“Incitation to the Dance” is written and directed by Michael Van Duzer and produced by Bryan Siu and Dina Morrone. (photo courtesy of Theatre West)

Enjoy the world premiere engagement of the new comedy “Incitation to the Dance” from Feb. 13-March 15 at Theatre West.

Written and directed by Michael Van Duzer and produced by Bryan Siu and Dina Morrone, the play is a selection in Theatre West’s Writers-in-Residence series, which presents works by resident playwrights. “Incitation to the Dance” is a sexy, dark gay comedy that will make audiences laugh, blush and want to dance.

Malcolm, a film historian and professor, and Asher, an unemployed dance instructor, are a long-term couple. They are dealing with Asher’s depression since losing his job. Malcolm’s delight in teaching his class “Gunsels and Gay Blades” (a survey of homoerotic coding in film noir) exacerbates Asher’s hopelessness. Finn, a determined young man, upends their world with his provocative blend of candid sexuality and menace. Oh, and they dance.

The stage is both the landscape of three minds and a choreographed battlefield. Stylized verbal battles escalate to physical confrontations, characters break the fourth wall, Malcolm’s class probes an overwrought 1940s love triangle while the dances build in intensity and violence.

Van Duzer’s previous directing credits at Theatre West include “The Man Who Saved Everything” and “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” and his own plays include “Hands Beneath the Table” and “Sons of Gad.” Established in 1962, Theatre West is celebrating its 64th year as the longest continually running professional theater company in Los Angeles. Theatre West alumni include Ray Bradbury, Jim Beaver, Beau Bridges, Richard Dreyfuss, Sally Field, Betty Garrett, Martin Landau, Lee Meriwether, Jack Nicholson, Carroll O’Connor, Sherwood Schwartz, Joyce Van Patten and Paul Winfield.

Showtimes for “Incitation to the Dance” are at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $30 online; $40 at the door. Theatre West is located at 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West. For reservations, call (323)851-4839, or visit eventbrite.com/e/incitation-to-the-dance-tickets-1975939145174.