Women Behind Bars

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

Set in the Women's House of Detention in Greenwich Village, there is, among the range of women, an innocent young woman, a chain-smoking street-wise tough girl, and a delicate Southern belle reminiscent of Blanche DuBois. The innocent was framed by her husband on a charge of armed robbery, and is brutalized, betrayed and sexually assaulted throughout her eight-year sentence. 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 henchman.

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]

In 1977 the play, again starring Divine as the matron, had a successful run at the Whitehall Theatre in the West End of London. Fiona Richmond co-starred.^[3]

The play was revived once again in Los Angeles in 1983, directed by Ron Link and featuring Lu Leonard, Adrienne Barbeau and Sharon Barr. The LA production ran for almost a year, first at the Cast Theater and then moving to the Roxy Theatre.^[4] Sally Kellerman and Linda Blair later joined the cast.

On May 7, 2012, The New Group presented a reading of the play, directed by Scott Elliott.^[5][6]

Cast

• 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
• Jennifer Tilly as Ada

A large-scale revival played the Montalbán Theatre in Los Angeles in January, 2020, presented by Winbrook Productions and "Just Pow" Productions.^[7][8] The production was conceived and directed by Scott Thompson.^[9] A new title song and background score was composed by Fred Barton.

Cast

• Kathy Griffin, Host
• Traci Lords as Gloria
• Eureka O'Hara as the Matron
• Mink Stole as Granny and The Warden
• Miss Coco Peru as Louise
• Ginger Minj as Ada
• Chi Chi DeVayne as Jo-Jo
• Suzie Kennedy as Cheri
• Poppy Fields as Blanche
• Wesley Woods as The Men
• Adrienne Couper Smith as Mary-Eleanor
• Tatiana Monteiro as Guadalupe

Women Behind Bars continues to be produced by gay repertory companies, such as San Francisco's Theatre Rhinoceros.^[10]

The subtle lesbianism apparent in the original B movies is emphasized comedically throughout. The New York Times described the play as "an extraordinarily interesting work from one of America's most innovative and versatile playwrights."^[11]

Eyen and Divine wrote a 1978 follow-up play called The Neon Woman, which was produced in New York and San Francisco.^[12]

• 1984 New York Times review
• Review of 2006 production
• Article about New Group reading (2012)