Sod, who has also penned the musicals 27 Rue de Fleurus and NYMF's The Cousins Grimm, created the comedy "which focuses on seven disparate characters and the ways in which their lives intersect over a ten-year period," according to press notes. "The characters include straight, gay and lesbian interracial couples exploring how primary and secondary relationships have altered their lives."

The 7:30 PM staged reading, part of Abingdon's developmental program, is free and open to the public. The cast includes Jan Buttram (The President and Her Mistress), Mike Colter (A Soldier's Play), Carson Elrod (Based on a Totally True Story), Antoinette Lavecchia (String of Pearls), Edward O'Blenis (Tall Grass), Jade Wu (Mother Courage) and Stacey Yen (Mirror of the Invisible World).

Sod's play was selected out of 700 works submitted for the Abingdon's Christopher Wolk Playwriting Prize. The Lost Art of Conversation has twice been a finalist at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center Playwrights' Conference. Sod's body of work includes Stealing, Damaged Goods, The Kiss, Salon and A Rude Awakening. His musical 27 Rue de Fleurus will be presented at Urban Stages in February 2008.

Niegel Smith, artistic leadership associate for the Public Theater, will direct the reading. Reservations are encouraged, as seating is on a first come, first served basis.

To make reservations for The Lost Art of Conversation, call (212) 868-4444 or visit www.smarttix.com. The Abingdon Theatre Company is located at 312 West 36th Street in Manhattan.