Play focuses on comedy of wedding jitters -- and not by the bride or groom

Maybe this is why people cry at weddings. Maybe this is why the bride is blushing.

They are a sight, these five bridesmaids in their electric pink satin dresses, adorned with chiffon, extra poofy sleeves and tiny hats that resemble pin cushions.

How could something like this happen?

It was intentional, and the success of Heller Theater's comedy "Five Women Wearing the Same Dress" depended on costumer Cyndi Vetter's discovery at Budget Bride of Tulsa.

"She went in and said, 'We need something tacky. You got anything?' " Heller artistic director Julie Tattershall recalls, laughing. "They had something."

Perhaps it's a prime example of what "Five Women" playwright Alan Ball means when he says that our capacity for grief is directly proportionate to our capacity for joy. Perhaps that explains why he writes about weddings and funerals. The Oscar-winning Ball (who wrote the "American Beauty" screenplay) is also the creator of HBO's acclaimed series "Six Feet Under."

"Weddings, funerals, they're both milestones, and he really thinks that those moments that are difficult are the ones that make us grow the most," said Tattershall, who is directing this production. She adds that if people are fans of "American Beauty" or "Six Feet Under," they'll be attracted to this production, staged for the Performing Arts Center Trust's Summerstage theater festival.

"The characters are all unique people, going through situations we're all familiar with. He's not into stereotyping people. Alan Ball writes individuals. They're these quirky people you really believe walk around and exist."

Everyone's been to a wedding. Most are blissful, truly beautiful unions. Others are showcases of ostentatiousness, farces for the haves to invite the have-nots to. This latter case is the kind of wedding staged in "Five Women Wearing the Same Dress."

In this audacious, bittersweet affair, the audience doesn't wit ness the most opulent Knoxville, Tenn., wedding. The time is instead spent with five bridesmaids (played by Lisa McCrossen, Sarah Alfred, Emily Chandlee, Allison Barnett and Regina Heim) who are as trapped in their lives as they are in those hideous gowns.

Each one has her own reason to avoid the reception, so they hide out in an upstairs bedroom where they can really let their hair down. It's a raucous romp about life, love, marriage, men and intimacy as seen through the eyes of five women who, initially, seem to have little in common save for their mutual dislike of the bride.

"Sometimes a wedding is very emotional for people, because they're watching a life decision being made, and it gives them pause to think about their own life, and where it's going," Tattershall said. "One thing they might wonder is, 'Is it going anywhere?' "

The director is in her 15th year with Heller Theater, and this will be the first time the troupe has repeated a play. Heller staged the work in 1996 (McCrossen repeats her role from seven seasons ago) at its 50-seat, city-owned theater. This time around, the PAC's Liddy Doenges Theater affords 200 seats.

"We're hoping for sell-outs again," Tattershall said with a chuckle. "We sold out before it even opened back then, and we had to extend the run. We just had such fun, I thought, why not? It's summer. It's weddings. Let's do it again."

theater

Who
Heller Theater presents Alan Ball’s comedy for Summerstage theater festival.

When
8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. July 27, also 8 p.m. July 31-Aug. 2

Where
Liddy Doenges Theater of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, Second Street and Cincinnati Avenue

Tickets
$6-$8, may be reserved at the PAC box office by calling 596-7111 or online at www.tulsapac.com