Performances will run Jan. 22-Feb. 7, 2016, at La MaMa's First Floor Theater.

Written and composed by Ellen Maddow and directed by Paul Zimet, Burnished by Grief was inspired by Maddow's real-life work as a volunteer mediator in Brooklyn Civil Court. "There she has witnessed how the city’s extraordinary diversity, combined with close living, has produced complex misunderstandings, as well as, unexpected and remarkable relationships," state press notes.

"Burnished by Grief," continues the announcement, "is a chaotic, over stimulated urban mash up filled with constant motion, scrambled energy and the overlapping realities of race, culture and multiple generations. Five characters long for a pocket of stillness, the solace of beauty, relief from loneliness, and the possibility of falling head over heels in love with their opposites."

The production will feature set and video design by Anna Kiraly, lighting design by Lenore Doxsee and costumes by Kiki Smith.

La MaMa’s First Floor Theater is located at 74 E. 4th St., Manhattan. Tickets, beginning at $25, will be available by calling (646) 430-5374 or visiting LaMaMa.org.