March 3- 9, 2005

artpicks

Ladies' Choice

theater

Since hitting Broadway in 1936, Clare Boothe Luce's The Women has been the bitchfest by which to measure all catty social intercourse among ladies who lunch. While most famously essayed by Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell in the 1939 film version, plenty of women have found the caustic nature of Luce's literary trash talk alluring. But perhaps it's time men took a crack at The Women.

That was director Matthew Cloran's idea, to raise money and awareness for June's Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Theater Festival. While women (like former Fringe publicist Christine Barbush) do take part, jeweler and Halloween party host Henri David stars with other theatrically minded boys (Carlota and Chumley, Bobby MacCallum) in full drag for a staged reading of the play. "To a man, having this crew do The Women makes sense," says Paul Struck, a principal dancer for Jeanne Ruddy's company who plays five roles. Struck can't imagine doing The Women any other way. "There's nothing weird about it all. Creepy, huh?" Not at all. Most of these guys are way prettier than Broadway's Women star Cynthia Nixon. Meow.

The Women, staged reading, Fri., March 4, 7:30 p.m., $20 (includes chocolate/champagne reception), Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 S. Rittenhouse Sq., 215-735-3456.

—A.D. Amorosi