Women's Resource Centre take over ticket sales for next Tuesday's BMDS performance of "Extremities'' at Daylesford.

The Centre, which helps women deal with a variety of problems including sexual abuse and rape, is selling the second-night of the week's run as a fund-raiser.

Extremities will run from Monday, October 19 throught Saturday, October 24.

The play (and subsequent film) by American playwright William Mastrosimone, which takes a brutally frank look at the subject of rape, provides an evening of disturbing but compelling theatre.

Ms Shanda Simmons, who runs the Centre, says, "I think it's a story that really shows the victim's perspective and gives people an idea of the turmoil a woman goes through when an assault is made on her.'' Conceding that the play deals with a difficult subject, Ms Simmons says the membership of the Centre felt they should encourage people to see it, as it showed very clearly "the other side of the problem''.

Extremities, set in rural New Jersey, traces the story of a woman, Marjorie, who endures an attempted rape when a stranger forces his way into her home.

Her quick action turns the tables on his plan, and in a neat role reversal, the aggressor becomes the helpless victim.

Writing about his play, Mastrosimone said it had been inspired by the true story of an acquaintance of his, who had been raped, and subsequently took her attacker to court only to see him walk free.

He said his research had brought home the fact that the average rapist rapes over and over again and that an astonishing 98 percent of rapists brought to trial in the US are found `not guilty'.

"I began to fathom her urge to rip the rapist to pieces,'' he wrote. It took two years before any producer would risk staging Mastrosimone's controversial play, but it gradually acquired a huge following throughout university theatres, before becoming a box-office hit in New York.

Admitting that the production will be as much a challenge for the audience as for the cast, director Barry Bailey says he feels it is important for BMDS to stage "difficult'' plays and to give their audiences a good mix.

"There's no doubt that we could fill Daylesford with comedy after comedy, but we have to remember also, that one of the reasons we built Daylesford in the first place was to provide a venue for a variety of theatre, and not having to rely on pieces that are necessarily sure-fire box office successes.'' He says he is grateful to BMDS for giving him the opportunity to produce the play. "I think we all realise that we are a serious theatre company and that we need serious plays as well as the easier ones.'' Mr. Bailey notes that when Extremities was first produced eight years ago, it was considered very radical. "But I think that people are talking more openly about rape today than they were even then and there has been a great deal of recent publicity about sexual assault and harassment of women.'' He was also attracted to the play by the fact that it offered three substantial female roles and might possibly redress some of the balance which he feels may be due in that direction at Daylesford.

"It has certainly aroused a lot of interest. I realised just how much, when so many ladies turned up at the auditions -- I could have cast it several times over!'' Kathy DeCouto, who has landed the pivotal role of Marjorie, has just completed a year at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Besides pursuing what she hopes will be a professional acting career, 20-year-old Miss DeCouto is also planning to qualify as a speech and drama teacher.

Heather Bean, who has previously appeared in the BMDS production of The Odd Couple, and teaches English at Northlands School, takes on the role of Terry.

Barbara Jones, who is well known as a director, makes one of her rare stage appearances as Patricia.

Steve Dudden has designed the set which has been built by Kevin Blee and painted by Alex Bubenzer. The play is produced by Sue McCullagh.

Tickets at $10 are available at the Daylesford box office from 5.30-7.30 p.m.

through October 16, 12.30-2.30 p.m. on October 17 and between 7 and 8 p.m. on performance nights. A few tickets for Tuesday are available at the Women's Resource Centre, tel. 295-3882.

EXTREMITIES of conduct are ruthlessly explored when Marjorie, played by Kathy DeCouto, turns aggressor.

ASSAULT DRAMA -- A tense moment from the controversial play, Extremities, which will be staged by the BMDS at Daylesford next week. Seen above are (left to right) Heather Bean, Barbara Jones and Kathy DeCouto. Director Barry Bailey (right) warns that the subject matter and language of the play makes it unsuitable for children. The play is inspired by a true incident related to author William Mastrosimone.