Party? at Theater for the New City

"Party?" a poignant comedy described by playwright Anne Marilyn Lucas as "A Doll's House meets Neil Simon" provides a fresh and often humorous look at marriage through the eyes of three generations of one family.

The new play provides a mirror to the ever-changing perception of marriage roles and the institution as a lifetime commitment. Theater for the New City will present the play's premier New York run March 14 to 31, directed by Myriam Cyr.

The play examines the topic of marriage from wildly different perspectives. What is the difference between infidelity and an open marriage? When do the needs of one partner outweigh the needs of another? What does commitment actually mean in our current society? And most of all does love conquer all?

The cast features Jordan Lage, founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company and veteran of David Mamet's plays, as Aaron an Upper East Side Jewish middle-aged husband and devotee of a male self-help guru, who, in a moment of self-absorption, announces he needs to end his marriage, creating turmoil that engulfs the whole family. Audrey Heffernan Meyer portrays Diana his long-devoted wife who needs to find new meaning in a life defined by her role as a wife and mother. Pamela Shaw as Esther and Alan Ceppos as Felix add great humor as the sometimes sage older couple and Molly Chiffer as Caitlyn and Brian Mason, in the role of Jason, bring a more contemporary fluid view of commitment to the sharp-witted dialogue.