Sex, life, men bashing, adulthood and the one dress all women fear wearing.

The culmination of these factors comes to life at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in 111 Forum as No Refund Theatre (NRT) presents Five Women Wearing the Same Dress.

Kicking off the NRT season, Five Women takes place during a wedding reception as the five bridesmaids seek shelter from a rowdy crowd.

The women, all very different from one another, feel a bit lost standing at life's crossroads and are unsure how to continue.

Director Caitlin Cassidy (junior-theater and secondary education) said she is excited to have found such an interesting show that finally offers quality female roles.

"I've done everything from drama to sketch comedy to shows about hobos, but never one quite like this before," Cassidy said. "The reason I chose to do it was because we have so many women who are great at comedy, but they don't get the opportunities for great comic roles."

Cassidy said directing the show was nerve-wracking because it is so early in the school year -- rehearsals began the first day of school -- but overall she said she feels "very honored" to be able to start the season.

Written by Alan Ball of American Beauty fame, Five Women touches on subjects important to college students such as maturing and dealing with change.

On the surface, the material is mostly laughs, and, as assistant director Jane Richardson (junior-mechanical engineering) put it, "most of the cast is either drunk or high for the entire show."

However, the more serious undertones shine through as the characters find a community of women and realize they are not alone in their struggles.

Bridesmaid Laura Davies (sophomore-film and English) said the show features a lot of womanpower but is still fun for men. Davies described her character as someone who is always there for the others and the most grounded character for having been through the most in her life, noting, "she's been around the block a few times."

While working on the show, Davies found that she had a lot in common with her character, but only to a point.

"The way she handles situations and treats other people is similar to how I would," Davies said. "But as far as her libido goes, I don't think I could go that far."

Richardson said all the actors were doing an incredible job and were proving the talent Penn State has to offer.

In particular, she said it was remarkable the way some actors resembled their characters in real life.

Cassidy agreed with Richardson's opinion of the cast, and said she never worked with more motivated actors; they all came back from summer vacation with half the script already memorized.

Noting how different it is from many shows coming this year, Cassidy described the show as fast-paced and completely honest, leaving no audience member feeling isolated.

"It's so easy to connect to it whether you are a man or woman," she said. "Take the message -- any message -- offered and give it your own life."