The West Coast Jewish Theatre production, which had originally been scheduled to run through Dec. 23, will now end Jan. 6, 2008. Previews began Nov. 8 with an official opening Nov. 15; Gordon Davidson directs.

Lessons, according to press notes, concerns "Ben, a man in his seventies, who has lost his moorings and has come to Ruth, a former rabbi, for Hebrew lessons as preparation for a trip to Israel. As he becomes involved in his studies, he begins to desire the bar mitzvah he never had, and Ruth, though struggling with her own faith, agrees to tutor him."

In a statement, playwright Graf said, "The impetus was wanting to write about the loss of faith that many felt after 9/11, which brought me to the character of Ruth, who leads a life of faithlessness and anonymity in Seattle — and what it might take for her to reconnect with life." Graf's other plays include Leipzig, The Book of Esther, A Hollywood Fable, L.A. Tales, The Cross and the Saber and Shanghai Ghetto.

The West Coast Jewish Theatre is headed by artistic director Herb Isaacs. David Lee Strasberg serves as the Creative Director and CEO of the Lee Strasberg Theater & Film Institute.

Lee Strasberg Creative Center's Marilyn Monroe Theatre is located in West Hollywood, CA, at 7936 Santa Monica Blvd. Tickets, priced $32-$35, are available by calling (323) 650-7777 or by visiting www.westcoastttjewishtheatre.org.