Cardinal production shows 'Bachelorette's transitions to adulthood

The Cardinal Stage Company, a nonprofit organization founded in 2006, is bringing a new sort of play to Bloomington — one that is listed as “for mature audiences only” and defies tradition — a world away from the classics it has produced in the past, such as “The Sound of Music” and “My Fair Lady.”

“Bachelorette” will make its debut at 7:30 today and be performed through April 8.

“I was looking for a contemporary show when I heard about ‘Bachelorette’ in New York,” Artistic Director Randy White said. “It was a huge hit, and the four women in the show were truly remarkable characters.”

The play is about four women who reunite, several years after college, in a Manhattan hotel suite for a bachelorette party. Featuring alcohol, drugs and unexpected visitors, the play shows women facing the challenge of moving from adolescence to adulthood.

“We wanted to bring a play to the stage that speaks to young adults,” White said. “The young women in the play, who are nearing 30 years old, are trapped between adolescence and adulthood. We hope viewers see that everybody reaches the point where it is no longer funny to be kids anymore.”

Leslye Headland, a Los Angeles playwright and TV writer, wrote “Bachelorette” as part of the Seven Deadly Plays series inspired by the seven deadly sins in Dante’s Inferno.

“Bachelorette” represents the sin of “gluttony” and is the second installment in the series.

“All the characters in the play are under 30 years old,” White said. “Both the age of the characters and what the play discusses make it more relatable to young adults.”

Though the play is geared toward the younger generation, White said he is looking forward to seeing how typical subscribers will view it.

“Honestly, I think they will like it,” White said. “It is very funny, and the quality of writing is so strong that it is hard not to appreciate it. It is definitely different from the usual classics that we do, but we try to appeal to a broad range of tastes, and by bringing this play here, I believe that we have accomplished that.”

Emily Solt, who plays the role of the bride, said this play is unlike anything she has ever seen before.

“It is incredibly funny,” Solt said. “And it’s not just funny. The characters are three-dimensional, and you end up caring a whole lot for them by the end of the play. The first time I read the script, I stepped away from it and felt like I knew them.”

Out of the four girls, Solt is the only one that has made the transition into adulthood, while the other three are left behind, struggling to mature.

“This play is kind of an examination of in-between times and passing through the gauntlet,” Solt said. “In the play I’m the first girl to have made the leap and am on my way to marriage.”

Playing a bigger role toward the end of the play, Solt is thrust into a whirlwind of alcohol and partying.

“It really emphasizes how, when you’re nearing your late twenties, the partying and stuff you did in your earlier twenties just isn’t cool anymore,” Solt said. “Though it is a comedy, it communicates a good message.”

“Bachelorette” has been a major hit in large cities, such as Chicago and New York. White said he hopes students come to watch it.

“We tried to bring a play to Bloomington that would appeal to everybody,” White said. “I believe this play does, and I hope students show up because it truly does display a great image of the struggle experienced by young adults as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.”