SORDID LIVES to Begin Performances This Week at Hendersonville Theatre

The beloved cult classic play Sordid Lives puts a comedic twist on a story of unconditional love, acceptance, and "coming out" in a Texas family as they all converge for the matriarch's funeral. Hendersonville Theatre presents Sordid Lives by Del Shores March 21-30. Tickets are $5-32 and are available online or by contacting the Box Office at (828) 692-1082. Groups of 10 or more receive a 10 percent discount.

Hendersonville Theatre will hold two special events in conjunction with Sordid Lives. On Friday, March 22, Wine & Sage Gourmet will host a post-show reception for anyone who attends the show, and on Friday, March 30, at 3 pm, there will be a Hendersonville Pride Party.

In this black comedy about white trash, a colorful family from a small Texas town must come to grips with the accidental death of the elderly family matriarch during a clandestine meeting in a seedy motel room with her much younger, married neighbor. The woman's family must deal with their demons while preparing for what could be an embarrassing funeral. Chaos erupts at the debate over the release of "Brother Boy," a Tammy Wynette impersonating drag queen currently confined to a mental institution simply for being gay. Meanwhile, grandson Ty, a closeted West Hollywood actor, struggles with the decision to return home and face his dysfunctional family. A legless Vietnam vet, an over-sexed therapist, and an ex-con bar singer are just a few of the hilarious characters whose "sordid lives" are exposed as unconditional love is put to the test.

"Though Sordid Lives is a side-splitting comedy, it is at its core a heart-warming play about accepting our loved ones for who they are," HT Artistic Director Victoria Lamberth said. "In a time when LGBTQIA+ individuals are increasingly under attack throughout our country, Sordid Lives is as relevant now as when it was first produced."

The SORDID LIVES franchise is one of the longest-running LGBTQIA+ franchises. Sordid Lives was penned by stage, film, and television writer and director Del Shores, whose credits include the award-winning play Daddy's Dyin': Who's Got the Will and small-screen episodes of "Queer as Folk," "Touched by an Angel" and "Dharma and Greg." Shores originally produced the play in a sixty-four-seat Theatre/Theater in Los Angeles in 1996. The play starred Leslie Jordan, Beth Grant, Rosemary Alexander, Newell Alexander, and Ann Walker. It ran for thirteen sold-out months with thirteen Critic's Choice Awards and 14 DramaLogue awards, including Best Production. Sordid Lives then spurred an award-winning cult-classic film starring Olivia Newton-John, Delta Burke, Beau Bridges, and Leslie Jordan. The film garnered numerous awards and spawned a subsequent TV series and film sequel, "A Very Sordid Wedding." Over 2,500 theatres worldwide have produced the play.

"Not a day goes by where someone doesn't write me asking me for more Sordid Lives. So many of my LGBTQ fans, of all ages, have come out to their folks by showing them Sordid Lives because the humor helped them share their own story," explains writer, director, and producer Del Shores.

The ensemble cast of Sordid Lives includes Tate Albert as GW, Nico Bolet as Ty, Tiffanie Boone as LaVonda, Brenda Craig as Dr. Eve, Alexandra Culotta as Noleta, Jonathan Forrester as Wardell, Denise Lockett as Sissy, Josh Luria as Odell/Reverend Barnes, Sabrina Rock as Latrelle, Sean Smith as Brother Boy, Jorja Ursin as Juanita, and Beth Vachon as Bitsy Mae.

Guillermo Jemmott directs Sordid Lives, assisted by River Spade, with stage management by Sara Hassinger, lighting design by Bess Park, set design by Rowan Bishop, costume design by Allison Starling, sound design by Beth Norris, and set dressing and prop design by Amanda McLoughlin.

The show opens Thursday, March 21, at 7:30, with a pay-what-you-can night starting at $5 per ticket. Additional showtimes are Fridays at 7:30, Saturday, March 23 at 3 pm and 7:30, Sunday, March 24 at 3 pm, and Saturday, March 30 at 3 pm. Running time is approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

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