Review: Austin Rainbow Theatre Comes Out With SORDID LIVES

Del Shores is a prolific American playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor known for witty and irreverent storytelling that often explores themes of Southern life, family, and LGBTQ+ issues. Shores has made a significant impact on both the theater and entertainment industries with his unique blend of humor and heartfelt drama. Produced by Austin’s new LGBTQ focused theatre company, Austin Rainbow Theatre, Shores 1996 play, SORDID LIVES, is now playing at Ground Floor Theatre.

Set in a small Texas town, SORDID LIVES weaves together a tapestry of colorful characters dealing with love, acceptance, and family secrets. The story kicks off when Peggy, a conservative matriarch, accidentally trips over her lover's wooden legs and dies, sparking a chain of events that bring her eccentric family together. Shores' sharp and often uproarious dialogue explores themes of homophobia, self-acceptance, and the complexities of relationships.

SORDID LIVES has been praised for its bold and unapologetic portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and issues, as well as its unflinching exploration of the quirks and idiosyncrasies of Southern culture. The play's humor, combined with its underlying message of tolerance and understanding, has resonated with audiences across the United States and beyond. 

Del Shores' work, including SORDID LIVES, has not only found success on the stage but also on the screen. He adapted the play into a film of the same name in 2000, featuring an ensemble cast (including beloved southern gay icon, Leslie Jordan) that brought his characters to life for a wider audience. The film received critical acclaim and further solidified Shores' reputation as a storyteller who fearlessly tackles issues of sexuality, identity, and family dynamics.

Throughout his career, Del Shores has continued to write, direct, and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, using his platform to shed light on the challenges and triumphs of the LGBTQ+ community in the Southern United States. His work remains a testament to his dedication to authentic storytelling and his commitment to promoting understanding and acceptance. His contribution to bringing southern and gay culture together cannot be overlooked, and SORDID LIVES, if a tad dated, is  a wonderful choice as an inaugural production for Austin’s new and only LGBTQ+ focused theatre company.

There’s definitely a crowd for this type of theatre in Austin. However, I tend to be sadly skeptical about its mileage in other theatres and towns throughout our fair state at this cultural moment. All the more reason to produce this play. Playwright Shores’ work is iconic, and here in Austin, ART’s Executive Director and SORDID LIVES director Christopher Preslar has done some iconic (and dare I say, subversive in this political climate) casting by adding local drag queen Nadine Hughes to the cast as Earl “Brother Boy,” Ingram. Some of the success of SORDID LIVES also lies in knowing someone reflected in the characters who inhabit the stage: Ty Williamson (Marcus Speed) the closeted, creative young gay man who must return home to Texas for his grandmother’s funeral; his rigid but loving mother Latrelle (Maureen Slabaugh); her fun-loving sister La Vonda (Christina Little-Manley) their brother Earl “Brother Boy (the aforementioned Nadine Hughes); and a host of other characters who populate this small town in Texas.

We are often quoted in theatre as saying 90% of a director’s job is casting — and in the case of SORDID LIVES, Preslar fulfills his obligations. This could be no more clear than in the casting of Nadine Hughes as “Brother Boy.” Hughes’s credits in the program are devoted exclusively to her work in drag. If she's new to theatre, I couldn't tell. Hughes gives “Brother Boy” a gentle innocence that never crosses over into saccharine, and provides that recognizable attitude of a drag queen without ever throwing too much shade. Maureen Slaughbaugh as the over-anxious Latrelle is both uptight and loving. Marcus Speed as Ty succeeds at shouldering the weight of the serious scenes in the show. In one of the brightest scenes in SORDID LIVES, Odell (Bryan Headrick), G.W. (Leslie Heathcox), Wardell (Scott Poppaw), and Juanita (CJ Legare) drink away their troubles in the local bar before they’re joined by the drunk, armed, and hilariously vengeful La Vonda (Christina Little-Manley) and Nolita (Debbie Leopold). Headrick gives us an enthusiastic Odell, Heathcox is an intense G.W., and a smooth Scott Poppaw gives us an earnest Wardell. Little-Manley’s La Vonda is fun, and Leopold’s Nolita wild. Somehow, in the middle of all this chaos, Legare’s Juanita shines as quite a delight. Rounding out this solid cast is Naomi Payette (Bitzy), Jane Newchurch (Sissy), Erin Kessler (Dr. Bolinger), and Becky Woodall as the deceased Peggy.

SORDID LIVES is a comedy, make no mistake. And Shores gives us recognizable and fun characters. Nonetheless, this play can be poignant in places despite its hilarious premise. There were a few pacing issues, and it looks as though Preslar leaned into the comedy, so a variety of rhythm didn’t reveal itself on the night I attended. This kept us from experiencing more fully the touching moments of character shifts available in the script. Nonetheless, it seemed everyone enjoyed the show, including me. 

SORDID LIVES is an upbeat start for Austin Rainbow Theatre, and LGBTQ+ theatre is a genre Austin deserves. Keep your eye on this new theatre company, whose mission is to “provide affordable theatre that focuses on creating belonging, reducing stigma, honoring diverse LGBTQIA+ history and stories, and amplifying LGBTQIA+ artist and community voices.” They deserve your attention as they come to take their place in the Austin theatre community.

Sordid Lives

By Del Shores

Directed by Christopher Preslar

Austin Rainbow Theatre (ART)

October 06 - October 14, 2023

Ground Floor Theatre

979 Springdale Rd

Austin, TX, 78702

Tickets $20, available online HERE

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