The Lady in Question Is CHARLES BUSCH Airs 7/1 on WLIW

By: Jul. 01, 2010
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"The Lady in Question is Charles Busch" is the drag-to-riches story of one of the most prolific, talented and outrageous New York theater artists of the last three decades-beloved playwright, actor, novelist, drag artist and leading lady, Charles Busch. Put on the map in the mid-1980's as one of the burgeoning artists of New York's East Village arts scene, Busch's cross-dressing classic, "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" became a theater phenomenon, running an unprecedented five years after its June 1985 opening at the Provincetown Playhouse, and securing its place as one of the longest-running shows in Off-Broadway history.

The broadcasts of the documentary on WNET and WLIW are timed to celebrate 25 years of the work of Charles Busch, a New York original.

The documentary begins in 2000 at the opening night of Busch's highly-acclaimed Broadway production of "The Tale Of The Allergist's Wife." "I never knew the big bucks that could be made by exploiting your family," explains Busch. Lifted from years of eavesdropping on his own dysfunctional family drama, "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" is a window into Busch's traumatic, yet wildly creative childhood. Having lost his mother at age seven, he reacted to this tragic event by immersing himself in a world of classic Hollywood movies. Totally ignoring the demands of school, Busch watched movies day and night, preferring the black and white world of 1930's and 40's Hollywood to his own painful reality.

But expert knowledge of Hollywood was not enough to keep Busch from nearly flunking out of school. Swooping to the rescue was a real-life Auntie Mame in the form of his mother's oldest sister, Lillian Blum. Aunt Lillian saved him from the stifling suburbs by bringing him to Manhattan where his creative appetites could be sated. Busch rallied his talents, making it through high school and Northwestern University. But upon graduating, he was hit with a new harsh reality: his dreams of being an actor were thwarted at every turn by theater directors who found him difficult to cast - "too odd, too gay" according to Busch. But he rallied again: "If nobody else was going to put me in a play I decided I would have to get it done myself. So I became a writer so I would have the opportunity to act."

So begins Charles Busch's journey to become one of the most recognizable and enduring figures in New York theater today. After college Busch spent six years developing solo work that he toured across the country, performing in everything from bars to college activity centers. But by 1984 his solo career had run out of steam. Then while attending an experimental performance at the gritty Limbo Lounge in the East Village, Busch was inspired to write his classic spoof, "Vampire Lesbians Of Sodom."

The overwhelming response to the drag-driven comedy compelled Busch to write several more plays for his newly found core of off-beat actors, and within a few years his new Theatre-in-Limbo troupe had a string of plays to their name. "Psycho Beach Party," "Times Square Angel," "The Lady In Question," and "Red Scare On Sunset," all played Off-Broadway and established Busch as one of the few New York theater artists who maintained his own company, writing plays and starring as the leading lady in every work. Busch's highly nuanced artistry soon became well known in New York City where a loyal following developed.

Eventually after seven non-stop years (1984 to 1991), the legendary Theatre-in-Limbo was torn apart by fatigue and AIDS, as several core members were lost to the epidemic. During the 1990's Busch got mixed reception experimenting with club acts, television appearances, and even an out-of-character turn as a man in his well-received play, "You Should Be So Lucky." Then, just as the millennium turned, Busch experienced a new wave of notoriety as playwright of the hugely successful "The Tale Of The Allergist's Wife" starring Linda Lavin, Tony Roberts and Michelle Lee. The future seemed rosy for Charles Busch, when in the wake of his Broadway triumph he faced a terrifying, near-death experience.

Producers/Directors John Catania and Charles Ignacio began shooting "The Lady in Question is Charles Busch" in November of 2000 at the opening night of "The Tale Of The Allergist's Wife." They followed Busch for nearly five years as he wrote and starred in "Shanghai Moon" Off-Broadway with B.D. Wong, penned the problematic Rosie O'Donnell and Boy George musical, "Taboo," and fulfilled his dream of being up on the silver screen in his now cult favorite films "Psycho Beach Party" and "Die Mommie Die!"

To tell Busch's inspiring story the filmmakers use clips from the Hollywood classics that inspired Busch's artistry as a child, incorporate archival music from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and weave in an original 1920's-style silent short directed by and starring Busch. Also included are a bevy of rare clips of the best moments from Busch's original Theatre-in-Limbo performances. Also featured are Julie Halston, Michael Musto, Rosie O'Donnell, Paul Rudnick, and B.D. Wong.

"The Lady in Question is Charles Busch" made its World Premiere at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. It went on to screen at dozens of film festivals including NewFest in New York, OutFest in Los Angeles, and Frameline in San Francisco, and it also had a theatrical run in those respective three cities. It received the Best Documentary honor at the 2007 International Gay Film Awards in Los Angeles.



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