Lisa Banes, seen on Broadway in Present Laughter and Arcadia, among other productions, will star alongside Jordan Boatman (The Path) in the New York premiere of Eleanor Burgess' The Niceties. As previously announced, the Manhattan Theatre Club production will begin performances in October at New York City Center.

Set at an elite East Coast university, The Niceties follows a discussion between an ambitious young black student and her esteemed white professor who meet to discuss a paper about the American Revolution. Both liberal and intelligent, their conversation quickly turns to race and reputation, placing them in dangerous territory and facing implications that can’t be undone.

The Kimberly Senior-helmed production is presented in association with Huntington Theatre Company, where the play will run August 31–September 30, and McCarter Theatre Center, where it will be produced in January 2019.

Performances will begin Off-Broadway October 12 at The Studio at Stage II – Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Series at New York City Center ahead of an October 25 opening night.

The design team includes Cameron Anderson (scenic design), Kara Harmon (costume design), D.M. Wood (lighting design), and Elisheba Ittoop (sound design).

The Niceties was originally presented as part of MTC’s Ted Snowdon Reading Series in 2017.

For more information, visit ManhattanTheatreClub.com.