Despite months of consistent rumors, This is Our Youth will not make a commercial transfer from Second Stage to the Minetta Lane Theatre, confirmed today by production spokesperson, Don Summa (of the Richard Kornberg office). That said, the show's run has been extended to Feb. 28, 1999.

The production was expected to move to the Minetta Lane right after Israel Horovitz's Primary English Class had closed, and the cast had even renegotiated their contracts for a commercial run. But producer Barry Weissler told the NY Times (Dec. 18) the production would not move to the Minetta but may move elsewhere saying, "It's alive and kicking...It will find its eventual home, but I can't move without my director."

The show's director, Mark Brokaw, is currently busy at the helm of Steppenwolf's Glass Menagerie in Chicago.

Kenneth Lonergan's tale of three dysfunctional youths received a brief but acclaimed New Group staging in October 1996, also by Brokaw. The Second Stage staging has kept two of the original leads, Mark Ruffalo and Missy Yager. Josh Hamilton's role is now filled by Mark Rosenthal.

-- By Sean McGrath