The question apparently is put to the test in “Three Changes,” Nicky Silver's dark new comedy about the ties that bind, sometimes a bit too tightly. The world premiere is the first offering of the season for Playwrights Horizons. It opens Sept. 16 on its main stage. Preview performances begin Aug. 22.

The play concerns a comfortably married New York couple, played by Dylan McDermott and Maura Tierney, whose lives are disrupted by a wayward relative (Scott Cohen). Also in the cast are Aya Cash and Brian J. Smith. The director is Wilson Milam.

McDermott and Tierney are television favorites – he starring on “The Practice,” she appearing in “ER.” Silver's other plays include “Fit to Be Tied,” “Pterodactyls,” “The Food Chain” and “Raised in Captivity.”

For more information on the 2008-09 season at Playwrights Horizons, call Ticket Central, 212-279-4200, or go online at www.playwrightshorizons.org.

  

Off-Broadway ticket availability and capsule reviews of selected shows as of July 21. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are available at the theaters' box offices for the shows listed. Details about how to obtain tickets – including by calling the box office, Telecharge or Ticketmaster – appear at the end.

 “Altar Boyz.” An exuberant, good-natured musical spoof about a Christian boy band. New World Stages. Telecharge.

 “Around the World in 80 Days.” A stage adaptation by Mark Brown of the Jules Verne novel. Irish Rep. 212-727-2737.

 “Bash'd.” A gay rap opera about two men whose relationship is tested after one is brutally beaten. Zipper Factory. 212-352-3101.

 “Blue Man Group.” They paint each other. They paint the audience. They unroll toilet paper. Foreign tourists love this long-running new vaudeville show. Astor Place. Ticketmaster.

 “Flamingo Court.” Love blossoms in a South Florida condo complex. A comedy by Luigi Creatore. The cast includes Jamie Farr and Anita Gillette. Now in previews. Opens July 31. New World Stages. Telelcharge.

 “Fuerzabruta.” This performance piece, whose title translates as “brute force,” has been described as a show “where worlds collide.” Daryl Roth. Telecharge.

 “I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.” The mildest of musical revues about relationships between men and women. Westside Theatre Upstairs. Telecharge. Closes July 27.

 “Jump.” A 90-minute Korean martial-arts entertainment. Union Square. Ticketmaster.

 “Kicking a Dead Horse.” Stephen Rea stars as a New York art dealer stranded in the desert – with a dead horse. A play by Sam Shepard. Public. 212-967-7555. Closes Aug. 10.

 “Life in a Marital Institution.” Twenty years of monogamy as written and performed by James Braly. Soho Playhouse. 212-691-1555. Closes Aug. 31.

 “My First Time.” Recollections of first sexual experiences. New World Stages. Telecharge.

 “Naked Boys Singing.” A musical revue. The title says it all. Plays Fridays and Saturdays. New World Stages. Telecharge.

 “Some Americans Abroad.” A revival of Richard Nelson's comedy about American tourists – college students and their professors – on a play-going visit to England. Second Stage. 212-246-4422.

 “Stomp.” A noisy yet effective celebration of percussion in this long-running new vaudeville revue. Orpheum. Ticketmaster.

 “The Marriage of Bette and Boo.” A Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Christopher Durang's dark comedy. The cast includes Victoria Clark, John Glover and Julie Hagerty. Laura Pels. 212-719-1300. Closes Sept. 7.

  

The Telecharge number is 212-239-6200 unless otherwise indicated. There is a $6.50 service charge per ticket, plus a handling fee per order that varies from $2.50 to $4 depending on method of delivery.

Ticketmaster is 212-307-4100. There is a $7 “convenience” charge per ticket, plus a handling fee per order that varies depending on method of delivery.

Both Telecharge and Ticketmaster will provide information on specific seat locations. They also have toll-free numbers for theater ticket calls outside New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. For Telecharge call 800-432-7250; for Ticketmaster call 800-755-4000.

The TKTS booth in Times Square is currently in a temporary location just outside the New York Marriott Marquis hotel on West 46th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. It sells same-day discount tickets to Broadway, off-Broadway, music and dance productions. There is a $4 service charge per ticket. Cash or travelers checks only. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday evening performances, 3 p.m.-8 p.m.; matinees Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

The downtown TKTS booth is in the South Street Seaport at the corner of Front and John Streets. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m-4 p.m. Credit cards are accepted.

Matinee tickets must be purchased at South Street Seaport the day before, meaning Wednesday matinee tickets are available Tuesday, Saturday matinee tickets are available Friday and Sunday matinee tickets are available Saturday.

A TKTS booth in downtown Brooklyn, located at 1 MetroTech Center (the corner of Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue), operates Monday through Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. for same-day evening performances and next-day matinee performances. Cash, credit cards and travelers checks accepted.

Full-price tickets and information on Broadway and off-Broadway shows are available at the Broadway Ticket Center, located on the east side of Broadway between 46th Street and 47th Street. There is a $4.50 service charge per ticket.