A. R. Gurney's new play, Far East , will officially open at Lincoln Center Theatre's Off-Broadway Mitzi Newhouse space Jan. 11, 1999. The play began performances Dec. 11, 1998 for a run through March 7, 1999.

Far East tried out at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts in July, with Daniel Sullivan directing. Former Seattle Rep artistic director Sullivan will again helm the play Off-Broadway. Set in the 1950s, Far East tells of a young naval officer looking for fun in Japan before Voice of America calls him home.

Far East features Michael Hayden, Lisa Emery, Sonnie Brown, Bill Smitrovich and Connor Trinneer. Hayden made his Broadway debut in the Nicholas Hytner revival of Carousel and has since appeared in New York in All My Sons at the Roundabout Theatre Company.

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 again does the Off-Broadway honors, joined by Tom Lynch (set), Jess Goldstein (costumes) and Dan Moses Schreier (music & sound). For tickets and information on Far East call (212) 239-6200. For a recent interview with the playwright, please see the PBOL Feature story, "A.R. Gurney, Master of Rich Suburbia, Moves in Different Directions With New Plays."

-- By Robert Simonson