The Valley Center Stage is closing out the 2016-2017 season with a production of “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress,” an adult comedy about five bridesmaids who, all for their own unique reasons, hide away in an upstairs bedroom during the reception of the wedding.
The play was written in 1993 by Alan Ball a screenwriter most known for writing the film “American Beauty” which won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2000.
“Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” is Ball’s earliest work.
Seattle-based theater director Alan Wilke is returning to the Valley Center Stage to direct the production, which will make this his fourth play produced with Valley Center Stage. He said he was asked to direct after the original director was no longer able to fill the role.
He has been working on rehearsals with the cast for a month in preparation of opening day on May 5.
“Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” begins in an upstairs bedroom of a house used for a wedding reception in Knoxville, Tenn. The story focuses on the five bridesmaids who all find their way up to the room to get away from the other people at the wedding reception.
Throughout the story the women, despite all being very different people, forge a bond and find aspects in common with each other that they did not expect.
In explaining the story, Wilke said that the play is a slice of life that casts aside the usual storytelling plot structures in favor of portraying moments in life.
“I always try, as a director, to figure out what the spine is and what the voice of the author is. I try to be faithful to that. Most plays are structured with a minor climax and build to a major climax,” he said. “That doesn’t really happen in this, it’s just slices of life, all the women get a dramatic moment, they all have the fun moments, and I keep saying it has to be realistic, like drinking around a bar or sitting around hanging out with friends where you just interject around a topic.”
Julia Buck, an actor playing the character of Mindy, the groom’s sister, said she really enjoys the character dynamics and views the play as a look into the types of friendship between women.
“It deals with people who come from very different places, very different backgrounds very different histories, but who are able to form a bond with each other and a relationship just over the course of a life milestone, and not necessarily their life milestone,” she said.
“It’s a women-centric play so it has a lot to do with the friendships between women, and the friendships between women in the absence of men, which I think is a little bit different.”
The production will premiere at 7:30 p.m., on the Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6. After the first weekend there will be shows every Thursday, Friday and Saturday until May 20, with an extra 2 p.m. showing on Sunday, May 14.
“Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” does feature adult language and themes that may not be appropriate for all ages.
For more information on tickets and the production itself, visit valleycenterstage.org.
Bridesmaids Meredith and Trisha argue about the wedding, while Frances tries to ignore them. (Evan Pappas/Staff Photo)
Meredith tries to eavesdrop on Georgeanne, a fellow bridesmaid played by Robin-Wallbeck-Forrest, while Trisha explains that she shouldn’t pry into others’ personal business. (Evan Pappas/Staff Photo)
