Michael Chernus, Mamie Gummer, Keira Naughton and Jeremy Shamos star in the Primary Stages world-premiere run of Brooke Berman’s Hunting and Gathering, which officially opens Off-Broadway Feb. 3. Leigh Silverman directs the production, which began previews Jan. 22. The run is scheduled to play through March 1. From the writer of Smashing comes this new play that “follows four interconnected New Yorkers through their thwarted attempts to find a place – without compromise,” as show notes reveal. “Jesse has his first date since his divorce, his ex-lover Ruth is living a fantasy, his brother Astor is the ‘man with the van,’ and Bess has a plan to come out on top.” “We are thrilled to begin the new year with the world premiere of this exciting new play by Brooke Berman that incorporates original music by some of New York’s up-and coming rock bands,” said Primary Stages artistic director Andrew Leynse in a previous statement.

Added four new pictures from “Hunting and Gathering” to the Image Library.

Article courtesy Bloomberg.com: Looking for decent housing in New York is an endless and enervating process. Give playwright Brooke Berman credit, then, for her play, “Hunting and Gathering”, which opened last night at Primary Stages, a company that performs in midtown Manhattan’s 59E59 complex. Even at a slim, 90 intermissionless minutes, “Hunting and Gathering” is nothing if not realistic: It feels like it will never end. That’s no small accomplishment, given an attractive young cast that includes some acting royalty: Mamie Gummer, daughter of Meryl Streep, and Keira Naughton, daughter of James Naughton. Gummer plays a heat-seeking missile who beds her recently divorced college professor (she’s only auditing). Naughton plays the professor’s ex-lover (hence the divorce), an itinerant do- gooder and best friend of the professor’s ursine half-brother, who’s just itinerant. The men are played by Jeremy Shamos as the prof and Michael Chernus as the brother.

In a city in which real estate is an obsession, Brooke Berman’s experience is so unique, she felt compelled to turn it into a play. After all, how many New Yorkers can say that they’ve lived in more than 30 apartments around the city? Berman’s new play, Hunting and Gathering, now having its world premiere at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters with an enviable cast (Mamie Gummer, Keira Naughton, Jeremy Shamos and Michael Chernus) directed by Leigh Silverman, follows four young New Yorkers in search of “their place.” It’s a topic that Berman, a Juilliard graduate who began her career as a solo performer, has obviously thought about a lot- and her lyrical Broadway.com essay gives an intriguing (and personal) preview of how the idea of “coming home” can be presented on an off-Broadway stage. Read the full article here.

Primary Stages presents the world premiere of the play “Hunting and Gathering” by Brooke Berman, directed by Leigh Silverman. The four-member cast features Michael Chernus, Mamie Gummer, Keira Naughton and Jeremy Shamos. Performances begin Tuesday evening, January 22, 2008 for a limited run through Saturday, March 1, 2008 at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Opening night is set for Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 6PM. “Brooke Berman’s sharp, satiric voice returns to Primary Stages (where she was a member of the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group) with Hunting and Gathering. This world premiere play follows four interconnected New Yorkers through their thwarted attempts to find their place without compromise. Jesse has his first date since his divorce, his ex-lover Ruth is living a fantasy, his brother Astor is the “man with the van,” and Bess has a plan to come out on top. Ms. Berman’s contemporary play begs the question: Do you have to be a predator to survive?” explain press notes. Hunting and Gathering will play the following schedule: Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., Wednesdays through Friday at 8:00 p.m., and Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Additionally, there are Sunday matinees scheduled for January 27th and February 10th at 3:00 p.m., with a Wednesday matinee on February 20th at 2:00 p.m. www.primarystages.com.

Michael Chernus, Mamie Gummer, Keira Naughton and Jeremy Shamos will star in the Primary Stages world premiere run of Brooke Berman’s “Hunting and Gathering”. Leigh Silverman directs the company’s third production of the season, which is slated to begin previews Jan. 22, 2008. Opening night is scheduled for Feb. 3, and the play will run through March 1. From the writer of Smashing comes this new play that “follows four interconnected New Yorkers through their thwarted attempts to find a place – without compromise,” as show notes reveal. “Jesse (Shamos) has his first date since his divorce, his ex-lover Ruth (Naughton) is living a fantasy, his brother Astor (Chernus) is the ‘man with the van,’ and Bess (Gummer) has a plan to come out on top.” “We are thrilled to begin the new year with the world premiere of this exciting new play by Brooke Berman that incorporates original music by some of New York’s up-and-coming rock bands,” said Primary Stages artistic director Andrew Leynse.