Love, loss, secrecy, catharsis, and the vast importance of egg-based protein in one’s diet are all parts of the wonky comedy that is 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche.
Welcome to 1956! It’s time for the annual Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein quiche breakfast– and you’re all invited! So grab a seat by a fellow “widow” *wink* and a nametag, and let the festivities begin!
But wait…can these five ladies maintain decorum and adhere to their motto: “No men. No meat. All manners.” even when nuclear Armageddon is upon them?!?! Of course not! (and would it be any fun at all if they did?) This play is absurd. If it were a quiche, it would be filled with marshmallow fluff and bananas. It’s silly, bawdy, and not at all deep. That’s not a bad thing, friends!
The first 10 minutes or so made me wonder if I could tolerate the next 70. This show is over-the-top, and I was worried that it was about to get downright annoying. Not to worry. As I settled in with my fellow “widows” *wink*, I really began to have fun!
As we begin our meeting (we’re all a part of this…check your name tag), our five officers take care of all necessary business and explanations. Dale (played by Emily Meadows) hasn’t spoken to a man since she was three. Ginny (played by Katie Mixon) is one of our newest members from across the big pond who loves her quiche …quite… ahem... graphically. Vern (played by Dewey Scott-Wiley) is our pantsuit-loving DIY enthusiast. Wren (played by Vicky Saye Henderson) is the epitome of barely contained ladylike excitement. Lulie (played by Elena Martinez-Vidal) is our matriarch — protecting the sanctity of our eggs and quiches at whatever the cost.
This ensemble cast works really well together. The role of Dale could have been written for Meadows, and Scott-Wiley’s Vern is terrifically farcical. Martinez-Vidal comes off as distractingly heavy-handed (even for this production), but it all somehow manages to work.
The original NYC incarnation of this show has just arrived Off-Broadway after a sold-out run at the New York International Fringe Festival. The director of this humbler (but still hilarious) production, Robin Gottlieb, has been talking with the show’s writers, Andrew Hobgood and Evan Linder throughout the rehearsal process, getting rewrite and edit upon rewrite and edit.
While the NYC cast’s Off-Broadway venue may be a bit larger than our more intimate Trustus Side Door Theatre, the smallness of Trustus’ black box venue is great for the audience participation this show demands. Don’t worry — you’re not going to be pulled onstage, but you very well might be addressed directly by one of the officers of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein!
5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche is a short (80 minutes) and utterly silly show that grownups (this show is NOT for the kiddos) with a bawdy sense of humor will enjoy — specially if they get a cocktail or two in them beforehand. I’m rating Quiche R for lady-on-lady passion, lascivious quiche-eating, and partial disrobing. So why in the world would you want to miss it?
5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche runs two more weekends, Thursday-Saturday, at the Side Door Theatre (off Lady Street) and closes on February 2nd; for ticket information, contact the Trustus box office at (803) 254-9732.
~ Jillian Owens
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