The play was given a showcase production by the director's own company.

Over a two-year period the nonprofit company gave the show two staged readings and a fully mounted showcase production on its main stage.

But once a showcase production is moved, say, to Connecticut, it must operate under one of many so-called small professional theater contracts.

Each mentor works with a playwright to perfect a single work during the season-long process, which culminates in a showcase production.

The second act is discordant, as it was in the play's earlier showcase production in 1985.

As a result, it frequently presents showcase productions of writers' work.

After two more showcase productions, it opened on Broadway on February 16, 1977.

Yet it must now compete with several dozen new showcase productions a month, Mr. Quinn said.

The Hunter theater program is an active one, often with a season of four main-stage productions and many other showcase productions.