Settings

The Women is set in both New York City and Reno, Nevada, in locations frequented primarily by women. The settings in New York include a beauty salon, the dressing rooms of a women's clothing store, Mary's bedroom, and Crystal's bathroom. A number of scenes are also set in the Park Avenue apartments of wealthy society women and their families. In these settings, Luce emphasizes the luxury and comfort enjoyed by these married women, who have servants to wait on them hand and foot. All of these settings also characterize the fact that most of the central characters in The Women do not have to work, and so they have a lot of free time to spend in shopping, getting manicures, and playing bridge.

Social Satire

At the time of its original production, The Women was a hugely popular success as a Broadway comedy. The play is considered a...