WET Presents Off-Broadway Premiere of 'BFF'

WET (Women's Expressive Theater, Inc.), best known for its acclaimed productions of St. Scarlet (by Julia Jordan) and Big Times (directed by Leigh Silverman), launches its 7th season with the World Premiere of BFF. This touching and darkly comic new play is written by Anna Ziegler, directed by Josh Hecht, and produced on an Off-Broadway contract. Previews begin February 17th at the DR2 (103 East 15th Street) where WET is the first theater company in residence. Opening night is slated for February 24th.

"BFF tells the story of Lauren and her 'best friend forever' Eliza. Lauren is a New Yorker who is split in two by time, living in the past and present simultaneously. Haunted by her adolescent past, she is desperate to catch up with her present and explore a new romance. But when Lauren accidentally tells a lie, she is forced to complete a story that, until now, has remained cruelly unfinished," as press notes describe the show.

The production stars Sasha Eden (A Very Common Procedure, Scab), Laura Heisler (The Mistakes Madeline Made, The Given People Be Heard) and Jeremy Webb (The Baltimore Waltz at Signature, Tabeltop) with set by Robin Vest, lighting by Ben Stanton, costumes by Sara Jean Tosetti and sound by David Baker.

Anna Ziegler was recently selected to be a writer in residence at The Old Vic Theatre in London. Her plays have been developed at Sundance Theater Lab, The Underwood Theater, Ars Nova, Soho Rep, The Lark Theatre, New Georges, Kennedy Center, Birmingham Rep and Belvoir St. Theatre in Sydney, Australia. Ziegler was a Dramatist's Guild Fellow for 2004-2005, a member of the 2005 Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, and has been published in Ten-Minute Plays for 2 Actors: The Best of 2004 and New American Short Plays 2005. Anna received her MFA in dramatic writing from NYU. BFF was developed in the Sundance Theatre Lab and was a finalist for the 2005 Weissberger Award and for the 2006 O'Neill Playwright's Conference.

Josh Hecht was the director of Christine Jorgensen Reveals, winner of The Drama Desk award for Unique Theatrical Event, and GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding New York Theater. Most recently, he directed Girl by Megan Mostyn Brown at The Cherry Lane, MCC's Assisted Loving by Bob Morris, the 13P production of Penetration Play by Winter Miller, and Ann Marie Healy's The Night That Roger… at The Ontological. He is currently developing a new play, Version Mary, with Bryony Lavery, Wendy MacLeod, Theresa Rebeck, Kate Robin, David Grimm, Mike Albo, Bradford Louryk, Lisa Kron and Jack Ferver. Recent workshops have included John Guare's Madagascar starring Josh Lucas and Amanda Peet, and Itamar Moses' The Four of Us, both at MCC Theater, where he served as Director of Playwright Development.

BFF runs Feb 17- March 17, Monday - Saturday at 8pm. The DR2 is located at 103 East 15th Street (between Union Square East and Irving Place -- accessible from the L,N,Q,R,W,4,5,6 trains at 14th Street-Union Square). Tickets range from $25 - $35, available at 212-239-6200 or www.wetweb.org.