Since 1941, superheroines have been fighting crime and influencing their respective generations. But have you ever wondered what influences these superheroines who inspire millions? What are Wonder Woman's motives? How does Lois Lane put up with Superman's constant antics? What really makes Catwoman purr? Phoenix Theatre Artists and Company One's production of The Superheroine Monologues by Rick Park and John Kuntz answers all these questions and more. The play is being presented through Sept. 26 at the Boston Center for the Arts in a laugh-out-loud style parodying the ever-famous Vagina Monologues. The show seems to begin the moment you set foot in the theater: Upon entering, you are greeted by such songs of womanhood as "Independent Woman," "You Don't Own Me" and "Respect," feminine anthems that set the mood for the hysterical show yet to come.

Written chronologically, the show begins in 1941 on Paradise Island, home to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, strongly played by Maureen Adduci. It is here that we are introduced to her daughter, Diana; you may know her as Wonder Woman. Following her heart, Diana (played by the stunning and talented Shawna O'Brien) leaves Paradise Island to experience the world outside, only to become an icon for all future superheroines.

She assumes the identity of Diana Prince and slowly learns of an undercover mission to defeat the Nazis. O'Brien accurately captures the cheesy, campy nature of her scene, written in a style akin to film noir that is sure to make anyone laugh aloud.

The show then jumps to 1954, and we meet Lois Lane, played by Amanda Good Hennessy. Hennessy captures every essence of the 1950s housewife stereotype that influenced the character of Lois Lane; her panicky and witty nature seemed more than perfect for the character.

In 1968, we meet Catwoman, a character who is beyond crazy. I must confess that with "superheroines" in the title, I was slightly upset that the writers, Kuntz and Park chose to focus more on the supervillainous aspects of this character. Regardless of this minor setback in character development, Elizabeth Montigny did wonders with the character to the point where you find yourself loving her and being absolutely terrified of her at the same time.

The play then jumps ahead to 1977, where we find Batgirl cranking up her Cassidy Brothers records, ogling Scott Baio and, most importantly, dealing with an identity crisis. Elizabeth Rimar's interpretation of Barbara Gordon in disguise was beautifully crafted and full of depth. I was most impressed by her ability to improvise within the context of her scene. Having created a fairly obsessive-compulsive character, she stopped midway through her monologue to adjust an audience member's Velcro shoes.

During the year 1989, we are introduced to Supergirl as she dances to "Maniac" while flying around in space. I had the privilege of seeing understudy Molly Kimmerling in the role, who was filling in for Jackie McCoy. As she vented about not making the cheerleading squad in high school and how it is so hard to find datable superheroes, Kimmerling seemed somewhat frazzled in the role, but she made it work for the character.

Next, we encounter Prof. Ororo Monroe-Storm-a physical education teacher employed at Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted in the year 1997. Played by Cheryl D. Singleton, she tells us of how she never had time for a family because her career as a superheroine consumed her life. I found myself slightly disappointed once again by Kuntz and Park for their choice in character development; it appeared to me that just because Storm was the only African-American superheroine to hit the stage that evening, she was inevitably written as if she were a Tyler Perry character. However, Singleton took the writing in stride and turned it to gold.

We meet yet another X-(wo)man in 2003: Phoenix, played by Christine Powers. She brought the bipolar essence of Jean Grey to new levels. However, it was within this scene that I found my final gripe with the otherwise high-quality writing of this play: All the scenes in the play seemed to exist as if they were accounts of events in history, but Phoenix's scene contained a meta-realization of not only the existence of Marvel comics, but also its ability to change her history. This particular aspect of the scene set it apart from the rest of the monologues, making it the third-wheel in an otherwise brilliant meshing of comedic comic history.

The show concludes with an elder Wonder Woman, played by Maureen Adduci, doubting if it was all worth it. Adduci tells a touching story about her life since 1941, which is sure to bring tears to your eyes. Then, paying homage to Weidman and Sondheim's Assassins, the superheroines appear from the shadows of the stage, gathering around her to convince her that without her, none of their efforts would have been possible, concluding the play in remarkable fashion.

In all these hilarious anecdotes that ensue throughout the course of the play, I fear that many brilliant people go unnoticed. For starters, the impeccable male ensemble, composed of Terrence P. Haddad, Art Hennessey and Casey Preston deserves a standing ovation of its own. While they are not forced to take on such hearty monologues as the females in the show, each actor in the ensemble embraces countless roles with ease, changing costumes, makeup and, at times, gender in a matter of seconds.

Additionally, the exceptional writing duo of Kuntz and Park was able to take something from our childhoods and make it relatable on so many new levels. I could not help but admire their abilities to find humor in the smallest of places, to make historical and political references and to stay true to the original storyline and the decade in which each monologue took place. I was also incredibly impressed by their incorporation of classic songs, altered for the play, including "I'm Leaving on a(n Invisible) Jet Plane," sung by a departing Wonder Woman, "It Takes Two, (Barbra)," a song of dual identities, sung by Batgirl, and the curtain call song "I Need a Hero(ine)," cleverly accompanied by Angie Jepson's fight choreography.

Lastly, artistic director and set and costume designer Greg Maraio truly brought Kuntz and Park's hilarious script to its full potential. His set, though simple, worked incredibly well with P.J. Strachman's lighting design. His costumes were generally well made, and some even had a sense of humor all their own.

So, if you ever find yourself wondering "WWWD?" (What Would Wonder Woman Do?), navigate down to the Boston Center for the Arts, buy yourself a ticket, and, in the words of Director Greg Maraio, "sit back, relax and enjoy your heroine.