Relevant then, relevant now

Seminole State’s “Uncommon Women” timely in #MeToo era.

With surprising regularity, I stumble across works of entertainment from decades ago that indicate — often depressingly — that not much has changed. A 40-something-year-old episode of the sitcom “Good Times” on late-night TV the other night dealt with gun control — and used the same arguments still being debated today.

That brings me to Seminole State College’s production of “Uncommon Women and Others.” No, it’s not about guns, but Wendy Wasserstein’s dramatic comedy talks about another timely topic — women’s relationship to society at large. The play is from 1977 — it was Wasserstein’s first — but is just as relevant in the era of #MeToo as it was in the age of disco.

“Uncommon Women and Others” opens with a reunion of college friends, but the bulk of action takes place in their residence hall at Mount Holyoke College as the young women recall their school days.

They are a disparate bunch of characters, and at Seminole State, the louder ones make the bigger impact: Carolyn Ducker gives nonconformist, cursing Rita a hint of vulnerability through her swagger, while Carrie Norris gives insecure Holly a core of strength. Jessica Bradshaw is very funny as annoyingly perky Susie Friend (there’s one in every class).

As directed by Niki Salamon, the quieter characters don’t always feel entirely distinct at first. And, to be truthful, not much happens in terms of plot-driven action. But a lot is going on in the issues Wasserstein raises: Is a woman “settling” if her primary goal is to get married? Is it OK to not know what to do with the rest of your life? Can a woman write her own rules in a society full of expectations?

The audience literally watches girls becoming women — even if the distinctions between the more mature characters and their younger flashback selves isn’t always clear.

By play’s end, though, the quiet ones have found their voices. More important, you care about what happens to these women.