We all have overheard the whispered sidebar conversations that go on at weddings:
“She (or he) doesn’t deserve him (or her).”
“Do you think this one will last?”
“How much do you think she spent for that gown?”
It’s this inside look at the emotions that occur surrounding a wedding that is topic of “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress,” a comedy that opens March 1 at Red Curtain Theatre in Marysville.
The five women referred to in the show’s title are the wedding’s five bridesmaids, who are hiding in the bedroom at the site of the wedding reception.
The play is a comedy that also raises some dramatic issues that “are real issues that affect women to this very day,” said David Alan Morrison, who is directing the play.
“You feel like you’re listening to real people — people who may even be in your life,” he said.
The play is written by Alan Ball, who wrote the screenplay for the movie “American Beauty,” and created the television series “Six Feet Under.”
“Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” was written in the 1990s. The comedy takes place during the wedding of a rather affluent young lady, Morrison said.
The histories of the five bridesmaids are revealed as the play unfolds. The women share their ideals and philosophies of not only themselves but women’s place in society, he said.
The only man in the play is one of the ushers. “Usually in theater, most of the roles are male roles,” Morrison said. “This is one of the few shows where it has very little male influence.”
That doesn’t mean that men won’t enjoy the play, too. It isn’t a play just about women’s issues, he said. “But when they do talk about what we call a women’s issue, they do it in a way that has two to three perspectives. So even if you don’t agree with the character, there is an opposing point of view.”
Morrison has been associated with Red Curtain productions for a decade, when its performances were first staged at the Historic Everett Theatre. He directed two plays while the theater company was based in Everett.
This is the second show he’s directed for Red Curtain based on State Street in Marysville.
There are some swear words and adult themes in the play, but it doesn’t use vulgarity for shock value, he said.
“To me it’s natural, something you might hear in a restaurant somewhere,” Morrison said.
“It’s an enjoyable night out,” he said. “It’s relatable, accessible and fun.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
If you go
Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts presents “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” by Alan Ball, showing March 1-17 at the Red Curtain Arts Center, 9315 State Ave. Suite J in Marysville.
Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sundays. General admission is $18 or $15 for seniors, students and military.
Tickets can be purchased at the Red Curtain box office from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, by calling 360-322-7402, or online through Brown Paper Tickets. More at www.redcurtainfoundation.org.
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