Performing Arts at Cedar Crest College premiers “53% of” a wonderfully snarky satire about America’s wide political divide through March 29 at Samuels Theater, Cedar Crest College, 100 College Drive, Allentown.

“53% of” is named for the 53% of white women who voted for Donald Trump as president in 2016 and pits the conservative Women for Freedom and Family moms' group of Bethlehem against a group of liberal 20-something women in Brooklyn, NY.

This clever, funny and thought-provoking play shows the consequences of echo chambers and extremism on both sides of the political spectrum, without taking sides.
The cast of six talented women is spot on and very funny, as they portray both male and female characters, as well as characters that are extreme right and extreme left on the political spectrum.
The first two acts are set in Bethlehem, between election day 2016 and inauguration day 2017.
In the first act, the women are planning for an upcoming visit of Trump to a local school, competing against each other for the privilege of introducing him.

The actors convey the competitiveness between the women, particularly Rosie Kramer’s smug queen bee Denise, and Kyleigh Vicoso’s determined second banana Leslie.

Into the pecking order comes a new member, PJ, wearing a questionable sweatshirt.

Bethany Wentling is unforgettable as the gratingly confrontational who unlike the other women is blue-collar and from Stockertown. The conversation rapidly devolves into social and political judgment.
The woman are particularly amusing as the crude husbands of the characters in the first act who gather to drink beer and watch the inauguration.

Taking center stage is Stella Oen as Stan, who during a ridiculously macho contest, blurts out a confession that affects the rest of the men in various and telling ways.
In the third act, the locale shifts to a Brooklyn apartment of liberal women who are meeting to decided what they can do to take advantage of the momentum from the women’s march that occurred during the 2017 inaugural weekend.

The women are well-intentioned but seem to be unable to actually organize anything as they fuss over whether the donuts are locally sources and how to purge their white guilt in a particularly funny scene.
They also obsess over whether they have alienated the absent KJ, the only Black woman to have attended their meetings, only to stop showing up.
Kramer’s Dana meets at a Harlem bar with K.J. played insightfully by Myashia Holloman, who explains her absence from the meetings in a devastating final scene.
Director William Morris has set the entire play with the audience seated around three sides right on the stage for a very intimate and immersive feeling.

As a result, audience members are looking right into the eyes of the characters, breaking apart the dehumanization of others who have differing opinions.

Morris keeps pacing brisk on the 90-minute, no intermission play.
The cast. which also includes Vanamarie Huynh. does an outstanding job of switching ideological gears on a dime, literally while they change clothes on stage and move set pieces.
The set by Roxanne Amico works nicely switching between scenes and is memorable.
“53% of” is a perfectly timely satirical antidote to the current political divide in America.
Performances are 7 p.m. March 26, 27 and 28; and 2 p.m. March 29.
Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for seniors and $5 for students.
For information, call 610-740-3780, or go to cur8.com/18389/project/131899