BWW Reviews: WOMEN Could Rule the World - Just Not in This Version

Women/written by Chiara Atik /directed by Stephanie Ward / Theatre Asylum/thru October 25, 2014

Those with an affinity for fast-talking Valley Girl-speak should find a lot to enjoy in Chiara Atik's Women. A selection of 'girl power' songs (including a version of Beyonce's "Who Rule the World") blares over the speakers to greet the incoming audience. Stephanie Ward wisely directs this spoof of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" in a lightning pace lasting only 55 minutes.

In this thread-bare plot, Marmee has four daughters of indeterminable teenage years, a.k.a. her "little women": Jo, the aspiring writer not into men; Meg, the non-stop talker who marries the first man she meets; Amy, the wannabe artist with an acquired British accent and Beth, the coughing sister who's (spoiler alert!) dying most of the play.

Kudos to the cast's commitment to their sometimes sketchy roles in this extended sketch comedy piece. As within the confines of a skit's construct, the punchline comes via skin-surfaced characters with not much time to develop three-dimensions. So too, in Women, each character, as written, has one or two characteristics emphasized to lead to the punchline.

All Chris Farah has to play as the mother Marmee are great double take reactions in between expressing her motherly concerns. Brigitte Valdez has definitely got her coughing down as the dying Beth. Jacquie Walters exhibits some delightful comic bits as Amy, intentionally not entering her dying sister's bedroom for fear of catching her fatal disease. Walters' almost consistent British accent's perfect for a British poser. Erika Rankin as the anxious-to-get-married Meg nails her annoying, machine gun-delivery Valley Girl Me! Me! Me! personae, making it difficult to illicit any sympathy for her wrong choices. Lauren Flans as Jo, the aspiring writer not into men, certainly delivers the uncertainty of finding herself as her character seemed in total confusing flux.
The men, as written, have even less to portray; though Clayton Farris, as Laurie/Larry, the smitten (maybe gay, maybe not) rejected suitor of Jo, seems the most realized character of the ensemble. In his proposal to her, he mentions how similar they are in likes and tastes and how great it would be wear each others' clothes (???). Ben Moroski as Professor Bhaer attains nice genuine moments of interest, concern, and attraction to Jo. (Didn't realize he was a professor and not a fellow student of Jo's, not that it matters.) Joseph Patrick O'Malley plays Mr. Brooke, the future husband of Meg as a good-looking cipher. (And that's "Mr. Brooke" to even his sister-in-laws, never to be addressed by his first name). JB Waterman easily handles his multiple roles impressing the most with his Carl, the oft-not-mentioned brother of the four sisters.

Bare bones technical elements' (as expected in a small theatre) serviceably spot-on.

www.womentheshow.com