In 1860s London, four women discover themselves and find empowerment in an unusual place - a boxing ring.

That's the premise of "The Sweet Science of Bruising," a play that will be performed at Susquehanna Stage, 133 W. Market St., Marietta, on select dates from Friday, Feb. 16, through Sunday, Feb. 25.

"All four of the women in this show are so drastically different from each other," said Libby Casey Stauffer, who plays Anna Lamb, one of the boxers, "but still, they find themselves in the same place."

That place is Victorian-era England, where women felt oppression in society, said Chrissy Nickel, who portrays boxer Polly Stokes.

"Women had been boxers previously, but in the Victorian era, there was a more conservative push toward women's role in society, and they were no longer allowed to do anything that was seen as masculine," she explained. "These are women who, through boxing, start to find their own way to exert their power."

First-time director Jeremy Patterson said he was drawn to the script immediately when he read it last year. "It's very rare that you find a play that forefronts four female leads in which they also get to do stage combat in a way that's empowering," he said, noting that he was also drawn to the play's unique title, a reference to the sport of boxing.

Patterson reached out to friends, colleagues and people he admired in the local theater scene to build his dream cast of 10.

"I fell in love with this play immediately," said Deb Good-Zeiner, who plays Aunt George. "The issues that it brings up that the women struggle with are ones women continue to struggle with today, between abuse and being disenfranchised and trying to find their power. I just loved it for those reasons."

Along with gathering the actors he wanted to work with, Patterson brought in Preston Cuer as fight choreographer for the show, which includes many scenes of stage combat.

A member of the Society of American Fight Directors, Cuer has extensive experience staging fights, but this play presented a new challenge.

"There's an array of basic weaponry you typically use, and boxing is not on that list," he said. "I had to do a lot of research on the sport." He watched YouTube videos, including a match from 1902, the oldest recorded boxing match he could find, and learned all he could about how the sport was conducted in the late 1800s.

Nickel hopes audiences will come away from the play with a new appreciation for the women's stories, which are based on historical truth.

"There are moments of levity in this play, and there are sad moments," she said. "There are people who don't make it through, but you also see women winning."

"The Sweet Science of Bruising" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Feb. 16, 17, 23 and 24, as well as on Thursday, Feb. 22. It will also be performed at 2 p.m. on Sundays, Feb. 18 and 25. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.susquehannastage.com.