Fueled by sweet reviews -- including a rave by The New York Times' Ben Brantley -- Douglas Carter Beane's contemporary satire, As Bees in Honey Drown, has had a healthy run Off-Broadway. In fact, as of June 5, the show will have played in New York a full year, first at the Greenwich House (June 5-29, 1997), then at the Lucille Lortel, opening there July 24, 1997.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and As Bees In Honey Drown will vacate its hive June 7, as confirmed by co-producer Leonard Soloway (June 2). After starting at the Lortel July 15, 1997 the comedy played 10 previews and will have run 366 regular performance by its June 7 close.

Author Beane won the Outer Critics Circle's John Gassner Playwriting Award for his script, and lead actress J. Smith-Cameron (recently replaced by Kristine Nielsen) was been nominated for numerous acting awards, including the OCC and Drama Desk (beaten out both times by Cherry Jones in Pride's Crossing).

The commercial transfer of Bees was produced by Soloway, Edgar Lansbury, Everett King, Randall L. Wreghitt, Chase Mishkin, and Steven M. Levy, by special arrangement with Lucille Lortel. Co-producer Lansbury directed Beane's Advice From a Caterpillar, which ran briefly at the Lortel in 1991.

For director Mark Brokaw, the Lortel move marks his second straight off Broadway commercial transfer, a mere two months after his production of Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive hopped across the street from the Vineyard Theatre to the Century Theatre. The production team for Bees are: set design by Allenå Moyer, costumes by Jonathan Bixby, lighting by Kenneth Posner, and original music and sound by David Van Tieghem.

Tickets for Bees at the Lucille Lortel Theatre are on sale via Tele-charge (212) 239-6200.

-- By Andrew Ku
and David Lefkowitz