By Abigail Koenig
Concordia’s upcoming theatrical performance of Alan Ball’s “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” will open Oct. 9 with shows until Oct. 12. Tickets can be purchased through the link in the Instagram bio of @cordtheatre.
Set in the early 90s, the play centers around five female bridesmaids at a Knoxville, Tennessee wedding hiding in one of their bedrooms to escape the reception. It first appears that these women have very little in common, though they slowly bond over shared experiences and learn they are more alike than once thought.
Through laughter and tears, as a dark comedy, the play touches on topics of womanhood, friendship, community, self-discovery and societal expectations.
“The way I see it is it’s a play about women bonding over the female experience,” said Brooke Wickens, a junior at Concordia who plays the role of Trisha. Wickens calls Trisha “a 34-year-old maneater.”
Christian Boy, interim director of theatre at Concordia, is the director of this production. He selected this show due to there being no main character, but rather a strong ensemble with diverse roles. He also notes a love for scripts with both strong emotion and comedy.
“It is very much a shared space and a shared script. These women, in addition to wearing the same dress, are all connected in other ways. They discover these connections throughout the course of the play,” said Boy.
Wickens referenced the lighter conflicts that get addressed but also the darker themes that are not necessarily dealt with in the play. She highlights the importance of finding common ground with the community around you.
“Sometimes terrible things happen, and women go through really difficult things and there isn’t always just a band aid or solution. Sometimes the biggest help is solidarity and sharing with other women.” she states.
Both Boy and Wickens hope that the audience will think about the performance critically, analyze the social commentary that the show makes and find identity or relatability with it in some way.
“I want my audience members and my actors to take away a sense of discovering joy in relationships and finding ways of connecting with other people,” Boy remarks.
The cast has been rehearsing five nights a week, for six weeks, for three hours. Boy typically allows for actors to run the scene organically themselves while taking notes, then has a discussion with them.
“I act as a little bit of an outside observer. I let them find that sense of discovery first, then I’ll come in,” Boy explains. “I hope my rehearsals are a place for collaboration and contribution and connecting with each other more than just being told what to do.” he elaborates.
The performances will be in the Lab Theatre of the Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre.
