Soap star Kim Zimmer will play the Claudia Shear role in the New Jersey premiere of Dirty Blonde. The show will run July 11-27 at TheatreFest, the Equity theatre in residence on the campus of Montclair State University.

Zimmer played Reva Shayne on "The Guiding Light" for many years. She won six Daytime Emmys nominations and three awards for her work. She has also done stints on "One Life to Live" and "The Doctors." Zimmer has acted at TheatreFest before: In 2000, she starred in the musical High Spirits.

A hit on Broadway, Dirty Blonde looks at two single New Yorkers, Jo and Charlie, both Mae West fans, who meet at West's grave site. The play traces the couple's changing relationship while simultaneously tracking West's career. Shear played both West (at all ages) and Jo. Kevin Chamberlin played Charlie, the other fan, who falls in love with the resistant Shear, as well as some supporting roles from the life of West (W.C. Fields, etc.). Bob Stillman played various men, historical and otherwise, in West's wife.

Dirty Blonde began at Off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop before it transferred to Broadway. All three actors won Tony nominations for their performances. Lapine was also nominated and the show was a candidate for Best Play.

Tickets are $28-$35. TheatreFest is located on the campus of Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Upper Montclair, New Jersey. For information, call (973) 655-5112. —By Robert Simonson