theatre and a member of the Dramatists Guild, De Santis' Tornado Rosaries is also scheduled for a New York run this fall.

Ascension will play Tuesday-Saturday evenings at 8 PM and Sundays at 3 and 7 PM. Tickets, priced at $18, are available by calling (212) 279-4200 or by visiting www.ticketcentral.com.

The Lion Theatre is located in Manhattan at 410 West 42nd Street.