A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

The Women

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  35w

Clare Boothe Luce

This gleefully malicious comedy about New York society matrons, featuring an all-female cast, has been called one of the great American plays of the 20th century.

The Women

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    35w
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary

When this gleefully malicious comedy about New York society matrons premiered on Broadway, audiences were shocked, outraged and delighted. Featuring an all-female cast and some of the funniest dialogue ever written for the American stage, The Women offers a fascinating inside look at the catty world of Park Avenue society. This deliciously nasty tale of a woman whose happy marriage is destroyed by the gossip of her friends has been called one of the great American plays of the 20th century.

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
  • Time Period 1930s
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol

Media

“Terrific... a  dramatic comedy, or a collective tragedy with scathingly funny punchlines.” – DC Theatre Arts

“Not only was The Women groundbreaking for its era, the first Broadway show with an all-female cast, but every subsequent generation discovers afresh how oddly contemporary its sendup of pampered, vain, backbiting, sexually candid New York socialites feels.” – Los Angeles Times

“Terrific... It will leave the audience asking themselves afterward if they just witnessed a dramatic comedy or a collective tragedy with scathingly funny punchlines... Ultimately, the show shines a light on the social inequalities between the haves and the have-nots. It also focuses on friendship. Who, among The Women characters, is a good friend and who is toxic? Who is a good mother, wife and partner – and who is not? What does it take to stay in a relationship – or leave?” – DC Theatre Arts

Licensing & Materials

  • Performance rights for this title are currently withdrawn in the UK. To be informed as soon as it becomes available in the future, please submit a license application.

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Authors

Clare Boothe Luce

Clare Boothe Luce
Clare Boothe Luce (1903–1987) was the first American woman appointed to a major ambassadorial post abroad. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play The Women, which had an all-female cast. Her writings extended from drama and screen scenarios to fiction, jo ...
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