It’s a play with a cast full of women, about women and directed by a woman — but it was written by a man.

“Five Women Wearing the Same Dress,” a play written by screenwriter Alan Ball, has the possibility of relying on cliches and conventional plot points, says actor Kevin Lee, but the play is too smart to rely on that.

“This is the same guy who wrote ‘American Beauty,’ so it is very real,” says Lee, who plays the only male character, Tripp. “The dialogue is very catchy, very snappy, and it’s not what you expect.”

Lee says the dialogue is a lot different from the bland, cliched and anticipated dialogue done in high school.

“The way he writes really kind of grabs you because the whole thing is a comedy up until about midway through the second act — it really hits you hard,” Lee says.

The plot of “Five Women” focuses on a group of bridesmaids who are hiding upstairs avoiding the wedding festivities for a variety of reasons. The women use the time to openly discuss the problems in each of their lives — not to mention their distaste for the bridesmaid dresses.

Malary Harris, sophomore in performing arts, stars as Mindy in the play and says the production allows all the women to have very unique characters, which leads to serious and humorous situations.

“People who like to be entertained a lot of times just want to laugh, and it really is very funny,” Harris says.

She says Ball’s play succeeds because it maintains the characters and their personalities throughout the show.

“It’s just how they can reconnect again and the funny things they actually have in common that kind of surprise them,” Harris says.

Susan Norris, the director, says the play is smart not to rely too much on humor or drama — but to mix the two together.

“The dialogue is well written, and there’s a lot of fun moments and poignant moments — there’s a nice balance,” Norris says.

The women aren’t the only ones who take part of the spotlight. Lee says his character is important to the show because he brings a relationship element to it.

“When he first comes on, you kind of get the feeling that he’s basically everything they’ve been ripping on the entire play,” Lee says. “As you get to know him, he kind of comes out of his shell a little bit and breaks the mold.”

Daniel Selby, one of the show’s producers, says even though the play is set in 1980, the issues brought up — like dealing with love — are still relevant today.

What: “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” with dinner theater

Where: ACTORS Studio, 125 Abraham Drive

When: 6 p.m. Feb. 11-12 and 18-19 (curtain at 7:30 p.m.)

Cost: $35