The perfect girls night out

Barbara Gehring (left) and Linda Klein (right) in
Girls Only: All Photos By Terry Shaprio, 2008

One evening, about 3 years ago, I sat on my bed with my best friend and we read from my “memory box” together. That box contained every passed note, love letter, and MASH game that I took part in from about 5th grade through my senior year of high school. She didn’t go to school with me, but she could certainly relate to every detail in every one of those pieces of intricately folded paper. See, I was never good at keeping a diary. I’d get one or two days into it, and then completely forget it existed until I bought a new one, then the same thing would happen. So this was my way of keeping a diary – because I was very good at passing notes. This big, overly stuffed box was filled to the brim with the college-ruled pages of my life, and we couldn’t stop laughing at the shared memories. This is the universal truth of women. We can be catty and competitive, but when it comes down to it – we all went through the same thing.

Girls Only; The Secret Comedy of Women is a big hit for the Denver Center, and I can see why. They are currently running with no closing date set as of now. Written by and staring Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein, it is a sketch, improv, musical extravaganza. Parts of the show are improvised, parts are pre-written sketch, and other parts are filmed segments. It translated beautifully into a very hilarious evening of entertainment. Unfortunately the night I was there, I didn't get to see Klein, as the 2nd cast member filled in (Allison Watrous.) But I wouldn’t have known it was the 2nd cast member had they not slipped the obligatory piece of paper in the program that night.

There really is no “plot” to speak of. It opens with the two women, Gehring and Watrous in this case, sitting in their bedroom (an impeccably recreated 1970’s girls bedroom designed by Lisa Orzolek,) and reading through magazines. They make fun of the models in the magazine, striking a pose and hilariously trying to explain the positioning. Then they read from their actual childhood diaries (Well, the diaries of Gehring and Klein.) The two fearless comediennes jump quickly from sketch to sketch, not missing a beat. Some of my favorite moments were the choreographed dance numbers, the piece on puberty, a history of women puppet show, and a craft corner for the post-menopausal featuring new ways to use up your leftover feminine products. For me though, the show itself really came alive with the improv and audience interaction. I have a background in improv comedy as well, and I was very impressed with their skills. Audience interaction can be a tricky thing. Many improv comics take it too far and end up creating an environment where the people in the audience sit there silently chanting “don’t pick on me, don’t pick on me, don’t pick on me.” But Gehring and Watrous managed to involve the audience and keep it just light enough so that no one seemed put on the spot or embarrassed.

I was also quite impressed with the message of this show. It is not an “anti-man show.” That isn’t the message at all. This is simply a “pro-woman” show. There is nothing but funny, up-beat, positive messages here, and the audience certainly loved it. There were two men in the audience the night I was there, and they seemed to enjoy it just as much. I don’t want to give away the ending, but the final number may be the funniest musical number I’ve ever seen on stage. Ever.

My one suggestion here is to limit the serving of drinks to pre-show and intermission only. The movement of the waiters and waitresses during the

Linda Klein (left) and Barbara Gehring (right)

show made it very difficult to focus, and there were entire scenes that I missed because I was watching them take an order or deliver a round of drinks.

Gehring and Klein have created something unique in Girls Only. It is a great show and can be enjoyed with one or two friends – but they’ve created a communal theatrical experience. It would definitely be best enjoyed with a group of girlfriends. This would be a great evening for a birthday party, a bachelorette party, a bridal shower, etc. This is the kind of show where you want to share too. You want to talk about your experiences and share with the people you are with, and that is what makes Girls Only so special. There is a reason this show is extended – so you can get a chance to see it.