- The Women
:"For the 1939 George Cukor film based on the play, see
The Women (1939 film) . For the 2008 remake, seeThe Women (2008 film) ."The Women" is a
comedy of manners byClare Boothe Luce .The play is an acidic commentary on the pampered lives and power struggles of various wealthy Manhattan
socialites and up-and-comers and thegossip that propels and damages their relationships. While men frequently are the subject of their lively discussions and play an important role in the action on-stage, they are strictly characters mentioned but never seen.The original Broadway production, directed by
Robert B. Sinclair , opened onDecember 26 ,1936 at theEthel Barrymore Theatre , where it ran for 666 performances [ [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=509&category=Notes Turner Classic Movies notes on "The Women"] ] with an all-female cast that includedArlene Francis ,Ilka Chase , andMarjorie Main .1973 revival
After seven previews, a revival directed by
Morton Da Costa opened onApril 25, 1973 at the46th Street Theatre , where it ran for only 63 performances. The cast includedDorothy Loudon ,Myrna Loy ,Alexis Smith ,Kim Hunter ,Rhonda Fleming ,Jan Miner , andCamila Ashland . Other productions have starredGloria Swanson andElaine Stritch 2001 revival
After 32 previews, a second revival directed by
Scott Elliott opened onNovember 8 ,2001 at theAmerican Airlines Theatre , where it ran for 77 performances. The cast includedKristen Johnston ,Rue McClanahan ,Cynthia Nixon ,Jennifer Coolidge ,Jennifer Tilly ,Heather Matarazzo , andHallie Kate Eisenberg . Fashion guruIsaac Mizrahi won aDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design, and Coolidge was nominated as Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play.Film versions
The 1939 film version was directed by
George Cukor and starredNorma Shearer andJoan Crawford . Supporting cast includedRosalind Russell ,Paulette Goddard ,Joan Fontaine andMary Boland . In 1956, the story was made into a musical film titled "The Opposite Sex ", starringJune Allyson andJoan Collins .Diane English directed and co-wrote a long-in-development contemporary remake of the film, starringJada Pinkett Smith ,Meg Ryan ,Eva Mendes , andAnnette Bening , which was released in 2008.External links
* [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=9750 1936 Broadway production]
* [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=3189 1973 Broadway revival]
* [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=12906 2001 Broadway revival]
* [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=509&category=Overview/ Turner Classic Movies article on "The Women"]
* [http://lafemmereel.com/blog/a-whos-who-in-the-women-past-present/"The Women" Past & Present @ LaFemmeReel.com]References
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