The Daile Theatre of Latvia returns to North America for a 14-city tour in September and October, this time to perform the two-act comedy by playwright Jānis Jurkāns, “Dzīvīte, dzīvīte…”

The play, originally known as “Vistas” (The Hens), begins when someone steals the Debestiņš family’s hens. While the crime is investigated, Jurkāns’ play reveals that what really missing in the family is love.

Jurkāns’ comedy saw its premiere in the Daile Theatre in 2004.

Jurkāns, born in 1950, is the author of more than 20 plays and screenplays. According to the Web site of the Latvian Playwrights’ Guild, his plays focus on the individual and how they change. “Jānis Jurkāns looks at people without illusion,” the playwright’s biography states. Many of his plays are seen as dark, but Jurkāns sees them as light, because the characters are forced to look openly at their own lies.

Performing in the play are Olga Dreģe and Leons Krivāns as a pair of pensioners, Anna Debestiņa and Leons Fricis Debestiņš; Esmeralda Ermale as their daughter, Inese; Andris Makovskis as the policeman and Inese’s former boyfriend, Orests Feirāmis; Gunārs Placēns as Inese’s current boyfriend, Valdis; and Venta Vecumniece as the neighbor lady, Vizbulīte.

Directing the Daile performance is Juris Rijnieks, who has worked with the New Theatre of Rīga, the Liepāja Theatre and the Daile Theatre. Rijnieks directed “Dzīvīte, dzīvīte…” in 2004. This year he also has directed Lelde Stumbre’s “Laimīgā Blūmentāle” for the Daile.

Performances are scheduled:

• Sept. 7 in Massachusetts: At 7 p.m. in the Latvian Ev.-Lutheran “Trimda” Church of Boston, 58 Irving St., Brookline. The performance is organized by Mākslas draugu grupa. For further information, telephone Maija Priede at +1 (781) 329-7491.
• Sept. 8 in New York: At 7:30 p.m. in the Latvian Ev.-Lutheran Church of New York, 254 Valentine Ln., Yonkers. The performance is organized by the Council of New York Latvian Organizations. For further information, contact Jānis Riekstiņš at +1 (516) 674-8802.
• Sept. 9 in New Jersey: At 2 p.m. at the Latvian center Priedaine, 1017 Highway 33 East, Freehold. The performance is organized by the New Jersey Latvian Society. For further information, telephone Jānis Students at +1 (732) 836-9750.
• Sept. 13 in Ontario: At 7:30 p.m. in the Latvian Canadian Cultural Centre, 4 Credit Union Drive, Toronto. The performance is organized by the center. For further information, call Vizma Maksiņa at +1 (416) 759-4900.
• Sept. 16 in Ohio: At 1 p.m. in the United Latvian Ev. Lutheran Church of Cleveland, 1385 Andrews Ave., Lakewood. The performance is organized by the Latvian Society of Cleveland. For further information, contact Silvija Rutenberga at +1 (440) 205-9367.
• Sept. 18 in Michigan: At 7 p.m. in the Kalamazoo Latvian Hall, 100 Cherry Hill Drive, Kalamazoo. The performance is organized by the Latvian Society of Kalamazoo. For further information, contact Laima Kaugara at +1 (269) 353-4659.
• Sept. 21 in Illinois: At 7:30 p.m. in the Latvian House, 4146 N. Elston Ave., Chicago. The event is organized by the Latvian Society of Chicago. For further information, telephone Armands Birkens at +1 (773) 282-6510.
• Sept. 23 in Minnesota: At 1 p.m. in the Latvian Ev.-Lutheran Church of Minneapolis and St. Paul, 3152 17th Ave. S., Minneapolis. The performance is organized by the Latvian Organization Association of Minnesota and the church choir. For further information, contact Jānis Robiņš at +1 (651) 646-1980.
• Sept. 26 in Oregon: At 7 p.m. in the Latvian Center of Portland, 5500 Dosch Road S.W., Portland. The event is organized by the Latvian Society of Oregon. For further information, telephone Dace Garuta at +1 (503) 259-9557.
• Sept. 28 in Washington: At 7:30 p.m. in the Latvian Center, 11710 3rd Ave. N.E., Seattle. The performance is organized by the Latvian Society in Washington State. For more information, contact Jānis Kramēns at +1 (425) 941-2753.
• Sept. 29 in California: At 7 p.m. in the Northern California Latvian Ev.-Lutheran Church, 425 Hoffman Ave., San Francisco. The performance is organized by the Latvian Society of Northern California. For further information, telephone Emīls Elstiņš at +1 (925) 935-9769.
• Sept. 30 in California: At 1:30 p.m in Latvian Community Center, 1955 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles. The event is organized by the Latvian Theatre of Los Angeles. For further information, contact Ilga Jankovskis at +1 (818) 783-1437.
• Oct. 5 in Maryland: At 7:30 p.m. in the Latvian Ev.-Lutheran Church of Washington, D.C., 400 Hurley Ave., Rockville. The performance is organized by the Latvian Organizations in Washington, DC. For further information, contact Anita Juberte at +1 (301) 869-3127.
• Oct. 7 in Florida: At 4 p.m. in the Latvian American Center, 1705 9th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. The performance is organized by the Latvian Society of St. Petersburg. For further information, call Andris Ritums at +1 (727) 797-1933.

The tour is supported by the New York-based cultural society TILTS, which in 2004 organized the Daile Theatre’s North American performances of the Māra Zālīte play, “Zemes nodoklis.” Last year the cultural organization supported the National Theatre’s tour of North America with the Gunārs Priede play, “Zilā.”