Olivier nominee Stafford Arima (London's Ragtime, Off-Broadway's Altar Boyz) directs the comedy. "Esther Demsack thinks she has finally arrived," according to production notes. "Called to the office of prominent New York publisher David Brewster, Esther is horrified to discover it's not her novel he wants — it's her, as governess to his showtune-crazed, 12-year-old son, Everette."

Everette wants "to turn Esther into his very own Auntie Mame, and with the help of his crazy Lebanese neighbors, he almost does. But Esther resists Everette's manic attempts at Mamedom, and digs deeper to find the dark secret that is haunting him and the entire Brewster family."

The cast of Esther Demsack includes Claudia Shear (Dirty Blonde), Elzbieta Czyzewska (Hedda Gabler), Noah Galvin (Les Miserables), Paul Fitzgerald (Noises Off) and Marin Hinkle ("Two and a Half Men").

The design team includes Donyale Werle (set), Barry Doss (costumes), Ben Stanton (lighting), Danny Erdberg (sound) and Andrew Palermo (choreographer).

Finnegan has penned At the End; Any Solid Color Other Than Black; Little Boy Lost; The Dander of Female Poplars or One Queens Parade; Tenth Place; Daisy Chained; and Begin Measured Mile. Esther Demsack was seen in a New York Theatre Workshop reading in January 2008. The SPF engagement of Esther Demsack runs through July 20 at the Public Theater.

Tickets for the Summer Play Festival, priced $10, are available by visiting spfnyc.com or by phoning (212) 967-7555.

The Public Theater is located in Manhattan at 425 Lafayette Street.