Frank O’Donnell
Epic Theatre Company’s newest offering is “These Ruthless Bitches,” an adaptation by Kevin Broccoli of Clare Booth Luce’s 1936 play, “The Women.”
From the pre-show announcements to the curtain call, this one will keep you entertained and on your toes. Set in a women’s prison, “These Ruthless Bitches” opens on four card-playing women, less intent on their game than they are on being catty about the other inmates. And the claws are out.
Mary (Emily Lewis) is the topic of this day’s conversation, and as the play unfolds, we witness the destruction and dissolution of Mary’s marriage to Steven. Unknown to her, he’s having an affair while she’s in prison.
But her ignorance is short-lived, thanks to the gossip machine known better as the prison’s hairdresser, Mindy (Tiffany Fenton). Not only does she know who Steven’s having the affair with – a department store clerk named Crystal (Kerry Giorgi) – she also knows that Crystal will soon be an inmate, and that’s when the sparks should fly.
Sylvia (Hannah Lum) makes sure that Mary learns the truth. Sylvia’s a master manipulator, privately delighting in the despair of others while outwardly professing to be every woman’s best friend.
The women inside these walls are generally aristocratic, inside for something to do with big money. Their speech is fast-paced, and they sound as if they represent the upper-crust of society. Their movements and reactions are over exaggerated. They hardly ever make eye contact with each other, playing almost exclusively to the audience.
At first, that’s disconcerting, but as the evening goes on, it gets funnier and funnier.
“These Ruthless Bitches,” co-directed by Broccoli and Tammy Brown, features 14 actresses, some main characters, others not so much, but all get their moment on stage.
Lewis and Lum are terrific in their roles. Lewis, the prison-hardened woman whose soft spot is her marriage, grows an even harder shell. Lum appears tough as nails, but her vulnerability, once found, makes her a different woman.
Mary Paolino is wonderful as Mrs. Morehead, Mary’s mother and fellow inmate. She’s full of advice for her daughter, but she promises, “I’m not going to sugarcoat it.” That’s for sure. After all, “this isn’t a debutant ball.”
Amy Thompson is outstanding as Lucy, the butch guard who can get things for the ladies, for a price.
“These Ruthless Bitches” is a fun and provocative night of theater, certainly not the average fare. But that’s never what you expect from Epic.
[“The Ruthless Bitches” runs through September 19 at Theatre 82 on Rolfe Street in Cranston. For tickets and info, visit http://www.artists-exchange.org/epictheatrecompany.html.]