Playing through March 13 at Theatre Southwest. Clare Boothe Luce’s social satire “The Women”. The play was a smash hit when first performed on Broadway in 1936 and has enjoyed several revival productions during the 1970s, 1990s and most recently as a film remake of the original 1939 film version in 2008 starring Meg Ryan, Bette Midler and Annette Bening.

With the success of Desperate Housewives and the ceiling-breaking success of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin in recent years, it is not surprising that an enterprising director like Jay Menchaca would decide to revive “The Women”.

“The Women” is set in the world of high society wives in New York City during the height of the Great Depression. Mary Haines, the protagonist, learns from a gossipy manicurist that her husband, Stephen, is having an affair with a shop-girl named Crystal. After the news of Stephen’s affair is published in a gossip column, Mary decides to divorce him. To obtain her divorce, she travels to Reno, Nevada, where liberal divorce laws attracted many society women wishing to downplay any potential for scandal. While she is in Reno, Mary learns that Stephen has married Crystal. Two years later, Mary, now living back in New York with her children, learns that Crystal has been unfaithful to Stephen. With the help of her friends, Mary sets out to expose Crystal’s infidelity in order to win Stephen back.
Although men are at the center of the lives of “The Women” in “The Women”, no male characters appear in the play, which is set in such locations as beauty parlors, women’s clothing stores, and other predominantly female environments. “The Women” addresses themes of the modern woman, marriage and divorce, female friendship, beauty standards, gossip, and socioeconomic class.

“The Women”, takes place in a different time, when equality between the sexes was a far off reality. I couldn’t help feeling it was all so depressingly contemporary. While it's true that most of us don't have servants, this tale of women living in leisure and excess, for whom blowing money is their main pursuit, seems all too apropos today. In fact, the only thing that feels outdated is the chorus of working class women, the servants and beauticians and shop girls and nurses, all of whom are given their chance to take pot-shots at the elitist high society women who whine and moan about how miserable their lives of leisure are. In a society obsessed with misbehaving celebrities, where entire reality shows are devoted to women tarting themselves up to catch a wealthy man and jump their class, and where, despite growing income inequality, the economy hums along, fueled by massive consumer spending on an ever expanding array of entertainment and beauty products, this play is less a mocking comment on the upper classes than a reasonable representation of our own lives, which is fairly depressing.

The actresses along with the superb direction of Jay Menchaca and John Mitsakis are what really make this play one not to be missed. Rebecca Seabrook gives an outstanding performance as Mary Haines. Kelly Walker with an all to convincing portrayal of the gold digging Crystal Allen. Sydney R. Dunlap as Little Mary was as realistic as any child actor I have ever seen. Angela Denny played Edith Potter so well that at times she seemed the seasoned veteran of stage, I hope to see much more from her in the future, a real natural talent. I can’t forget the beautiful Pam Green as Miriam Aarons who was so nice to look at that I almost forgot that her acting matched her beauty, a stellar performance, catfight and all.

All of the actresses were perfectly cast in their roles and performed them to the letter, captivating the audience into the lives of the characters through whom we could escape our own, if only for a moment, coming away with a sense of another's perspective in addition to the one we had when the curtain came up.

The Cast of “The Women”:

Shelley Auer (Peggy Day)
Malinda L. Beckham (Nancy Blake)
Robin Beckwith (Jane)
Allie Collins (Debutante)
Emily Colvin (Pedicurist, Cigarette Girl)
Carol Davis (Dowager, Second Saleswoman)
Laura DeBellas (Miss Trimmerback)
Angela Denny (Edith Potter)
Kathy Drum (Countess De Lage)
Sydney R. Dunlap (Little Mary)
Bobbie Giachini (Maggie)
Melody Gray (Sylvia Fowler)
Pam Green (Miriam Aarons)
Hilary C. Henderson (Miss Watts, Hairdresser, Girl in Distress)
Sudeane Holmes (Mrs. Morehead)
Beverly Hutchison (Miss Fordyce, Sadie)
Suzanne King (Exercise Instructress)
Michelle Kuebker (Mrs. Shapiro, First Society Woman, Fitter)
Tausheli McClure (Princess Tamara, Helene)
Carolyn Montgomery (Lucy)
Colleen Moore (Lingerie Model)
Kate Nelson (Olga)
Regina Ohashi (Nurse, Second Society Woman)
Rebecca Seabrook (Mary Haines)
Kelly Walker (Crystal Allen)

See “The Women”, directed by Jay Menchaca and assisted by John Mitsakis, Feb. 19 - Mar. 13, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm (Matinee Feb. 28 at 3 pm) at Theatre Southwest 8944-A Clarkcrest, Houston, Tx 77063

Don’t Miss The Interview with Directors Jay Menchaca and John Mitsakis in The Red Pub Magazine.

To purchase tickets or for more information visit http://www.theatresouthwest.org/ or call (713) 661-9505

Please Email Charles with Comments: writer@thekungfucafe.com