Did you hear about the Polish family that froze to death outside a theater? They were waiting to see the show "Closed for the Winter." Did you hear about the latest Polish invention? It's a solar-powered flashlight. Did you hear why all Polish names end in "ski"? Because they can't spell toboggan. Young Jaisu, the hero of David Ives' Polish Joke, receiving its world premiere at Seattle's A Contemporary Theatre July 6-Aug. 5, is desperate to escape the ancestry that leaves him the victim of exactly such jokes. He changes his name and moves away from home, but he still discovers, in this comedy from the author of Mere Mortals and All in the Timing, that you can never run away from who you really are.

Jason McConnell Buzas directs. He formerly worked with Ives on All in the Timing at Primary Stages.

Polish Joke features John Aylard, Nancy Bell, Ted de Chatelet (as Jaisu), Leslie Law and Richard Ziman. Ziman appeared on Broadway in Epic Proportions, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Lost in Yonkers and Not About Nightingales.

Designing the show are director and Broadway designer Loy Acenas (sets), Rose Pederson (costumes), ML Geiger (lighting) and Dominic Cody Kramers (sound). Anne Kearson is the production stage manager.

A Contemporary Theatre is located at Kreielsheimer Place at the corner of 7th Avenue and Union Street. For tickets (25-$42), call (206) 292-7676. ACT is on the web at http://www.acttheatre.org.

— By Christine Ehren