Mary Poppins' sexual preference depends on which way the wind blows?

So it seems, according to Paul Rudnick, writer of "Regrets Only," a 2006 play based in a Fifth Avenue penthouse in Manhattan.

The comedy of modern manners opens this weekend at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre's Circle Theatre.

It features Myra, who is "so bored of being the only white, Jewish maid in Manhattan"; designer Hank, an "ebullient blend of Cary Grant and a Texas tycoon"; Tibby, a "Manhattan social heroine ... from a fine WASP background"; Jack, a powerhouse attorney; and bride-to-be Spencer, among others.

"It's very wittily written, with a lot of very, very funny lines and snappy dialogue," said director Patrick Sweetman, who also has a co-starring role in the show.

The story is about a socialite family who is close friends with a successful designer. On the eve of the daughter's wedding, the politico father is asked to help write an amendment against gay marriage. And thus all the gay people in New York take the day off.

Try pulling off a fabulous wedding now.

"In addition to the funny lines, it reminds me of a Shakesperean comedy," Sweetman said. "It's silly, but it tackles heavy issues. Everyone learns something, but they really don't."

While the characters in "Regrets Only" are "kooky eccentrics," he said he hopes the audience will find the piece both entertaining and thought-provoking. Circle Theatre plays, he said, are often more challenging, designed to bring the audience a sense of both amusement and awareness. "It can bring you out of your comfort zone."

While the show carries a message about changing attitudes, she said, at the core of "Regrets Only" is a friendship. The plays he's directed, he said, "have been thoughtfully received," despite Chattanooga being a more conservative environment than the city of the play's birth.

"It's a fast-paced, wonderful comedy of manners," Sweetman said. "It's two hours of really great theater that might make you laugh, and it might make you think."

"Regrets Only" is an adults-only play because of its mature subject matter and adult language.

IF YOU GO

* What: "Regrets Only."

* When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 21.

* Where: Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 200 River St.

* Admission: $15 adult, $10 student.

* Phone: 267-8534.

* Web site: www.theatrecentre.com.