Clean, a story of love on the edge in a flamboyant, dangerous world of budding sexuality and urban violence, will close June 29 at NY's Atlantic Theatre Company, a week earlier than its scheduled July 7 finish.
The play is by Edwin Sanchez, author of Trafficking In Broken Hearts. Clean premiered at CT's Hartford Stage in 1995 and opened June 9 Off-Broadway, to generally negative reviews.
The show was supposed to start May 28, but original director Anna Shapiro, who staged Broken Hearts at the Atlantic, cited personal problems and left the production. Instead, Clean, the tale of a strict family discovering love in unexpected places, was staged by the company's artistic director, Neil Pepe.
Other works by Sanchez include Unmerciful Good Fortune and Floorshow: Donna Sol And Her Trained Dogs. A Yale School of Drama graduate, Sanchez is now an artist in residence at NY's Public Theatre.
Victory Anthony, Victor Argo, Ron Butler, Paula Pizzi, Rod McLachlan and Nelson Vasquez comprise the Clean cast. Sets are by Todd Rosenthal, lighting by Howard Werner; costumes by David Zinn. (Lovers of coincidence should take note that Clean opens only a few months after the run of Charlayne Woodard's Neat.)
For tickets ($32) and information on Clean, which runs to June 29 at the Atlantic Theatre, 336 West 20th St., call (212) 239-6200.
--By David Lefkowitz