Though, these days, it seems any star who's faded from public glory just has to wait a couple of years to make an automatic comeback, sometimes that route isn't so simple. Gen LeRoy's new play, Missing Footage, tells of an Italian ballerina, absent from the stage for a decade, who might not make the expected return to the public arena.

Missing Footage premiered in April at Nyack, New York's Helen Hayes Performing Arts Center, where it was directed by Tony Walton. The renowned set designer has again staged the play, July 18-Aug. 28 (officially opening July 24), at San Diego, CA's Old Globe Theatre. Directing has become a second career for Walton, whose designed recent revivals of 1776, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To The Forum and the current Annie Get Your Gun. Among Walton's recent directing credits are Major Barbara and The Importance of Being Earnest at NYC's Irish Rep.

Designers for the Hayes staging are the same as for the Old Globe. Klara Zieglerova designed the set for Missing Footage; she served as associate designer to Walton on 1776. Tony winner Willa Kim (Sophisticated Ladies, The Will Rogers Follies) designed the costumes, while Tony nominee Brian Nason (Metamorphosis) is in charge of lighting.

Starring in Footage are Tanya Gingerich, who originated the title character in Sam Shepard's recent Eyes For Consuela. Other cast members from the Nyack staging include Rob Sedgwick, Tracy Shayne (a Broadway Phantom Christine) and Jack Ryland. Rosina Reynolds is new to the cast as Lynne Drew.

Missing Footage is author LeRoy's second play. Her first, ...Not Waving, won a Carbonell Award for its production at Florida Stages and later played at NY's Primary Stages. For tickets and information on Missing Footage, which ends its scheduled run Aug. 28, call (619) 239-2255. Next up at the Cassius Carter Centre Stage will be Donald Margulies' drama, Collected Stories, previewing Sept 12 and opening Sept. 18.

-- By David Lefkowitz