Lee Meriwether in Women of Spoon River starts January 28

One of Theatre West's most famous and popular members takes center stage to perform in the limited engagement World Premiere of a show of her own devising.

"Spoon River Anthology," the 1915 volume of poems by Edgar Lee Masters (1868-1950), has been adapted into several theatrical works, the most notable of which was the adaptation by Charles Aidman in 1962 for Theatre West. It was one of the very first productions of Theatre West, and itself was successful enough to transfer directly to Broadway from its Los Angeles premiere. Lee Meriwether understudied actors Betty Garrett and Joyce Van Patten in that production. Ms. Meriwether appeared in the main cast of the award-winning 40th anniversary revival production at Theatre West, directed by Garrett and Van Patten eight years ago.

In the new work by Lee Meriwether with Jim Hesselman, "Women of Spoon River: Their Voices From the Hill" focuses entirely on the female inhabitants of the small Illinois town of which Masters wrote. Lee creates 26 indelible character portraits, including some women never before portrayed on stage.

As in the original source material, the women are already deceased. Their stories are drawn from their epitaphs. They are now in a position to tell the truth, whatever it is, without fear of retribution. Some led happy lives. Others did not. Some remained in their small town their entire lives. Others ventured abroad. Some were virtuous. Others were not. Some were prim. Others were bawdy. Some found love. Others received heartbreak. Some lived in torment. Others found joy. In short, their collective experiences weave a rich tapestry of the breadth of human experiences, evoking an unusually insightful portrait of life and death in a small town in middle America at the turn of the 20th Century. Unsparingly honest, the picture is not always pretty.

Adapter-performer Lee Meriwether first leapt to fame as Miss America 1955. Still radiantly beautiful, she is now an icon of mature glamour. A star of stage, screen and television, she is a current cast member of the daytime TV series "All My Children," on which she plays Ruth Martin. The original Today Girl (on the morning show "Today"), she also appeared as a regular on "The Time Tunnel," "Mission: Impossible," 'The New Andy Griffith Show," "The Munsters Today," and especially "Barnaby Jones," for which she was nominated for an Emmy and two Golden Globes . Her films include features with such stars as John Wayne, Rock Hudson, James Garner and Andy Griffith, but she is always remembered as the first feature film Catwoman in "Batman' (1966). Trained by Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, she has been active at Theatre West since its inception, appearing frequently on its stage (including its recent long-running production of "Nunsense"). She has also appeared extensively in regional musical theatre.

Director and co-adapter Jim Hesselman has acted in, written and/or directed over 150 productions, mostly in the Kentuckiana (Kentucky-Indiana) area. He received his MFA from the University of Louisville. He toured nationally with "Anything Goes" (with Gloria Loring) and the 20th anniversary tour of "Nunsense" (with Lee Meriwether). He has written fourteen children's musicals and wrote or co-wrote several Gospel musicals.

"Women of Spoon River: Their Voices From the Hill" was developed in Theatre West's Monday Night Acting Workshop and at Indiana University Southeast. The Theatre West production marks its professional World Premiere.

You'll have just a few weeks to see this much-loved Hollywood star in a new work for the stage.