(left to right) Ramona Lucius as Sylvia Fowler, Kennikki H. Jones as Peggy Day, Jessica Cermak as Edith Potter, Jaclyn Strez as Mary Morehead Haines. Photo Credit: Jessica Bixby

The Women Friday, January 26 at 8 p.m. Saturday, January 27 at 8 p.m. Sunday, January 28 at 2 p.m. Friday, February 2 at 8 p.m. Saturday, February 3 at 8 p.m. Sunday, February 4 at 2 p.m.

Glamorous 1930s New York City comes to life on the Bonstelle stage when The Women opens at 8 p.m. on Friday, January 26, 2007. Written by noted feminist and former Vanity Fair editor Clare Boothe Luce, this screwball comedy follows the scandalous life of Mary Haines as she journeys from an innocent stockbroker’s wife to an enlightened single woman. The Women plays at the Bonstelle Theatre from January 26 – February 4, 2007.

Mary Haines’ seemingly perfect world is ripped apart when she discovers her husband is having an affair with an ambitious shop girl. Thanks to the gossip and scheming of her not-so-best friends, news of Mary’s troubles soon spreads to all of Park Avenue. Despite her mother’s advice to ignore the affair and continue on with her wealthy lifestyle, Mary makes the bold move of abandoning her glamorous NYC life to get a Reno divorce. Ultimately, the claws come out as these women prepare to battle for their men.

The Women was inspired by Luce’s own experiences as a divorcée and by spiteful conversations she overheard between women in Park Avenue powder rooms. These conversations led to a Vanity Fair column depicting the antics and gossip of these women, which later led to The Women. The play premiered in 1936 and shocked many with its scandalous depiction of New York City women. The Roundabout Theatre revived the production in 2001, starring Cynthia Nixon of Sex and the City fame as protagonist Mary Haines.

The Women is directed by WSU assistant professor of theatre James Luse, stage managed by undergraduate student Emily Bowyer (Westland, MI) and includes the following cast: Ashlee Armstrong (Lucy, Ensemble/Port Huron, MI); LeAnn Casey Bjornrud (Jane, Ensemble/Sterling Heights, MI); Jessica Cermak (Edith Potter, Ensemble/Shelby Township, MI); Józefa Alice Chmielewski (Little Mary, Ensemble/ Harper Woods, MI); Katie Clark (Miriam Aarons, Ensemble/Livonia, MI); Alaina Fleming (Princess Tamara, Ensemble/Detroit, MI); Kira Amanda Frabutt (Ensemble/Dearborn, MI); Bethany Hedden (Ensemble/Livonia, MI); Kristina Nicole Johnson (Crystal Allen/Detroit, MI); Kennikki H. Jones (Peggy Day/Detroit, MI); Catherine Kurth (Ensemble/Dearborn, MI); Ramona Lucius (Sylvia Fowler/Detroit, MI); Jennifer Martin (Nancy Blake, Ensemble/Grosse Pointe Park, MI); Holly Portman (The Countess de Lage, Ensemble/Milford, MI); Lauren Mae Shafer (Mrs. Morehead, Ensemble/Farmington Hills, MI); and Jaclyn Strez (Mary Morehead Haines/Dearborn, MI). Designers for the production include WSU faculty member Mary Copenhagen (Costume Designer); members of WSU’s Bonstelle undergraduate company Kevin Beltz (Scenic Designer/Eastpointe, MI); Adrienne Brady (Lighting Designer/Utica, MI); Patrick Field (Sound Designer/Ann Arbor, MI) and Alan Batkiewicz (Properties/Berkley, MI).

The Women plays at the Bonstelle Theatre on January 26 – 28 and February 2 – 4. Advance tickets are available in person through the Wayne State Theatre Box Office, located at 4743 Cass Ave. on the corner of Cass and Hancock, or by phone at (313) 577-2960. The box office is open Tuesday – Saturday from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door at the Bonstelle Theatre (3424 Woodward Ave.) beginning one hour prior to each performance. Regular tickets are available for $14, with $11 discount tickets available for students with ID, seniors 62+, and Wayne State University faculty, staff and Alumni Association Members. Group discounts are also available. For more information, please visit the theatre’s website at www.bonstelle.com.