Though on the cover of the playbill for The Secret Comedy of Women — currently being performed at the Huntington Beach Library Theater through October 16 — it says “Girls Only,” this show is for any and all who enjoy a humorous look at life through a woman’s perspective.
Written and performed by the dynamic feminine duo of Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein, Secret Comedy traces, in a creative and comical manner, what amounts to the developmental stages of being a woman — from preadolescence to puberty to premenopausal to menopausal. And there’s lots of laughter to be had at each developmental point.
With song, dance, and ample hilarity, Gehring and Klein’s joy in performance and human insight is apparent. Though it’s a show with original music, it’s not a musical; it does have the rhythm of snappy improvisation, however, and that’s likely due to the fact that both Ms. Gehring and Ms. Klein are trained in the art of improv and each has had ample experience as stand-up comediennes and comedy writers.
Offering witty lyrics such as “Who put the ‘guy’ gynecologist?” and “Who put the ‘men’ in menopause?” the gentle calling out of a male-dominated medical profession and a masculine-minded society, in general, becomes apparent but never in an unkind or angry manner. (Oops, who put the man in manner?)
The Secret Comedy of Women involves much audience participation. Theatergoers are offered a squirt of Jergens skin softening lotion at the presentation’s start. We in the audience are invited to guess what year various television advertisements are made; for example, a commercial for Folgers instant coffee wherein a husband harshly criticizes his wife’s coffee making skills (circa, mid-twentieth century) seems cruelly outdated in the twenty-first century.
The show is 90-minutes of laugh-out-loud fun. Two of the most guffaw-inducing bits in this comedy event is toward the show’s end where the comedy duo as elderly imagineers make “other” uses for feminine products, such as making snow angels of tampons to hang as Christmas tree ornaments. The finale of the show is a coordinated ballet that the two ladies do to fit themselves into their pantyhose.
The Secret Comedy of Women continues through October 16 at the Huntington Beach Library Theater, 71111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach, CA.
For further information and to purchase tickets visit PlayHouseinfo.com – The Best Theater Production’s At Your Fingertips or phone (855)448-7469. For group sales dial (888)264-1788. The performance schedule is Wednesday at 7:30 pm, Thursday at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sunday at 2pm. Admission prices range from $45– $65.
