Nora Dunn and Gregory Jbara play an eccentric wife and her husband trying to raise two boys in 1949 Chicago in the West Coast premiere of George Furth's biting drama, Precious Sons, which opened Sept. 21 at the 2nd Stage Theatre. Blank artistic director Daniel Henning (The Why, Chess) directs the play, set to end Oct. 29.

Dunn is best known for her five-year run on "Saturday Night Live," although she has recently crossed over into film ("Three Kings," "What Planet Are You From?"). Jbara's Broadway credits include Billy Flynn in the hit revival of Chicago and Squash in Victor/Victoria.

Also in the cast are Adam Wylie ("Picket Fences," Beauty and the Beast), Michael Malota ("Don Juan De Marco") and Ginger Williams ("Cruel Intentions").

After Precious Sons debuted on Broadway with Judith Ivey, Furth did not allow the play to have a West Coast production until he approached the Blank. Now he is rewriting the show for the company. Furth, a frequent collaborator with Stephen Sondheim, has written the books to Company and Merrily We Roll Along, while scripting Getting Away With Murder (with Sondheim), The Supporting Cast, The Act and Twigs.

Tickets are $27.50. The 2nd Stage Theatre is located at 6500 Santa Monica Boulevard. For reservations, call (323) 661-9827. The Blank Theatre is on the web at http://www.theblank.com. -- By Christine Ehren