Schwartz Center premieres Alan Ball comedy Feb. 2

Alan Ball's Five Women Wearing the Same Dress makes its regional premiere at the Cornell Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts Feb. 2-13. Playing the five bridesmaids are: top, from left, Danielle Thorpe as Georgeanne and Laura Beth Wells as Mindy, and, seated, from left, Kirsten Kollender as Trisha, Becky Wolozin as Frances and Sara Clemens as Meredith. Andrew Gillis

Did you ever wonder what a group of women talk about in private? Eavesdrop on five bridesmaids as they dish about life, men, marriage and intimacy in the hilarious play Five Women Wearing the Same Dress by Alan Ball. This introspective comedy is set to make its regional premiere at Cornell's Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts Feb. 2-13. For tickets and information, call the Schwartz Center box office at 254-ARTS.

Ball began his career as a television writer and gained acclaim and an Academy Award for his first screenplay, American Beauty. Ball is currently writing for the HBO hit series, "Six Feet Under."

"This play is a serious and comic look at issues of love, sex and commitment in this age of 'who knows what' -- during the wedding of two impossible partners," said show director Stephen Cole. Cole last directed Bee-luther-hatchee at the Schwartz Center.

Playing the five women wearing the same dress are: Becky Wolozin as Frances, Sara Clemens as Meredith, Kirsten Kollender as Trisha, Danielle Thorpe as Georgeanne and RPTA Laura Beth Wells as Mindy. There is one male cast member, Harlan Work, who plays Tripp.

In conjunction with Cornell's production of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, a contest will be held for "The World's Ugliest Bridesmaid Dress." Play patrons will vote for their choice of the worst style-offending garment. To enter, send a photograph of yourself in the ugly bridesmaid dress to Leslie Morris, Schwartz Center, 430 College Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850; or digitally to lm60@cornell.edu. The winner of the contest will win a gift certificate to both City Style Hair Salon in Collegetown and the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts.

Five Women Wearing the Same Dress opens Wednesday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. Evening performances continue Feb. 3-6 and 9-12. Afternoon matinees will be offered Feb. 6, 12 and13 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 (students/seniors) and $10 (general). A "meet the actors" discussion will be held following the Feb. 10 performance. Please note that this play contains content suitable for a mature audience. For tickets and information, call or visit the box office in the Schwartz Center between 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. weekdays.

There will be a sign-language interpreted performance of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 2 p.m. Please call 254-2787 via NY Relay to order tickets and ask for "deaf seating." The box office also can be reached via e-mail at ctaboxoffice@cornell.edu.