A recent poll taken by the Ladies' Home Journal found that 75 percent of women are more afraid of spending a day at the beach in a thong than of having a root canal at the dentist.

Why are so many women -- especially during this supposed, unprecedented time of equality -- dissatisfied with their bodies? This fall, "The Body Project," a play with music inspired in part by the book of the same name by Cornell University's Joan Jacobs Brumberg, will explore the vast disconnect between the myriad of choices and opportunities modern women have gained and the ever-growing dissatisfaction they feel with their bodies.

The play, produced by the Horizons Theatre, will run at the Warehouse Theater (1021 7th St., N.W.) in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 20 to Nov. 13 before touring area schools and senior and community centers from January to May 2006.

On Oct. 28, Brumberg, a professor of history, human development and women's studies at Cornell, will lead a talk-back with an audience of largely Cornell alumni. At other performances, there will be post-show discussions with experts in the fields of medicine, advertising and social work. These discussions will focus on antidotes and solutions to the obsessive pursuit of physical perfection.

The play was created by a team of writers, and text and music were crafted through intensive workshops involving improvisation, writing exercises and interviews with women of all ages from the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. Reservations are available by calling (703) 578-1100 or by e-mail at tickets@horizonstheatre.org.