It's mermaid vs. mermaid in cutthroat, survivalist competition in the latest production at Bedlam Theatre. In a genetically modified future, mermaids battle it out in a reality show-style contest, using whatever talents they have: singing, dancing, burlesque, ventriloquism -- even playing the accordion.

But it's not all fun. The characters of "Iron Mermaiden" live in a time when the human genome is up for sale, and grotesque genetic creations are bought and sold with little thought of their humanity. The result is a satirical tale that comments on genetic oddity and human hardship, the exploitation of TV reality shows, representations of mermaids and contemporary women's problems.

At least that's what creator/director Kristi Ternes is hoping for. She produced the first version of the show in 2002, and has since done five other versions, each of which was much different than the current production, she said. The new production was created through workshops with Bedlam co-artistic director Maren Ward and the cast, most of whom are not professionally trained actors. The show was written to the performers' talents and abilities, Ternes said.

The challenge for the performers was incorporating a mermaid personality into talents they already had, she said. For example, a dancer had to figure out how a mermaid -- quite literally a fish out of water -- would dance.

While the first act follows a competition that Ternes likened to evolutionary natural selection, the second half delves into the back stories of some of the mermaid characters. "Each story is a reflection of different struggles that different women have," only set in this bizarre world, Ternes said.

Although she's worked with Bedlam in different capacities since 2002, Ternes brings a film and video background to the stage, and she said her performances look more like "live films" than traditional stage productions. She tries to translate film techniques to the stage, such as using lighting to create fading scene transitions, or switching back and forth between different scenes.

"Iron Mermaiden" is being staged as a benefit for Bedlam Theatre on Saturday, which coincides with International Women's Day. The show marks the first time Bedlam has used a performance as a fundraising opportunity. The proceeds will be used to offset production costs and to support the community of artists involved with the theater, such as Ternes, Ward said.

"This show in some ways is a really nice example of how this company is able to support people for a long time and help them realize dreams," Ward said.