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Five Women Wearing the Same Dress
By Alan Ball
Directed by Andy Sinclair
Produced by Hubris Productions
At the Hoover-Leepen Theatre at the
Center on Halsted
3656 N. Halsted Street
Chicago, IL
Call 773-661-0938, tickets $20 - $15 students/seniors, $10 industry
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Running time is 2 hours, 15 minutes with intermission
Through December 8, 2007
Deft comedy sparks women’s play
Alan Ball (creator of HBO’s Six Feet Under and the writer of American Beauty) has written a funny distinctly women’s play in Five Women Wearing the Same Dress. Mounted on John Whittington’s large pink and white bedroom set in Knoxville, Tennessee circa 1996, the comedy finds the bridesmaids gathering in the upstairs bedroom to avoid attending the wedding reception. The five distinct souls include Frances (the ditsy Christina Gorman) the awkward Christian fundamentalist cousin who neither drinks nor cusses. Meredith (Andrea Morales) is the troubled younger sister to the bride and Trisha (Lisa Butterfield) is the beauty but cynical college friend of the bride. Georgeanne (Patricia Savieo) is the neurotic childhood sidekick and Mindy (Mary Hollis Inboden) is the sister to the groom and the black sheep to the family. These wacky characters, all in rich Tennessee drawls, are ripe with a pleasing assortment of humor mostly bashing men. The play is definitely for women and would be a terrific group outing.
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Each player added a distinct style and nice comedic timing to the play. It sure offers a glimpse into women’s psyche which is amazing since it is written by a man. With clever and unpredictable situations, each women is allowed to vent her angst. The humor is laced with poignant and heartbreaking moments devoid of sentimentality. A true ensemble piece with a breezy pace, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress delivers a spirited celebration of each women’s desire for a relationships. Women will readily relate to the material; men will laugh at the spot on characterization of men. I like this light weight but polished show.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2007
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