Deep Dish Theater will present a developmental workshop of a new play by Joel Drake Johnson, Jan. 16-20.

Directed by artistic director Paul Frellick, the workshop continues the company's 12th season at University Mall.

The play, "A Queer Kiss," is a sharp and compassionate look at two sets of parents and their teenage sons. An unexpected kiss ignites a firestorm, with the parents trying desperately to bridge the distance between themselves and their troubled kids in hopes of stopping the brutal bullying of one of the boys.

Based on a true story, the play is a keenly observed portrait of love in many forms and a moving exploration of adolescence from the dual perspectives of parent and child.

Playwright Johnson is a Chicago-based writer who will be in residence for the workshop. His plays have been produced at Chicago's renowned Steppenwolf and Victory Gardens theaters, as well as in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and across the country. His play "The Fall to Earth" was produced by Durham's Manbites Dog Theatre. He has taught playwriting at Northwestern University.

The workshop will be presented with minimal production values and script in hand, as the text continues to evolve. Audience members will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on the play in post-performance conversations, and actors will be incorporating rewrites throughout the five-performance run.

Performances begin Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday (matinee) at 2 p.m.

Deep Dish is located in Chapel Hill's University Mall, on Estes Drive and U.S. 15-501. The performance on Saturday evening, Jan. 19, will coincide with the theater's annual fundraising gala.

Tickets are $12. Tickets for the Saturday evening fundraiser are $50, or $80 per couple. Call (919) 968-1515 for reservations or visit www.deepdishtheater.org.