Eydie Faye's The Pages of My Diary I'd Rather Not Read was so popular in its world premiere at the Ruby Theatre at the Complex that the new comedy has returned for a second engagement March 16-April 15 at the Hudson Backstage Theatre.

The Pages of My Diary I'd Rather Not Read deals with three young career women of disparate backgrounds struggling to make it in New York City. One is a tough businesswoman with aspirations of becoming a professional writer. Another is a Jewish girl from the West Coast who hopes to succeed as an actress. The third has come from the Midwest to train as a teacher.

All three have certain things in common: they come from families in which the biological father has often been absent; they have relatives who occasionally drive them nuts; they've all endured lousy jobs while pursuing their goals; and they're all seeking some form of happiness with men, searching for intimacy but generally finding disappointment.

Faye stars with Betsie Devan and Marissa Manzanares. All are graduates of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, with degrees in theatre. In Cincinnati, they appeared in Angels in America, Parts I & II, for which Faye was nominated for a best-actress award for her portrayal of Roy Cohn. A native Angeleno, she has appeared locally at the Whitmore-Lindley Theatre in Blind With No Legs.

Hess is chairman of the Department of Drama at the University of Cincinnati. In 1999 he directed Besame Mucho...O.K., That's Enough at 2100 Square Feet. He recently directed Postcard From Morocco for the Carnegie Opera in Kentucky. . For tickets and information call (323) 930-9304.

— By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent