Illness Keeps Parker Posey Off Stage

Parker Posey has withdrawn from a lead role in the upcoming Playwrights Horizons' production of "This" after developing Lyme disease.

Artistic director Tim Sanford says the play by Melissa James Gibson will open Dec. 13 as scheduled at the off-Broadway theater. Previews begin Nov. 6. A replacement for Posey will be announced shortly.

"This" concerns the tribulations of a poet who happens to be a single mother, struggling with her love life and the well-meaning attention of good friends.

The 40-year-old Posey is an indie film favorite. She has appeared in such movies as "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show."