Marc Palmieri's Carl the Second will be presented by the whatmanwhatcar Theatre Company on Dec. 2 at NYC's Altered Stages (212 West 29th Street). The play tells of one man who must always settle for being a "second."

A bookstore manager who was born the second child, Carl has a miserable romantic life since the women he dates always seem to find someone better. Feeling he is unable to rise above his secondary status, Carl finds comfort in recalling the situations of some of the prominent "seconds" from the literary world, including Captain Ahab, Charles Bovary, Jay Gatsby, and Cliff Chatterley. A problem arises when Carl is presented with an opportunity to take on an uncharacteristic role where he would finally become a "first."

The author of Carl the Second, Marc Palmieri, is a founding member of the whatmanwhatcar Theatre Company. Poor Fellas, his first play, was produced at the Phil Bosakowski Theatre in NYC last year. Palmieri also wrote the screenplay to the 1999 movie, Telling You, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt.

The production will be directed by George Deans, the founding Artistic Director of the theatre company. Cast members include Jeremy Johnson, Siobhan Mahoney, Edgar Oliver, Marc Palmieri, Megan Pearson, and Carlo Trigiani.

Carl the Second performs Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 6 pm. Preview performances begin on Thursday, Nov. 28 with an opening set for Sunday, Dec. 2. The production runs through Dec. 23. For tickets, call (212) 206-1515. All tickets are $15. - by Chris Reichheld