Playwright: Alan Ball
Rights: Dramatists
Synopsis: During an ostentatious wedding reception at a Knoxville, Tennessee, estate, five reluctant, identically clad bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom, each with her own reason to avoid the proceedings below. They are Frances, a painfully sweet but sheltered fundamentalist; Mindy, the cheerful, wise-cracking lesbian sister of the groom; Georgeanne, whose heartbreak over her own failed marriage riggers outrageous behavior; Meredith, the bride’s younger sister, whose precocious rebelliousness masks a dark secret; and Trisha, a jaded beauty whose die-hard cynicism about men is called into question when she meets Tripp, a charming bad-boy usher to whom there is more than meets the eye. As the afternoon wears on, these five very different women joyously discover a common bond in this wickedly funny, irreverent, and touching celebration of the women’s spirit.
Rating:
Language: 16+
Adult Content: 16+
Violence: All ages
Pay attention to: Language is severe throughout the play. A few homophobic slurs are used. Sexual situations are discussed throughout, and sexual abuse is also discussed. Drug use is also present.
Flexibility: All changes must be approved in advance.
Production notes: Meredith is seen in a bra and boxer shorts twice.