Wit, a drama by Margaret Edson, will be performed at Stage II of the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT, from Oct. 31-Nov. 30.

Although the title would seem to belie the subject matter -- an English lit professor who is forced to come to terms with her ovarian cancer -- the play was described by critics as both "hilarious" and "harrowing" when it premiered two years ago at the South Coast Repertory Theatre in CA (and subsequently received the L.A. Critics Circle Award for Best New Play).

Kathleen Chalfont, best known for her Tony-nominated performance as Hannah Pitt in the Broadway production of Angels in America, has been cast in the leading role of Vivian Bearing. Also in the cast are Walter Charles, Aleta Mitchell, Raul Perez, Alec Phoenix, Paula Pizzi, Daniel Sarnelli, Alli Steinberg, and Helen Stenborg. The director is Derek Anson Jones.

Wit is playwright Margaret Edson's first play, based in part on her experiences working at the AIDS Inpatient Unit of the National Institutes of Health. Today Edson teaches first grade in Washington, DC.

The play is in previews through Nov. 4, with an official opening night slated for Nov. 5. For tickets, call (203) 787-4284. -- By Rebecca Paller