IF YOU GO
What:Three Fittings by Stephanie Alison WalkerWhere: Women's Theatre Project, 505 NW First Ave., Fort Lauderdale, through May 18When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. SundayCost: $25 ($10 students)Info: 1-866-811-4111 or www.womenstheatreproject.comAs many a bride-to-be would tell you, a woman's wedding day is the stuff of dreams, meticulous planning and, quite likely, one of the costliest days of her life. Among the many steps toward the altar is the trip to a bridal boutique to find that just-right gown.
The quest for a dress that can transform a mere mortal woman into a princess for a day can be exciting, frustrating, joyous, full of conflict. And if the bride is shopping with her mother, it can be all of those things. At least, that's how it goes in Three Fittings, a play by Stephanie Alison Walker that is now getting its world premiere at the Women's Theatre Project (WTP) in Fort Lauderdale.
Set in an upscale Chicago bridal shop, Three Fittings presents a trio of mother-daughter pairs, each quite different. Some of the fun of the WTP production comes from the fact that all the mothers are played by Sally Bondi, all the daughters by Chris Groom, which gives the actresses a chance to demonstrate their versatility and to underscore the common aspects of this part of the wedding ritual.
As a smooth saleswoman named Frances (Carol Sussman) and her sassier associate Sandy (Dania Aguero) attend to the mother-daughter pairs, the playwright moves from comic conflict to dramatic heartbreak.
First up are the flighty, annoying Vanessa (Groom) and her tart-tongued mother Diane (Bondi). Vanessa imbues finding the perfect dress with life-and-death significance. Diane, who has watched her daughter try on a seemingly endless succession of dresses, is beyond bored with it all and suspects that Vanessa is really unsure about marriage itself.
Mom Sharon and her perpetually annoyed daughter Monica are planning a lavish wedding to make mom happy. Monica, you see, is already married (she eloped). And she also has a secret, one that is so obvious so early on that the scene goes nowhere.
The final pair, mom Patricia and daughter Madison, have their own secret: Madison doesn't even have a boyfriend. They're wedding gown shopping for another reason, one both somber and tender. That situation also is revealed too soon, draining the scene of some of its potential emotional power.
Director Genie Croft gets solid performances from her cast and especially fine work from Bondi, who makes each mother look, sound and behave quite differently. Jodi Dellaventura's boutique set is very pink and properly elegant. And the bridal gowns assembled by costumer Meredith Lasher look beautiful on the slender Groom.
Three Fittings is one more rewrite away from assuming its own best shape. But it is getting a good first production at WTP, one that will resonate with anyone who has been a bride, a bride's mom or both.
