Performances will play Sept. 2-19 in the Zella Fry Theatre on the Kean University campus. Opening night is Sept. 3.

According to the troupes, "In this timely new work, Gabriel, an optimistic former 'lost boy' from Sudan meets Christine, a suburban mother in desperate need of attention and adventure. What begins as an unlikely friendship becomes an unbreakable bond that changes the pair and leads them to a better understanding of their place in the world."

Four-time Emmy Award winner Zimmer (Reva of "Guiding Light") leads a cast that includes David Farrington, Jamil Mangan, Trish McCall Warner Miller and Alexandra Rivera. John Pietrowski directs.

Artistic directors John Wooten and John Pietrowski partnered to develop the play over the past 18 months through a series of readings and workshops, as assisted by dramaturg Erica Nagel.

"The response has been incredible. It was clear to all involved that this was not a story that should be told, it was one that had to be told," Wooten said in a statement. The Human Rights Institute at Kean University, the Darfur Rehabilitation Project, and the Kean department of theatre are collaborating with Premiere Stages and Playwrights Theatre to bring Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods to the stage.

A grant from the Kean University Quality First Initiative will make possible multiple community events featuring scholars and leaders in the field of Human Rights advocacy before and after select performances.

A special opening night pre-show reception for donors will be held on Sept. 3 in Kean University's new Human Rights Institute. A champagne toast with the cast follows the performance.

Tickets for productions range from $15 to $25, with discounts for groups. For more information, call (908) 737-SHOW or visit www.kean.edu/premierestages .