Review: THE WOMEN at Adobe Theatre

The Women, a play by Clare Boothe Luce, is a comedy of manners that is a social commentary on the lives and power struggles of wealthy Manhattan socialites in 1936. The play has been performed on Broadway several times and had two movies based off of it, including a contemporary remake starring Meg Ryan, Eva Mendez, and Jada Pinkett Smith. According to the director, James Cady, The Women is, "a play about men, told by women." The play has a cast entirely made up of women and is about, "love and what happens when you take it for granted and then lose it."

The Women follows Mary/Mrs. Haines and her group of friends, including Sylvia/Mrs. Fowler, Peggy/Mrs. Day, Edith/Mrs. Potter, and Countess De Lage. The play explores the women's friendships with one another over several years as well as their relationships with their husbands, including what happens when the two aspects of their lives intersect. The play is filled with Luce's trademark acerbic wit and kept the audience laughing throughout the production. Several audience members even commented that they never realized how funny the play would be prior to seeing the production.

The cast, consisting of 20 actresses, did a wonderful job with their parts, with a majority of the actresses juggling multiple roles. However, there were some performances that stood out. As Sylvia/Mrs. Howard Fowler, Lorri Oliver brought a commanding presence to the stage, drawing the audience's attention whenever she appeared. As Countess De Lage, Staci Robbins brought a great comedic presence to the role, keeping the audience laughing with the Countess' antics and extravagant love life--there was never a dull moment when she was on the stage. Janine O'Neill-Loffelmacher, as Mary/Mrs. Stephen Haines, was the emotional heart of the production. Her pain at her husband's infidelity and the subsequent divorce was palpable. As Miss Nancy Blake, Stephanie Jones was engaging, capturing the audience's attention whenever she would bicker and banter with the rest of the cast. This incredible cast of phenomenal actresses brought Luce's words and her characters to life in an incredibly engaging and entertaining way.

The costuming by Shannon Scheffler and Katy Jacome, as well as the set design by James Cady, helped to evoke the time period of the 1930's, even with the minimalist set. In addition, the choreographed dance routines by Luke Loffelmacher that marked the end of each scene and act, set to music from the time period, kept the audience entertained while the set changes occurred. Additionally, it continued to keep the audience engaged in the play throughout these times.

The Women runs from Friday, October 11th - Sunday, November 3rd at The Adobe Theatre. General Admission is $20 with a $3 discount available to seniors (65+), students, ATG/TLC members, military, and first responders. Opening weekend tickets are %15. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (505) 898-9222 and leaving a message, or online at: https://adobetheater.org/reservations/.

of manners that is a social commentary on the lives and power struggles of wealthy Manhattan socialites in 1936. The play has been performed on Broadway several times and had two movies based off of it, including a contemporary remake starring Meg Ryan, Eva Mendez, and Jada Pinkett Smith. According to the director, James Cady, The Women is, "a play about men, told by women." The play has a cast entirely made up of women and is about, "love and what happens when you take it for granted and then lose it."

The Women follows Mary/Mrs. Haines and her group of friends, including Sylvia/Mrs. Fowler, Peggy/Mrs. Day, Edith/Mrs. Potter, and Countess De Lage. The play explores the women's friendships with one another over several years as well as their relationships with their husbands, including what happens when the two aspects of their lives intersect. The play is filled with Luce's trademark acerbic wit and kept the audience laughing throughout the production. Several audience members even commented that they never realized how funny the play would be prior to seeing the production.

The cast, consisting of 20 actresses, did a wonderful job with their parts, with a majority of the actresses juggling multiple roles. However, there were some performances that stood out. As Sylvia/Mrs. Howard Fowler, Lorri Oliver brought a commanding presence to the stage, drawing the audience's attention whenever she appeared. As Countess De Lage, Staci Robbins brought a great comedic presence to the role, keeping the audience laughing with the Countess' antics and extravagant love life--there was never a dull moment when she was on the stage. Janine O'Neill-Loffelmacher, as Mary/Mrs. Stephen Haines, was the emotional heart of the production. Her pain at her husband's infidelity and the subsequent divorce was palpable. As Miss Nancy Blake, Stephanie Jones was engaging, capturing the audience's attention whenever she would bicker and banter with the rest of the cast. This incredible cast of phenomenal actresses brought Luce's words and her characters to life in an incredibly engaging and entertaining way.

The costuming by Shannon Scheffler and Katy Jacome, as well as the set design by James Cady, helped to evoke the time period of the 1930's, even with the minimalist set. In addition, the choreographed dance routines by Luke Loffelmacher that marked the end of each scene and act, set to music from the time period, kept the audience entertained while the set changes occurred. Additionally, it continued to keep the audience engaged in the play throughout these times.

The Women runs from Friday, October 11th - Sunday, November 3rd at The Adobe Theatre. General Admission is $20 with a $3 discount available to seniors (65+), students, ATG/TLC members, military, and first responders. Opening weekend tickets are %15. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (505) 898-9222 and leaving a message, or online at: https://adobetheater.org/reservations/.

image source: Lisa K. Hannah

 

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