Lanford Wilson's early play, Balm in Gilead, will be revived by Straight from the Heart Productions, Aug. 10-29 at Off-Broadway's 30th Street Theatre.

It's the first New York revival for the play since the landmark Steppenwolf Theatre Company-Circle Rep production of 1984. That staging, which helped revive the play's fortunes and establish Steppenwolf's lauded reputation, was directed by John Malkovich, and starred Terry Kinney, S. Epatha Merkeson, Lynne Thigpin, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Sinise, Giancarlo Esposito, Tanya Berezin and Glenne Headley.

For the new production, Merry Beamer and Heart Artistic Director Thomas Cote will direct a cast of 23. Bill Wood designed the set, the costume design is by Anna Sellinger, and Zdenek Kriz will man the lights.

Previous Heart productions include Wilson's Hot L Baltimore.

Balm in Gilead, the story of the denizens of a sleazy all-night coffee shop, was first staged Off-Off-Broadway at La MaMa ETC in 1965. -- By Robert Simonson