Carmen Goodine and Christopher Oden star in the production under the direction of Amy Saltz. Blackbird officially opens Jan. 23 and runs through Feb. 8 in the Emerson Studio Theatre of the Loretto-Hilton Center.

"Ray (Oden) has made a new life for himself, a new identity, a fresh start, leaving his past and his past mistakes behind him, if such a thing is possible," according to Blackbird press notes. "But one day Una (Goodine) shows up unexpectedly at his office to confront him about their disastrous relationship 15 years earlier, when she was only 12 years old. Because while Ray has started over, Una has found herself almost frozen in time, able to think of little else and, after spotting a photo of Ray in a trade magazine, she has come to challenge him with questions about their ill-fated affair."

The creative team comprises Luke Hegel-Cantarella (scenic design), Elizabeth Eisloffel (costume design), Mary Jo Dondlinger (lighting design) and Rusty Wandall (sound design).

Harrower's inspiration for Blackbird came after he read a story about a man who traveled abroad to meet a young girl he first encountered on the Internet. His works include Knives in Hens, Kill the Old Torture Their Young, The Chrysalids and Presence. He has also adapted versions of Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author (Six Characters Looking for an Author), Chekhov's Ivanov and Buchner's Woyzeck.

Blackbird was previously presented Off-Broadway in 2007 by the Manhattan Theatre Club, starring Jeff Daniels and Alison Pill. For tickets phone (314) 968-4925 or visit The Rep's online box office at www.repstl.org. The Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts is located at 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO.