Perhaps in celebration of their fright-free status, the New York theatre company Monster[less] Actors, Inc., will, on Oct. 16, enjoy an After Dinner Joke. Said Joke comes courtesy of playwright Caryl Churchill, author of Cloud 9 and Top Girls. The show begain previews Oct. 10.

The After-Dinner Joke was first seen on BBC television in 1978 and has never been staged since, either here or abroad. The play is about a woman who seeks to escape the politics and hidden agendas of the corporate world only to find the same problems in her new not-for-profit career. As one character puts it, "It's most important not to come to the end of the financial year with too large a balance, or people will think we don't know what to do with the money."

Monster[less] Actors was formed in 1995. Its mission is to work theatrical trailblazers -- in this case, Churchill.

The After-Dinner Joke will have a design team that consists of George Xenos on scenery, Tony Garfias on sound, Chris Fields on costumes and Chris Dallas on lighting.

Joke will be performed at The Currican Theatre (154 W. 29th St.). The show will run through Oct. 31. Victoria Pero and Marcus Geduld co-direct. For information, call (212) 462 9279. -- By Robert Simonson