1 Woman, Many Voices : Shannon Bradley’s ‘But That Wasn’t Sex,’ conceived as a monologue, evolved from explorations of romance and relationships in her journals.

Why is Peter Fox directing a play that focuses on women’s thoughts about sex?

“Because I like women--in fact, I’ve loved some,” says the Alliance Repertory Company’s new artistic director, whose staging of Shannon Bradley’s one-act “But That Wasn’t Sex” kicks off the theater’s 1994 Bagel Brunch Series on Saturday.

“What appealed to me was Shannon’s writing. It could’ve been about men, women, sea otters.” But first, Fox thought, it needed editing: In one sitting, he whittled the two-hour play down to 50 minutes.

“Then I gave it to Shannon to OK,” adds the writer-actor, who was born in New Jersey but grew up in Chicago. “And she added a monologue, probably the nicest one in the play. I’ve since asked her to write a different ending, and she’s done that as well. She’s a very thoughtful writer; she has a sense of women’s feelings--and men’s too. I hope the audience comes away thinking about the nature of men and women, and they get a few laughs in between.”

That’s not all they’ll get. Fox--who began acting and modeling as a child, got an anthropology degree from Harvard and made his film debut in “Fraternity Row”--boasts of “the best deal in town”: For a $10 admission, patrons will be treated to a pre-show brunch of a bagel sandwich (choice of roast beef, turkey or vegetable), fruit salad, pasta salad, coffee and what Fox calls a “desserty thing--maybe a brownie or something like that. And you get a play.”

Playwright Bradley began working on her script almost three years ago--as a monologue. “I always wrote journals about growing up, being a human being in this world,” says the actress-writer. “In my early 20s, I was milling about love and romance, mixed messages about sex and marriage. To deal with my confusion, I’d write about it. Originally it was going to be one-woman, then there were different voices emerging.”

The plot finds the three characters trapped in a women’s restroom (inspired by a real-life incident in which Bradley observed a hysterical women being coaxed out of a public stall). “One of the women is divorced with kids,” she explains. “The other two are extremes. One is educated, world-weary; the other is from a blue-collar family. They’re dealing with being alone in their 30s, wondering if that’s OK. Maybe men are the remedy; maybe they’re not the answer.”

Born in Upland, Bradley graduated in 1987 with a degree in broadcast journalism from USC (where she was also entertainment editor of the Daily Trojan), and worked as a TV reporter in Palm Desert for six months before making the commitment to pursue acting. She’s currently appearing onstage as Abigail Williams in “The Crucible” at Company of Angels in Silver Lake. “Some people have revelations that hit them like an anvil,” she says of the choice to act. “My feelings sort of seeped in.”

Where and When What: “But That Wasn’t Sex.” Location: Alliance Repertory Company, 3204 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. (Enter through the alley.) Hours: 11:30 a.m. brunch, noon show, Saturdays and Sundays. Closes Feb. 27. Price: $10. Call: (818) 566-7935.