Writing on the Wall -- The Voices of Girls in Jail, a play about an art therapist working with a group of incarcerated young women, will continue every Sunday through Oct. 31 at Bitter Truth Theatre in NoHo.

Written by Janet Bernson and Julia Parmenter (and directed by Bernson), the drama posits the notion that an involvement with art can provide for these detainees a viable alternative to a continuing cycle of abuse, neglect and crime. The play also suggests that the graffiti marring the urban landscape, like the writing on the wall in the biblical Book of Daniel, is a final wake-up call before the collapse of an arrogant nation. The playwrights, however, insist that their story "is also a tale of hope and redemption."

A multi-racial ensemble is featured: Danielle Arnos, Deedee Austin, Hilda Boulware, Imia Fleur Edwards, Rachel Glenn, Victoria Kaye, Deborah Kellar, Hallie Evan King, Lana McKissack, Belinda Puente, Natalia Santamaria, Jac W. Suh and Wynter Williams.

Bernson is an art therapist, Parmenter an actress. They recently collaborated on Unmasking the Soul which ran at the Bitter Truth earlier this year. Their new play is produced by Theatre of Hope for Abused Women. THAW is a non-profit organization providing a variety of services to women and their children coping with the effects of domestic violence and abuse.

Bitter Truth Theatre is located at 11050 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood. Performance times in Sept. are Sunday at 2 PM; every Sunday in October at 7 PM. For reservations and information call (818) 766-9702. -- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent