Two men trapped on a mountain ledge in the freezing cold is wintery setup for Patrick Meyers' K2, opening Dec. 15 at Washington DC's Arena Stage, where the drama premiered (in 1982 before transferring to Broadway). This production, directed by Arena associate artist Wendy C. Goldberg (Life in Refusal, Tomorrowland), reunites K2's Tony Award winning set designer Ming Cho Lee, Tony Award nominated lighting designer Allen Lee Hughes and costume designer Noel Borden.

Set on an icy ledge 1,000 feet below a great peak known to be the most dangerous mountain in the world, K2 is the story of the friendship between Harold and Taylor. As they face the cold, injury and loss of equipment, they learn how much they mean to each other and what it really means to climb mountains.

The K2 set consists of a 50 foot mountain and ledge, crafted from urethane foam and covered with white tissue paper, resembling an icy surface. For the section of the mountain that must be climbed during the show, Lee has employed a new material called Entre Prises used by real- life mountain climbing instructors to simulate ice walls.

Rick Holmes plays Harold and Craig Wallace is Taylor. Holmes' credits include two national tours - Cliff in Cabaret and Joe Pitt in Angels in America - and the Broadway productions of The Deep Blue Sea, Timon of Athens, St. Joan and The Government Inspector. DC actor Wallace has appeared in the Arena's The Great White Hope, All My Sons and Hot'n'Throbbing and was Helen Hayes-nominated for playing Belize in Angels in America at the Signature Theatre.

K2 runs through Jan. 28. Tickets are $42-$27. The Arena Stage is located at 1101 Sixth Street SW. For reservations, call (202) 488-3300. — By Christine Ehren