Based on Robert Altman’s movie of the same name, the play “3 Women” premiered on Wednesday, March 30 at the Riverside Church Theatre as part of the School of the Arts’ theater program.
With performances through Saturday, April 2, the new adaptation marks the directorial debut of Anna Brenner, MFA ’11.

The play is about three women: Pinkie, a naïve teenager, Millie, her loner friend she comes to idolize, and Willie, a pregnant, aloof artist who remains on the outskirts of the action. As the plot advances, Pinkie, Millie, and Willie swap identities in order to find one that truly fits each of them. This is perhaps the most concise summary possible of such a confusing and choppy show.

The performance opens with Willie, played by Selene Beretta, directly addressing the audience and explaining a dream she has had that involves Pinkie and Millie. Beretta’s performance is strong and foreboding. The way she delivers her lines and ominously walks across the stage sets the play’s eerie tone. Although she has less lines than the other characters, Beretta commands the audience’s attention, sitting at the cusp of the stage to make her presence felt and observing the show’s events as though she too is a bystander.

The audience is then introduced to Pinkie, played by Rachael Richman. An innocent Texas transplant with no past or personality, Pinkie slowly usurps Millie’s life, creating the central plot conflict. Richman’s quiet and sometimes silly performance suits her character’s immaturity.

The play is carried by Melissa Brown’s performance as Millie. Millie yearns to be liked by others but finds herself neglected and ignored. She struggles with Pinkie for dominance and power over their mutual friends and the apartment they share. Brown conveys a passion and insecurity that resonate with the audience, making her perhaps the most relatable character.

The play’s major flaw, which also contributes to its confusing nature, is Brenner’s awkward use of space to convey the story. The set consists of a square basin that serves as the community pool where the characters work but also represents Millie’s apartment, a hospital, and the bar where Willie works.

Changes in lighting are supposed to make the transitions between scenes more apparent but were unsuccessful. Viewers focus more on trying to determine the setting of the scene than on the actual plot developments.

After the Wednesday night curtain fell, an audience member remarked to his companion, “I wonder if someone who never saw the movie could understand the play—it probably didn’t make any sense.”

As most students have probably not seen Altman’s 1977 film, the play loses significance for many potential audience members. In order to fully appreciate the artistry behind this play, one must already be familiar with the story. And that’s an insight most audience members do not have.