McCarter Theatre's 2005-2006 Theater Season opens with the world premiere of Miss Witherspoon, a comedy fantasy by Christopher Durang. It is directed by Tony Award nominee and Obie Award winner Emily Mann.

The show's title character is a persnickety woman forced to reincarnate against her better judgment. Miss Witherspoon's previous lives - whose highlights include a ringside seat at the Salem witch trials and an exasperating tendency to run into Rex Harrison - were no picnic, so it's no wonder she's dragging her feet. The 21st century, after all, isn't going too well so far. With a motley cast of characters that include appearances by Jesus and Gandalf, Miss Witherspoon is a fractured fable for our time.