'Five Women Wearing the Same Dress'? Sounds like trouble ...

Two girls wearing the same dress can never be a good thing.

Daring enough to test that theory -- and their luck -- tomorrow night is Footlight Players and its debut of "Five Women Wearing the Same Dress."

The monthlong running of the comedy will have Lowcountry women laughing out loud -- as long as they call their friends to uncoordinate their outfits before they go.

The five women in question in Academy Award winner Alan Ball's work are identically clad bridesmaids at a Knoxville, Tenn., wedding. Each has her own reason for wanting to avoid the proceedings and hides out in an upstairs bedroom.

Very different from each other, they come to find out throughout their reluctant afternoon that they all share a common bond. And it's not the dress.

Adrianne Dukes plays Mindy, the sister of the groom. She's cheerful, witty and a lesbian. The bride's younger sister, Meredith, is played by Carole Moore. Meredith is precocious and a rebel, but is hiding a dark secret.

Playing the jaded beauty Trisha is Jennifer Metts. Trisha questions her harsh cynicism of men, though, when she meets Tripp, the charming, bad-boy usher to whom there is more than meets the eye.

Rounding out the other bridesmaids are Frances (Darielle Deigan), a sweet, sheltered fundamentalist, and

Georgeanne (Andrea K. McGinn), who is going through her own heartache from a failed marriage and behaves outrageously when the wedding triggers those feelings.

"Five Women in the Same Dress" also involves strong language and brief nudity.

Making Footlight's production a bit more interactive are the Hat Ladies of Charleston, who are turning the lobby into the "Best Little Dress Shop" in town. Items include jewelry and accessories and will be available throughout the run of the production.

Local and national designers have contributed designs to the shop. A percentage of all sales will go directly to Footlight Players.