The Divine Sister

"The Divine Sister" at the Soho Playhouse, September 20, 2010

Charles Busch returns to the NY stage with his latest effort, leading his mash-up tale of nuns in a Pittsburgh convent.  The Divine Sister plumbs the borders of The Sound of Music, Agnes of God, Doubt, Song of Bernadette, and Nunsense wrapped up in  a strong dose of Where Angels Go Trouble Follows. 

The jokes are broader than the Hudson, and the "broads" are among the widest Mr. Busch has written to date.

The absurd plot, of a convent/school in early 1960s Pittsburgh on financial skids includes a new member, Sister Walburga (Alison Fraser), imported from Germany to help with fund-raising )or does she have a plan of her own??).  Mother Superior (Mr. Busch) and her BFF and second in command, Sister Acacius (Julie Halston) have decided to approach the rich Jewish, agnostic widow, Mrs. Levinson (Jennifer Van Dyck) to donate her home to the order until a new school can be built.  One problem facing the order is that the postulant Agnes (Amy Rutberg) has a tendency toward miracles, healings and stigmata-ism, bringing unwanted publicity.  Like any good catholic story, there are multiple mother-child relationships hidden behind secret adoptions, accented by occasion musical numbers dubbed as badly as any Italian western out there, and a couple of flashback scenes to Mother Superior's previous life as a crime reporter in the 1940s.  Plots twist and all is revealed to a comic effect only conceivable by Mr. Busch  - a lost book of the bible, the Gospel of Saint Gladys which tells the story of the Jesus' sister Joyce - the titular Divine Sister.  Brilliant!

As the Mother Superior, Mr. Busch is in his highest Rosalind Russell form - an Auntie Mame in a habit.  Ms. Halston has a bit more stretching to do but pulls it off as Sister Acacius, MS' closest ally and confidant.  Ms. Fraser is all but unintelligible as the overly accented Teutonic sister.  Her attempted seduction of Sister Acacius is hysterical.  When Acacius talks about spending time with her husband (Jesus, y'know?) before bed, Walburga suggests luridly, "Perhaps ze sree of us should get togezzer sometime."

Director Carl Andress manages to keep the larger than life performances within the confines of the small Soho Playhouse stage, but one can tell that was not an easy job.  He never shies away from a bawdy choice, or bathroom humor - Noel Coward, this ain't.

The Divine Sister is on an open-ended run, but don't wait to see it.

The Third Story

"The Third Story" presented by MCC Theater at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, January 20, 2009

(photo: Joan Marcus)

Charles Busch's latest effort starring himself and Kathleen Turner.

Guess who's the better diva?

The story is an interesting premise with clunky execution. To paraphrase Ms. Turner's character of Peg, it takes three attempts for a writer to create a story that will work get completed - the third story, hence the title. We get all three stories here, told as a fourth and it sometimes felt like at least two too many. The comedy is broad, as it were, with an able cast.

I did see a preview, which was prior to Ms Turner's injury, and (apparently) prior to her feeling totally comfortable being off-book. Sarah Rafferty as Verna/Princess Vasilia seemed desperately in search of Rachel York, yet only found her on occasion. Jennifer Van Dyck impressed as Dr. Constance Hudson and Scott Parkinson made a perfectly gooey Zygote.

David Gallo's sepia-toned sets and deco-eclectic furnishings provided the proper mood. Gregory Gales costumes were mostly spot-on. (What were those pajamas Ms. Turner was wearing?)

Film Noir...in Technicolor!

"Die Mommie, Die!" at the New World Stages, October 14, 2007

Charles Busch's 1999 homage to "grande guignol" films of the 1960s is finally getting its NYC debut. The prolific playwright of famous (The Tale of the Allergist's Wife) and infamous (Psycho Beach Party, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom) is back on the boards in the title role.

On his website, Mr. Busch describes the play as follows (spoiler alert):

Ex-pop singer, Angela Andrews, is trapped in a hateful marriage with film producer Sol Sussman. Desperate to find happiness with her younger lover, an out of work TV actor, Tony Parker, Angela murders her husband with the aid of a poisoned suppository. In a plot that reflects Greek tragedy as well as Hollywood kitsch, Angela’s Elektra-like daughter, Edith, convinces Angela’s emotionally disturbed son, Lance, that they must avenge their father’s death by killing their mother. Lance, demanding proof of Angela’s crime, slips some LSD into her after-dinner coffee. Angela is plunged into a wild acid trip that reveals that not only did she kill the children’s father but also their mother, for she isn’t their mother at all but rather their Aunt Barbara. A surprising twist ending has all of the Sussman family’s dirty laundry aired out for once and for all. Angela or rather Aunt Barbara realizes that happiness cannot be built upon a foundation of lies and turns herself in to the police.

As Angela, Mr. Busch emotes and trembles, in moods from pensive to petulant with a tribute to all the great actresses who didn't learn how to fade away - Bette, Joan, Lana, Gloria, Merman - they all appear at various points throughout the play. Having finally seen Mr. Busch in a live performance of one of his roles, I couldn't help but wonder just how much more fun "Our Leading Lady" would have been earlier this year with him in that title role (no offense to Ms. Mulgrew, mind you).

Bob Ari as Angela's husband, Sol Sussman, still seemed to be struggling with lines from time to time, detracting a bit from his concentration and focus. Newcomer Ashley Morris, as daughter Edith Sussman brings a nice fire to the girl with a disturbing affection for her father. Van Hansis' Lance Sussman, spends a bit more time blustering than is necessary (are his vocal chords going to be able to withstand 8 performances a week of this run in addition to his work on "As The World Turns?" He gets the lovable goof parts right, but seems a bit lost when it's his character who should appear that way. Kristine Nielsen's Bootsie Carp, does everything she can to compete with Mr. Busch's Angela, but she just doesn't stand a chance. The play is truly a showcase for Mr. Busch and any attempts to play it otherwise would be ill-conceived and foolish. Chris Hoch's bulging pecs (and crotch) precede him on every entrance as the oily actor/tennis pro, Tony Parker.

Technically, I was very impressed with Michael Anania's set design, although the execution revealed a few flaws and seams in the set walls. Working on a stage with absolutely no fly space calls for creative work and Mr. Anania has risen to the occasion. Ben Stanton's cinematic lighting provides just the right moments of melodrama required. Jessica Jahn's 1960s costumes service nicely, though I was a bit surprised at the poor fit of Mr. Busch's gowns by Michael Bottari and Ronald Case despite their inspired design.

Director Carl Andress has taken the concept of camp and run it for a marathon. Believe me, there's no cliche' left unmugged in this hilarious feast of stereotypes.

I'm really glad to see New World Stages putting up a performance of something designed to do more lure than the tourist west of 8th Ave. Theatre Row has established some very nice working relationships (apparently) with producing organizations like The Keen Company and The New Group. I think there are certainly opportunities for similar groups to help provide NWS with quality programming beyond "Naked Boys..." "Altar Boys" and "Gazillion Bubbles." (not to imply that those shows don't have their own merits - I'm just sayin'...)

"Shot Who?"

"Our Leading Lady" presented by Manhattan Theatre Club at City Center Stage II, April 25, 2007

Charles Busch's latest offering, "Our Leading Lady" tells the presumably fictional back story of Laura Keen, a 19th century actress-manager, whose production of "Our American Cousin" was playing the night Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre.

I couldn't help thinking that this would be great fodder for a musical. Mr. Busch has assembled the stock characters one might have found in the acting company of Ford's Theatre at the time, the dotty older actress, the leading man with a drinking problem, the character actor of questionable sexual orientation married to a former ingenue, etc.

(Spoiler Alert) In the first act, he has created a period melodrama, telling the story of how Ms. Keen has left New York after her acting company there went under. She is now touring her production of "Our American Cousin" across the country, playing the lead and supported by local actors at each stop. On this stop, she is also in secret negotiations to take over the running of Ford's Theatre and staff it with members from her New York company. Needless to say, the local actors are suspicious and unhappy. Egos run from testy to maniacal. When Laura learns that the President has decided not to attend her play, she writes to him immediately, and is able to change his mind. We all know what happens next.

Things take a dark shift in the second act. Laura's efforts of kindness toward her long-time dresser/maid, Wu-Chan (now revealed as a once-runaway slave) are not received as she would have expected. The relationship, founded on a mutual disregard and denial for what was obvious in order to serve each one's purposes, struggles through an attempted switch in roles of care giver and receiver. Wu Chan wants to find her brother and claim six acres promised to her by her former owner. Laura sees this as unlikely, if not impossible, given the war and despite emancipation, begging Wu Chan to stay and travel with her to her next tour stop in Ohio. Laura and the cast are questioned by the authorities about possible involvement with Mr. Booth's actions, since several company members might have a motive to help the assassination plot. The former ingenue is held overnight because of her Southern family ties and previous public statements against the war.

All is resolved, ever-so-theatrically, in a grand monologue delivered by Laura which thoroughly impresses the company, but only befuddles the investigator who writes them all off as not mentally stable enough to formulate, let alone participate in the assassination. Laura's plan to take over the theatre falls through, and her tour is cancelled.

As Laura Keen, Kate Mulgrew gives her best William Shatner version of a pompous and self-important actor. Maxwell Caulfield, as the aging leading man with a teeny-tiny drinking problem is just about unintelligible, but still quite handsome. As the dotty Mrs. Bentley, Barbara Byrne is steadfast and probably the most consistent performer in this production.

Santo Loquasto's versatile set uses a rotating proscenium arch, turning periodically as the scenes shift. In the second act, the proscenium is tilted against the back wall, a metaphor for the collapse in the aftermath of the assassination. Brian McDevitt's lighting gives the appropriate period feel to the proceedings. Jane Greenwood's period costumes were spot on.

Mr. Busch has written some very nice and clever moments into his script. Late in the first act, while railing against the Booths for prior offenses to her career (which may or may not have led to the failure of her New York company) she says, "At least there's nothing the Booths can do to me now." There are plenty of other laughs as well, but the evening still feels a bit unsatisfying. Is the play meant to be just a broad comedy with some dark moments? Is it meant as a commentary on the artificiality of politics? Is it meant to comment on how women survived in the 19th Century? We get these questions, but the answers remain unclear.

(Star-watch: Conrad John Schuck in the audience - I saw a fellow audience member speak to him as someone recognizable but unidentified.)