A new Renegade Comedy Theatre production offers an irreverent, funny and adult look at the intricacies of friendship. And it all starts because of a similar dress.
"Five Women Wearing the Same Dress" opens Thursday. Michelle Juntunen says it's set in one room on a summer day when a group of five bridesmaids come to hide out from a wedding.
"They are very unique," she said. "It's an adult comedy."
The wedding is a ritzy affair in Tennessee. The show has adult situations and adult language.
One of the characters, Mindy, is a lesbian. Another, Meredith, has a dark secret. Trisha is a charming beauty who falls for the only male character, Tripp, a bad-boy usher.
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Another woman, Frances, is described as a fundamentalist Christian whom Juntunen says "grows" in her openness to other ideas.
Another of the women, Georgeanne, came to the wedding to hook up with an old boyfriend since her marriage is falling apart.
"She's a hilarious character, but it's kind of heartbreaking, too," Juntunen said.
"Each woman has their own story and their own circumstances," she said.
Juntunen describes the small cast as "a total ensemble." It's comprised of several Renegade veterans, Sara Foldesi, Margie Moeller, Cathy Berggren and Sarah Matz. Zach Stofer had the lead in Renegade's production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
Joining them is Christine MacNeal, new to the Renegade stage but a veteran from the tech booth.
Juntunen also directed "Rumpelstiltskin" for Tugboat Children's Theatre last year.
"Of all the shows I've directed so far, this has been my favorite," she said.
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She added that in a community theater scene often desperate for actors, this one was easy to cast.
"I could have cast the show twice," she said.
The female-dominated cast hasn't been an issue, she said, even with the lone male actor, Stofer.
"He loves these women, and they make him feel right at home," Juntunen said. "They work harder than any cast I've ever had."
She said the play is interesting because the characters are never caricatures and are treated with respect by the writer.
While it's a comedy, it also has its serious elements.
"Like any good real play, it's got something that you laugh until you cry, and then you cry," Juntunen said. "... It touches every emotion."
"Five Women Wearing the Same Dress" runs May 6-8, 13-15 and 20-22 in the Renegade Center for the Arts, 404 W. Superior St. All performances being at 7 p.m. Tickets are $13 adults and $9 students and seniors.
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For reservations, call 722-6627.
