Emory & Henry presents “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress”
For the theatre students of Emory & Henry College, life has been one hectic ride. Rehearsals for “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” started three days after spring semester classes started. That means that the actors have been in constant rehearsals for three hours every day for the past seven weeks. Tension runs high, but as opening day approaches things are starting to come together.
“It has been hard but definitely worth it.” says Emory & Henry Sophomore Kalin Honaker, “Our whole department is pretty much a family. There’s not much backstabbing going on among the actors. We try to support each other and be professional.”
“Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” is written by Allan Ball and is an intelligent comedy. Although some might see it as being full of laughs and humor, it has its own amount of seriousness. It deals with issues such as AIDs and child molestation. Honaker says that this blend of humor and solemnity makes the play “great for the average theatre goer.”
The play is based on the lives of five very different bridesmaids who are all trying to avoid a wedding reception. They each have issues to deal with and experience their own personal breakthroughs. Honaker plays Trisha, a jaded socialite who has problems opening up to others. Her trust issues have become a problem and are keeping her from taking a chance on who could possibly be the love of her life.
“Trisha never tries to have any depth in her relationships because she’s afraid to open up.” Honaker says, “But now she has to decide whether or not to take that step of faith.”
The other characters are Mindy, the lesbian sister of the groom; Meredith, the bride’s rebellious sister; Georgeanne, the drama queen; Frances, a fundamentalist Christian; and Tripp, the groom’s cousin. These are played by Emory & Henry Theatre actors Libby Hurley, Anna Marie Davis, Becca Litton, Suzie Eskelund, and Jamal Crowelle.
The play is opening on Thursday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre. It will continue to show through the weekend on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are required and can be obtained at the cafeteria during lunch hours or at the Train Depot from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Filed Under: Featured
About the Author: Ginny Pierce is a senior at Emory & Henry College, with an English Literature and Creative Writing major. Her minor is in Mass Communications. She is a tutor in the Writing Center and news broadcaster for EHC News. She has just recently joined the EHC Wired staff and is excited to start reporting and editing.
