The Litchfield Readers Theatre will present “The Women” during a Bring-A-Chair event at 4 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Litchfield Opera House.

“The Women,” a comedy written by Clare Boothe Luce, is the story of a woman who faces the breakup of her marriage and is pushed into a divorce mostly by her overprotective and sometimes nasty friends. Her mother tries to persuade her to work out her marital problems, but the divorce happens anyway. The play ends happily with the hope that the couple will get back together after all.

Though it presents a serious subject, the play also is humorous, dealing as it does with the human comedy that arises from problems of married and unmarried life.

The Litchfield Readers Theatre is a group of Litchfield area women, led by director Carole Wendt, who have come together to present the first stage performance at the Opera House in several decades.

“I am happy to say that many women in our area have offered their time and talent to be in the show,” Wendt said. “The cast is remarkable — busy, active women who could not resist treading the boards.”

The cast includes Darlene Kotelnicki, Sherron Reilly, Mindy Desens, Danielle Rodgers, Shirley Scott, Nina Rutledge, Mary Root, Jan Pease, Jeanie Shoultz Doran and Rebecca Scott.

“The Women” was a Broadway hit and was made into two movies, one came out in the 1940s starring Norma Shearer; the other stars Meg Ryan and is due to open this fall.

The Litchfield production is a reading, Wendt explained, which means it will have no sets and minimal costuming and props. The cast reads the script, with emphasis on words, not actions.

No admission will be charged for the performance, but a free-will offering will be taken to support the Opera House heating and insulation fund.