The young New York City theatre troupe, The Keen Company, will present as only its second venture a revival of John van Druten's seldom-produced The Voice of the Turtle. The mounting, directed by Carol Forsman, will begin Sept. 7, a change from the previously announced Sept. 9 start date. Official opening is Sept. 8. The show runs through Sept. 30, at the Blue Heron Theatre. The Keen Company hit the ball out of the park with its very first offering, the New York premiere of Conor McPherson's The Good Thief, starring Brian D'Arcy James and staged by Forsman. The show transferred to an Off-Broadway commercial run and won James an Obie Award. It has since played the Garter Lane Theatre in Waterford, Ireland.

In Turtle, Elizabeth Bunch stars as Sally Middleton, who has sworn off love since an affair with a married producer went south. That is, until her best friend Olive (Megan Byrne) leaves her alone with Sergeant Bill Page (Nick Toren). Turtle originally opened on Dec. 8, 1943, and had a very long run (1,557 performances), though it is little remembered today. Margaret Sullivan starred as Sally under van Druten's direction.

Van Druten's other plays include The Distaff Side, I Remember Mama and, perhaps most famously, I Am a Camera. He was also a well known director. One of his last assignments was the staging of The King and I, which bowed on Broadway the same year as Camera.

Tickets are $15. The Blue Heron is located at 123 E. 24th St. For information, call (212) 560-7284.

— By Robert Simonson