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Charles Busch

Teoksen Whores of Lost Atlantis tekijä

42+ teosta 507 jäsentä 7 arvostelua 4 Favorited

Tietoja tekijästä

Includes the name: Charles Busch -

Tekijän teokset

Whores of Lost Atlantis (1993) 123 kappaletta
Psycho Beach Party [2000 film] (2000) — Screenwriter; Actor — 30 kappaletta
Red scare on sunset (1991) 29 kappaletta
Four plays (1986) 21 kappaletta
Psycho Beach Party (1988) 17 kappaletta
The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (2004) 14 kappaletta
Our Leading Lady (A Play) (2007) 9 kappaletta
The Lady in Question (1990) 8 kappaletta
Die Mommie Die! (2005) 7 kappaletta
Divine Sister, The (2011) 7 kappaletta
A Very Serious Person (2007) — Ohjaaja — 6 kappaletta
The Green Heart (1999) 4 kappaletta
Shanghai moon (2000) 4 kappaletta
Olive and the Bitter Herbs (2011) 3 kappaletta
Swingtime Canteen (1998) 3 kappaletta
Charles Busch's Cleopatra (2016) 2 kappaletta
Three plays 2 kappaletta
Judith of Bethulia (2013) 2 kappaletta

Associated Works

The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) — Kertoja, eräät painokset10,731 kappaletta
Little Me (1961) — Esipuhe, eräät painokset227 kappaletta
Addams Family Values [1993 film] (1993) — Actor — 168 kappaletta
Moving Parts: Monologues from Contemporary Plays (1992) — Avustaja — 56 kappaletta

Merkitty avainsanalla

Yleistieto

Virallinen nimi
Busch, Charles Louis
Muut nimet
Dale, Mary
Syntymäaika
1954-08-23
Sukupuoli
male
Kansalaisuus
USA
Asuinpaikat
New York, New York, USA (birthplace)
Koulutus
Northwestern University

Jäseniä

Kirja-arvosteluja

Busch's performance of his own memoir is surprisingly bad. He reads his own words without a natural sense of rhythm, often pausing awkwardly mid-phrase at line breaks. There are technical flubs suggesting he's engineering his own recording at a home studio rather than with professional support. It's unbearable to listen to.

Despite that, the anecdotes are charming, if indifferently edited. I'd expected the audiobook to elevate the text; it does not.
½
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
yarmando | Nov 20, 2023 |
3.5 *
Listened to this full cast production on the LATW website
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
leslie.98 | Jun 27, 2023 |
I read a play script that I checked out from the public library. I'm an actor who reads scripts for fun.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Busch thinks cross-dressing is a funny gag, transphobia, male homosexuality is funny to him especially when it's two masculine men, female homosexuality is for his eyes only, rape references ("virgin sacrifice"), child abuse (mother of daughter), implied childhood sexual abuse, mockery of mental illnesses, racist caricatures depending on how the play is cast and accompanying directorial choices.
So. It has taken me two days to review this after reading it. The dates aren't incorrect; I just slept in until one pm today and count days strangely to make myself feel better when that happens. Two days of a wait time, after taking a two-hour cool-down period after initially reading it. This play obviously made me really, really mad. The play was turned into a movie in the 2000s, and--NICHOLAS BRENDAN WAS IN IT?! I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, XANDER. Then again, Xander the -character- would -adore- this movie/play. He becomes less of a Nice Guy as Buffy progresses, but by, like, half or so. Still horrified that he sexually propositioned Buffy on his own wedding day. I saw five seconds of the movie when I was channel surfing one day as a late-teen and was really fucking uncomfortable. BASED OFF FIVE SECONDS. I remember exactly which clip it was, too.

Fast forward to now. A few years ago, a Seattle theater company held auditions for the original play. I was so excited to be auditioning for what I thought was a genderqueer role. It turned out to uh, be the lead. They were playing the original play dead fucking straight, no desperately needed updates to a play that was probably offensive by even 1988 standards. I don't care that the show takes place in the sixties--I have a feeling it pissed people off even back then. So, I got to the audition location. I think it was actually Freehold. The stage manager sat outside the studio room cheerfully greeting people. "I saw the movie," I blurted out, not mentioning I disliked the five seconds I saw. Said because I wanted to make conversation and also I was letting her know I thought the director plagiarized it. "We've gotten that a lot," she laughed. So, since finding out it was really a play first, I've felt bad about how I acted. I walked into the studio after handing over the usual papers and the director introduced me to my scene partner. I skimmed my sides and readied myself: it was gonna involve lots of touching for seductive purposes. There was no way I'd be able to do this, but I was gonna get through the audition. My scene partner was lying down on his stomach, and waved. He'd had people touching him all day and was totally relaxed. "He has a back injury, so touch him anywhere but be careful."
"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned.
"Oh, sure. Just got a little hurt doing a short film." Stunt double. We don't call it that here in Seattle--we say 'extra who can do physical movement.'
Every freaking line out of my mouth was accompanied with me immediately dropping character to ask if he was okay, and I grew increasingly alarmed as I realized I was reading for a sexualized split personality. My scene partner was totally fine, but was starting to worry about -me-. Yeah, didn't get a callback. Didn't want to see the show, either.

Two days ago, I read the play in twenty minutes or something. It's a quick read. I can't remember why I checked out this specific one. It was relevant to a topic I was interested in, I know. Can't remember details. The script opens with an introduction. Totally fine. I always read them, as they tell a lot about the play and serve as a warning in some instances. This one certainly did. Most introductions are a paragraph, maybe two. This one went on for three pages. Dude was clearly in love with himself and really proud of his work, and thought everyone would get a kick out of it. He certainly had. It was all melodrama and not to be taken seriously, he explained. For the lulz, we'd say today. Especially considering how many minority populations he was attacking (laughter at another's expense is the lulz definition I'm using for this context). I grimaced and realized I was really gonna hate this. I knew of only two groups that he was going to make fun of, at that part. There's five.

It pains me to admit this play followed a clear structure and hit the points of a typical play. (shrug) I'd feel comfortable with this, structure-wise and what was expected of me -from a strict acting standpoint-. The sets would have to be creative, and stagehands would be aplenty and were part of the show, if I recall correctly. The breaking of the fourth wall felt incredibly natural. Points for all that. Content-wise? Ugh. Misogyny runs deep in this show, as does utter hatred of virgins, both male and female. These attitudes are incredibly present today, too. Were it not for the now-outdated slang, this could be done today. Weed smoking carried a stigma for some of the characters, but not the Only Black Guy. Cringe. Grr. Female friendships are seen as secret lesbianism that should be abandoned for The Cock, or slim possibility thereof. Lesbianism is seen as baaad when they're not hot, in this show. And the best friend who's distraught at her friend ignoring her for a guy is portrayed as a shrill harpy and whiny ten-year-old. The characters are all in their early twenties, except the mom and incredibly unrealistic movie star. The lead role is that of a shy teenager who's discovering the possibility of boys and sex, and she's overwhelmed and scared. So of course the role is originated by the manly-man playwright who pointed out a few times that he performed with a month's worth of beard on his face. He was reluctant to acknowledge the possibility that a young woman might want the role, but pointed out she could have it if she wanted, in his casting notes.

The movie star is a Big Lipped Alligator Moment. I think I know what the playwright intended--for her to be a plot device and later pity fuck when Manly Surfer Male's Sidekick can't "convert" the upset best friend into having sex with him. The sad best friend being ~obviously a big lesbo~ was driven here HARD. I saw it as a normal, if melodramatic, struggle of growing apart but ohhh I totally picked up on what the playwright wanted. I did not approve. The shy teen worships the Manly Surfer Man and stands up a bit to her abusive mommeigh, who is an expy for Margaret White. I got chills every time Margaret White was onstage, and I was only -reading- the script. What a well-written character we were all supposed to hate.

Shy Teen has what is now called Dissociative Identity Disorder. The setup and foreshadowing is extremely poor in that it's blink and you miss it, and would actually have to be familiar with DID symptoms to get it. Actually, there was only one symptom: talking in funny voices and being unaware. There is much more to it than that. I was offended. And of course we have the Split Personality Token Triad: the hypersexualized one, the little girl, and the um, Sassy Black Woman who's poor and angry. That last one is a bit specific, but I see this triad allll the time with variants on the Sassy Black Woman. And the shy teen is always, always lily white. It's played for laughs. It shouldn't, at all.
This play is disgusting.

EDITED TO ADD BECAUSE I FORGOT: I read this whole script, from three-page introduction to property list (it's in the back) to all three alternate opening scenes. He is so, so clearly in love with his work. He reminds me strongly of EL James and SMeyer in that regard--same way of stroking the ego and Komedy use, and and and. Ewwww.

A movie I strongly recommend that treats DID accurately and with respect is Frankie And Alice, starring Halle Berry. It's based on a true story. She has five personalities in the movie, all distinct. The triad is there. What stunned me was it's not Sassy Black Woman: it's Racist White Woman in a Woman of Color's body. MY G-D, the -way- it was handled took my breath away. My aunt brought the DVD over. We were enthralled and even watched commentary. Halle Barry was stunned, too, and thought, "A racist white woman as a split personality for a Black woman? That can't be true." It was. Halle Berry got to meet the real Frankie, and glowed when talking about her. "She says Alice (racist white lady) does visit her from time to time, but she has learned how to manage her." What class! What a smooth and encouraging way of talking about possible positive work to be done!

Edited to remove an outdated paragraph. Please go watch "Frankie and Alice" starring Halle Barry. It is much better at handling things that Busch so callously misrepresents.
… (lisätietoja)
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
iszevthere | 2 muuta kirja-arvostelua | Jun 23, 2022 |
An audio production of this darkly comic mystery play. Angela Arden is desperate to get out of her marriage to Hollywood movie producer, Sol Sussman, and what better way than poison. Her daughter, Edith, however is distraught by her father's death, convinced her mother did it, and will stop at nothing to prove it. A highly entertaining and campy take on a mystery, Charles Busch constantly steals the show as Angela (based on some of the laughter from the live audience at the recording, there are additional comic moments just from having the actors on the stage that the audio audience sadly misses). I was happily surprised by the resolution of the mystery and utterly enjoyed the journey.… (lisätietoja)
 
Merkitty asiattomaksi
MickyFine | Jul 10, 2020 |

Palkinnot

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