Renowned Playwright A.R. Gurney graces the Keen stage for a third time! In LATER LIFE, a middle-aged man and woman meet at a cocktail party and ponder beginning the relationship that eluded them 30 years ago. While the pair rediscover each other and themselves, a bevy of delightful guests rally behind them. With poignancy and laughs, this classic Gurney play reminds us of the infinite possibilities in life just waiting to be pursued. A romantic tale of missed connections and hope for new beginnings.

In Henry James’ 1903 novella The Beast in the Jungle, a man named John Marcher fails to connect with a woman who cares for him. Marcher has a premonition that something horrible will befall him in life, and when that “beast in the jungle” inevitably pounces, why should he drag another human being down with him? His actions (or inactions) turn out to be a mistake. In fact, the tale’s devastating final paragraph resounds with a regret so intense as to suggest the scream-of-terror epiphany in a story by Edgar Allan Poe. Beast has long been considered one of James’ most masterful works—and remember that his literary nickname is “The Master.” But now, for some reason or other, the story seems to be taking a particularly prominent place in the zeitgeist. Earlier this year, an English-language film version of the story was released in Holland. Later this spring, Manhattan’s Vineyard Theatre will present the premiere of a new musical-theatre adaptation, with book by David Thompson, music by John Kander, and direction and choreography by Susan Stroman. In the meantime, we have Keen Company’s revival of A.R. Gurney’s Later Life, which was first presented by Playwrights Horizons 25 years ago. …Read more