Really there's no reason why this show shouldn't be sold-out for its entire run. Five Women Wearing the Same Dress is a perfectly approachable comedy featuring a really fun ensemble of five actresses playing bridesmaids just after a wedding at some point in the early 1990s. Directed for Theatre Unchained by Artistic Director James Dragolovich, the ensemble has a really fun energy about it that works remarkably well in the studio theatre environment of Theatre Unchained. The play takes place upstairs at a wedding reception. No one but the bridesmaids err go upstairs. This is where they can relax and be informal. And we get to watch. And since the script is written by Alan Ball--the same guy who had written the film American Beauty and numerous episodes of a couple acclaimed HBO TV shows (Six Feet Under and more recently True Blood), the script is quite fun. Alan Ball's sense of casual conversation is crisp, witty and above all enjoyable.
In the intimate studio theatre space of Theatre Unchained, we get to know five characters at an event they would just as soon not attend. Ashley Jordan wields tremendous confidence as the bride's sister Meredith. She's utterly disgusted over the affair and her family and can't wait for the day to be over. Jordan's got a comic bite to the annoyance she's expressing onstage. She's fun. Tawnie Thompson is a young actress. Here she's playing woman who is resigned to be married to a man she does not love. Thompson's comic resignation in the role of Georganne drives an infectiously carefree mood. If the ensemble has a central anchor it's Trisha--the one who refuses to settle down--the one to whom no man could possibly live up to. The one way too smart to enjoy a a nice romance that is anything more than casual sex. Eva Nimmer is radiantly cool in the role with a solid understanding of the rhythm and humor of Ball's writing. Christina Schauer is the innocent, judgemental Christian girl who comes across as being profoundly naive. It's probably the least flattering of the five central characters in the ensemble--not an easy thing to try to breathe life into, but Christina Schauer does an admirable job of making the character even remotely likable. It's difficult for ANY actor to come across as both innocent AND judgmental, but Schauer makes it work.
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I'm not real familiar with any of the above actresses. Dragolovich did a really good job of putting together the ensemble. It's also nice to see a familiar face in the form of Liz Faraglia. Here she's playing Mindy--the sister of the groom. Mindy's an exceedingly well-adjusted woman who also happens to be open about being a lesbian. It's a nice role to watch Faraglia work with. An actress who has also studied a dance, it's always interesting watching the movements of the body language of a Faraglia characterization. Here she's brash and playful with the same sharp grasp of Ball's sense of humor that Nimmer wields.
The flow of action across the stage works exceedingly well. There's a delicate cascade to Ball's script that the cast runs in a good direction with. The production gets a bit stiff and bogged down when we see Trisha approached by promising romantic prospect Tripp (plated by Alex Skanavis.) The script didn't really need for this character to show up and neither Dragolovich nor Sanavis nor Nimmer provide much of a convincing reason for I'm to do so. This is a fairly minor concur, however, as so much of the play is so well-written and well executed.
Theatre Unchained's production of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress runs through February 2nd on 1024 South 5th Street. For ticket reservations, call 414-291-7145 or visit Theatre Unchained online.
