The Women at Theatre West

Clare Boothe Luce's 1936 play was the first American comedy about women by a woman. Set within a world of Manhattan women who are wealthy, social and privileged, along with the pink-collar women who serve and maintain them, the action and themes of this play are as relevant now as they were 77 years ago. The more things change…. Ms. Luce takes a jaundiced view of her gender, as the female friends of the uptown circle are often not content to be faithful to their own men and engage in spiteful gossip to sabotage the marriages and relationships of their purported friends. Sweet Mary Haines believes that she has the perfect marriage. When someone in her circle lets slip that her husband has a mistress. Mary is devastated, and her wise mother gives her sage advice to preserve her marriage. Mary then proceeds to ignore her mother's counsel, making every mistake she could possibly make. She seems set on a path to divorce, severing the ties between herself and the man she loves (and who still loves her, despite everything). Additionally, her adorable little daughter is just crushed by the turn of events. Can the Haines' marriage possibly be saved? Will the other women in Mary's circle find love and fulfillment? Will the nasty gossipmongers get their comeuppance? "The Women" has sex, gossip, marriage and romance. In short, it has everything that preoccupies the airwaves today. It was all upon the stage first. Men are frequently mentioned but never seen in this narrative.