La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego won the rights to the official world premiere of Charles L. Mee's Wintertime — the new comedy begins performances there Aug. 13. Three days later, on Aug. 16, a second West Coast production starts up at Seattle's ACT Theatre. Wintertime will play ACT through Sept. 15, the same closing day as the La Jolla production. Brian Kulick (NYSF's Twelfth Night, The Winter's Tale) directs in Seattle.

Wintertime is fashioned like a farce — three couples accidentally run into each other at a secluded country inn, where more than one partner was planning on taking the air and doing a little cheating on the sly. Wife Maria was hoping to meet her lover, while her husband has brought along a boyfriend and her son has invited his fiancee. Pour into the mix a lesbian couple, a salesman-become-deacon and a doctor who is sleeping with one of the three, and comic chaos ensues.

Mee, a playwright, historian and editor, also penned Another Person is a Foreign Country, Trojan Women: A Love Story, The Berlin Circle (directed by Tina Landau) and Orestes. His recent Vienna: Lusthaus extended at New York Theatre Workshop, closing July 21.

Wintertime's Seattle company comprises Michael A. Newcomer, Sarah Grace Wilson, Robert Dorfman, Suzanne Grodner, Daniel Oreskes, Timothy McCuen Piggee, Beth Andrisevic, Laura Kenny, Liz McCarthy and Paul Morgan Stetler. Broadway designer Walt Spanger (Hollywood Arms and Stephen Sondheim's upcoming Gold) will do the sets. Costumes are by Deb Trout, and lighting is by Geoff Korf.

Tickets are $27.50-$44. ACT is located at 7th and Union Street. For reservations, call (206) 292-ARTS. ACT is on the web at http://www.acttheatre.org. — By Christine Ehren