Imagine going on a date and all that your date talked about was his cholesterol and his colon. Or imagine you're a hot-blooded girl and your blind date mentions he’s gay. These were just two of the scenarios posed to Haley Walker in the hilarious one-woman comedy Bad Dates, now playing as the Kansas City Repertory Theatre kicks off its 2007-08 Season at the Copaken Stage, located in downtown Kansas City.

Bad Dates follows the life of Haley Walker, a single mother from Texas who moved to New York hoping to pursue a better life for her daughter and herself. Having taken time out to raise her daughter, now thirteen, Haley decides that she wants to re-enter the dating scene.

The entire play is set in Haley’s bedroom, filled with an enormous collection of shoes and designer clothes. Haley confides to the audience about her problems with dating, the Romanian mob, and the “bug man” that continues to move in and out of her life. Her character seems to border between schizophrenic and just plain nutty. Just when you think she’s got it together, she loses it.

Australian-born actress Rebecca Dines is outstanding in the role, making the character totally believable, right down to that Texas accent. This is Dines'Kansas City Rep debut, but she has extensive regional credits, including performances in The Elephant Man, The Sister of Rosenweig, As Bees in Honey Drown, The Man Who Came to Dinner. She has also acted in Shakespeare Festivals in San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, London and Sydney, Australia.

A native of Kansas City, Michael Evan Haney returns to the Rep as director. Haney performed here as an actor in productions of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Hamlet, and Look Homeward Angel at the Spencer Theatre in 1979-80. He is currently in his fifth year as Associate Artistic Director for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, where he previously directed that theatre’s production of Bad Dates. Haney has directed more than sixty productions and acted in over seventy-five.

William Bloodgood is Set Designer and is also making his Kansas City debut at the Rep. Lindsay W. Davis is Costume Designer; Victor En Yu Tan continues as Lighting Designer and John Story as Sound Designer.

Although the performance is full of laughs, the language is a bit mature and I would suggest not bringing the "kiddies" to this one. The play runs until October 21, 2007. Tickets cost $12-$45 and youth tickets (18 years or younger) are $20. The Copaken Theatre is in the H&R Block Center, located at 13th and Walnut streets in Downtown Kansas City.

For additional information about performance times and ticket options, call the Rep Box Office at (816) 235-2700 or visit their website at www.kcrep.org or visit the walk-up ticket booth at Copaken Stage.

Copyright 2007 Metropolitan Community College