Newark Star Ledger

N.J. trilogy in works

Linda, a Highland Park resident, is at Rutgers, trying to write a dissertation. At a reunion in Toms River, Betsy has an incestuous relationship. Maureen is a Jersey City substitute teacher who's in a terrible romance. Pam works in Newark in a building that's been bombed by terrorists.

They're the characters in "I (Heart) KANT," Ken Urban's new play, and the first in a trilogy. All three are set in New Jersey.

Urban knows the Garden State. His father, Walter M. Urban, was once mayor of Medford in Burlington County. He also taught at Rutgers during the '90s, where all three plays are set.

"When I was growing up in South Jersey, it seemed so Republican," says the playwright. "Now it's changed so much. ... The state has gone through massive alterations."

"I (Heart) KANT" plays Friday through Oct. 2 at the Linhart Theater, 440 Lafayette St., New York City. Performances are Thursdays-Saturdays and Mondays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18. Call (212) 352-3101 or visit www.theatermania.com.

--Peter Filichia