Women Behind Bars

Women Behind Bars
Written by Tom Eyen
Date premiered May 1, 1975 (1975-05-01)
Place premiered Astor Place Theatre
New York City
Original language English
Genre Camp

Women Behind Bars is a camp play by Tom Eyen, parodying the prison exploitation films produced by Universal, Warner Bros. and Republic Pictures during the 1950s.

This black comedy is set in the Women's House of Detention in Greenwich Village. Among the range of women within the prison are an innocent young woman, a chain-smoking street-wise tough girl, and a delicate Southern belle reminiscent of Blanche DuBois. The innocent young woman was framed by her husband on a charge of armed robbery, and is brutalized, betrayed, and sexually assaulted throughout her eight years in prison. She is ultimately broken by the system and leaves jail as a hard-edged, gum-chomping drug dealer. These women are overseen by the prison's sadistic matron and her tough sidekick.

The original production at the off-Broadway Astor Place Theatre opened on May 1, 1975, featuring Pat Ast, Helen Hanft, Mary-Jennifer Mitchell, and Sharon Barr. Alan Eichler was co-producer and press representative.[1] The play was revived in 1976 at the Truck and Warehouse Theatre in New York with Pink Flamingos star Divine as the matron.[1] It quickly developed a cult following and became a success.[2]

The play was revived in Los Angeles in 1983, directed by Ron Link and featuring Lu Leonard, Adrienne Barbeau and Sharon Barr. The Los Angeles production ran for almost a year, first at the Cast Theater and then moving to the Roxy Theatre.[3] Sally Kellerman and Linda Blair later joined the cast. Women Behind Bars continues to be produced by gay repertory companies, such as San Francisco's Theatre Rhinoceros.[4]

The subtle lesbianism apparent in the original B-movies is emphasized comedically throughout Women Behind Bars. The New York Times described the play as "an extraordinarily interesting work from one of America's most innovative and versatile playwrights."[5] Eyen and Divine wrote a 1978 follow-up play called The Neon Woman, which was produced in New York and San Francisco.

On May 7, 2012, The New Group presented a reading of Women Behind Bars directed by Scott Elliott. The reading featured Charles Busch as the matron, Halley Feiffer as Mary-Eleanor, Janeane Garofalo as Louise, Nancy Giles as Jo-Jo, Josh Hamilton as the men, Natasha Lyonne as Cheri, Cynthia Nixon as Blanche, Rosie O'Donnell as Gloria, Daphne Rubin-Vega as Guadalupe, Rhea Perlman as Granny and The Warden, and Jennifer Tilly as Ada.

References

  1. 1 2 Women Behind Bars at the Internet Off-Broadway Database.
  2. ↑ "Divine on stage and screen". www.dreamlandnews.com. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  3. ↑ "Louder than Words: Ron Link, 1944-1999". Obituary in LA Weekly. June 9, 1999. Accessed December 5, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Talkin' Broadway Regional News & Reviews: San Francisco - "Women Behind Bars - 3/25/02". www.talkinbroadway.com. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  5. ↑ Frank, Leah D. "Theater Review; PRISON SATIRE WITH BITTER LAUGHS". Retrieved 2018-03-20.
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