“God, I hate manipulative men!” comes the cry from Stephanie Gershgol as she plays Debby during Thursday night’s rehearsal.

Friday’s opening performance of “The Heidi Chronicles” features feminism stepping into the spotlight.

“The Heidi Chronicles” tells the story of Heidi Holland, played by Amanda Lloyd, senior in performing arts, and the men and women who help shape her life and journey from repression to self expression to self fulfillment.

“Heidi’s a thinker,” Lloyd says. “She’s philosophical, and sometimes that gets her into trouble. She’s just trying to find her way in a world that can be unforgiving.”

Lloyd, an Ames native, was in her first ACTORS production at age seven.

“I’m a veteran,” Lloyd laughs. “ACTORS was my second home as a child growing up.”

For Lloyd the most exciting part of being involved with this show are the people she gets to work with.

“It’s a really great cast made up from a nice blend of really great people from the community,” Lloyd says.

The sense of solidarity among cast and crew members is evident. The atmosphere is so calm, so relaxed but still laced with a subtle hint of playful fun. Two young boys play hide and seek underneath the stage. Everyone in the studio is smiling and joking around between scenes. When it comes time to work, though, it’s on.

Gershgol, junior in biology and English, who plays two different characters in “The Heidi Chronicles,” says the sense of community amongst the cast members is refreshing.

“I’ve learned a lot from the older members of the cast,” she says, describing the other members as “eclectic.”

“You always learn more about acting when you get to work with really good people,” says self-proclaimed starving artist Andrea Markowski of Des Moines.

Both Gershgol and Markowski play parts as Heidi’s friends throughout the story, which follows a child through adolescence and into adulthood as she overcomes the pressures of being a female and finding her place in the world.

Director Stacy Brothers says the cast has been rehearsing three nights a week since late February.

“Rehearsals have been very productive,” Brothers says. “It’s a fun and cooperative group – community theater at its finest!”

Brothers describes the cast as “a mix of theater veterans and relative newcomers.”

“They have worked really hard,” she adds. “There’s a lot of talent up on that stage.”

Brothers, who has been involved with ACTORS since 1995, is directing her third show.

“I’m rather a novice,” she says. “This is, I feel, a good show for a director who is also an actor, mainly because a good presentation of this play hinges on very strong acting.”

“The Heidi Chronicles” was written by Wendy Wasserstein and won the Tony Award for best play in 1989. It is also the winner of a Drama Critics Award and a Pulitzer Prize.

Brothers describes the play as having touching scenes while still being funny.

“The dialogue is witty . this is a very smartly written play,” Brothers says. “Audience members can expect to be entertained.”

She adds that “The Heidi Chronicles” is a serious play and “not a fluffy piece.”

“There are some important issues, in times of social and political change, but it’s all very approachable, largely due to Wassterstein’s strong script and genius with humor,” Brothers explains.

As a disclaimer of sorts, Brothers notes that the play “contains language that may not be appropriate for those seeking family oriented entertainment.”

“In short, they use the `F’ word,” she says, “but they use it well.”

“The Heidi Chronicles” can be seen at the ACTORS Studio, 120 Abraham Drive, on Friday and Saturday and on April 27 and 28 at 8 p.m., and also on April 22 and 29 at a 2 p.m.

Judy Brown, the show’s producer, suggests heading west on Lincoln Way until South Dakota, turning left on South Dakota and then taking the second left onto Todd Drive. ACTORS Studio is located at the end of the street where Todd Drive meets Abraham Drive.

Tickets are $9 for students and seniors and $12 for adults. They may be purchased at the door or in advance at the ACTORS ticket outlet, Big Table Books, 330 Main Street, Ames. Call 232-8976 for more information.