Five Women (Classical Acting)

I was wardrobe head for this production, so I only got to see a crew view performance. However, I did get to listen to the show every night, and that was a joy.

            Five Women was such an intriguing play to me. I went to crew view not truly knowing what to expect. I was a little wary because I knew there was a lot of language and adult themes but I hadn’t done any research so I didn’t know what that entailed. I assumed it was some sort of comedy about five bridesmaids and the craziness of a wedding day but I was quickly alerted otherwise.

            This show was, for the most part, very well written. Somehow, the playwright, Alan Ball, was able to take five female stereotypes; a Christian, a lesbian, a woman who likes to sleep around, a college grad who thinks she knows everything, and a woman desperate to find a better life; and break through those stereotypes. Each character had extreme depth and thoughtful characteristics. They were all honestly written and I can only assume they were difficult to portray. That being said, I felt that the actresses did a splendid job. I know each of those women fairly well and to see them each play their characters with such devotion and commitment was such a joy. Their portrayal of the emotional journeys each character has to experience was fascinating to watch. I felt as though I could relate to each of them in a different way. And then, to get to listen to them and hear how far they had come in the week between crew view and opening night; wow their growth was exponential. It truly is amazing what costumes and sets do for a show. Not to mention sound and lighting.

            My biggest complaint with this show was the language. And not just because I personally try to avoid using swear words. I felt that the f words seemed forced in some places. Like the playwright wanted to simply see how many could be written into the script. I think each of the actors did an excellent job with what they were given, but I wonder why there were so many. There were times that I believed whole heartedly that those words came from a genuine place. But at other times I felt that they hindered the story and got in the way of the true objectives in the scene.

            Overall I found this show to be deeply moving. By the end of the run I felt that I had been on that journey with the actors and that I had more confidence to be myself; to chase after what I truly wanted. And if an audience member can walk away from a performance feeling even just that much taller, then I would consider it a great success.