L.A. Weekly *** GO *** "The writing is sharp and clever, and director Cindy Gendrich modulates campiness and physical comedy with impressive ease."
Stage Scene L.A. "...a comic tour de force performance..."
Actors Ink Magazine "The Attic Theatre brings Charles Busch’s campy satire Red Scare on Sunset back to life in an over the top production that will satisfy any avid Busch fan."
Stage Happenings "Michelle Begley stealing the show in her honest and believable portrayal..."
WeHo News "Kudos on a fun night at the theatre, filled with yucks and groans and even a little sexy edge."
The
Commies Are Coming, the Commies are Coming!
Attic Theatre and Ensemble to present RED SCARE ON SUNSET
by Tony Award Nominated Playwright Charles
Busch
The year is 1951, Hollywood.
America’s sweetheart, Mary Dale, is about to discover that her
husband, her best friend, her director and her houseboy are all mixed up in a
communist plot to take over Tinseltown. First point of order? The abolishment of
the star system – no more top billing!
On September 12, 2008, the
Attic Theatre and Ensemble will present
Red Scare on Sunset by Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning
playwright Charles Busch . Originally produced in 1991
by the WPA Theatre with a subsequent run Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel
Theatre, Red Scare on Sunset, with its hilarious take on McCarthyism and the
surrounding paranoia in Hollywood, is among Busch’s hilarious works that
simultaneously spoof and celebrate the classic film genre.
“Mr. Busch is a first-class satirist and farceur and “Red Scare on
Sunset” is definitely Busch at his best.” The New Yorker
“You have to champion the ingenuity of Busch’s writing which twirls
twist upon twist and spins into comedy heaven.” Newsday
L.A. WEEKLY Review by Lovell Estell III
*** GO ***
Charles Busch's raucous political farce takes place during the 1950s, when paranoia over the "Commie menace" was bearing down on American society. Screen star Mary Dale (a scintillatingly funny Drew Droege) and husband Frank Taggart (Groundlings alum Chris Tarantino), are a seemingly happy Hollywood couple with a nice house and a saucy, gay houseboy (Dane Whitlock). But dark clouds gather over their abode when Frank falls for sultry Marta (Sonya Tatoyan), who talks him into joining her acting class — which is really a front for the Communist Party. Frank soon falls under their fiendish influence and is coerced into doing an unspeakable act. Adding to poor Mary's dilemma is the plight of her patriotic best friend, Pat Tilford (Michele Begley), who is also the host of a popular radio show. Unfortunately, the Reds have some goods on her in a blackmail scheme involving some nasty pictures she posed for. Thrown into the mayhem are outrageous plot twists, chicanery and a finale that careens over the top. The writing is sharp and clever, and director Cindy Gendrich modulates campiness and physical comedy with impressive ease.
by Steven Stanley
Red Scare On Sunset lampoons (and pays tribute to) late 40s/early
50sred-baiting propaganda films like Red Menace. In a comic tour de force
performance, Drew Droege mixes bits of Bette Davis, Loretta Young, Dorothy
Malone, Jane Wyman, Donna Reed, Mercedes McCambridge, and Bea Arthur to create a
fabulous soufflé of a Hollywood star. As wise-cracking Pat Pilford, Michelle
Begley positively crackles. 6’5” mustachioed hunk Chris Tarantino looks and
sounds just like the 1950s movie star he’s playing. In supporting roles, Dane
Whitlock is a gay delight as Mary’s houseboy Malcolm. Mary Wayne-Thomas’
costuming is andefinite standout, especially Droege’s glamorous gowns. Whether
you’ren a Busch fan or a neophyte, there is much pleasure to be gotten from
the Attic’s production of Red Scare On Sunset.
The
year is 1951, and Hollywood starlet Mary Dale (Drew Droege), her dashing husband
Frank Taggart (Chris Tarantino) and their homo-house boy Malcolm (Dane Whitlock)
find themselves in the middle of the McCarthyism paranoia. Helping to hold Mary
and the commies in check, is Mary’s best friend and radio show host Pat
Pilford (the spunky Michelle Begley).
As the story progresses, Frank (searching for a career) is lured into the Method
Acting studio on Sunset which is really a front for the movement run by commie
acting coach Bertram Baker (Jan Munroe), actress Marta Towers (Sona Tatoyan) and
screen writer Mitchell Drake (Eric Jorgenson). Soon Pat is blackmailed by
Mitchelle and both her and Frank are forced to rid Hollywood of the star system.
That is, until Mary comes to the rescue and returns Hollywood to the
self-centered society we know and love.
Luckily, director Cindy Gendrich understands all
Charles Busch productions require actors to push the limits of serious stage
acting in order to ensure his silly storyline make sense. Coupled with minimal
sets and over the top costumes (Mary Wayne-Thomas), the cast rises to the campy
occasion in this fast paced fun adventure.
Indicating is a must in Busch productions and Droege, Tarantino, Tatoya and
Whitlock mug for each other and audience until it hurts to laugh. Michelle
Begley’s, giving us a cross between Joan Rivers and Whoopie Goodberg, lights
up the stage with her every appearance. And, the remainder of the cast all fills
their roles with sharp intensions that help keep this fun and funny spoof
enjoyable.
The Attic Theatre brings Charles Busch’s campy satire Red Scare on Sunset
back to life in an over the top production that will satisfy any avid Busch fan.
Stagehappenings.com by Eve Meadows
If you like spoofs and farce, then Red Scare on Sunset may be for you. A take
off on McCarthyism and Hollywood paranoia, the first act of this satire sets up
a situation in which a female American star, Mary Dale, discovers that the
people around her, friends, director, husband and house boy are all mixed up in
a communist plot to take over the film industry, and, among other things, do
away with the star system.
In keeping with the author’s original concept, Mary is portrayed by a man,
(Drew Droege, who plays with commitment and energy) and this does increase
the comedic value of some of the lines, particularly those highlighting gay
bashing. The first act is rendered in a fairly realistic manner with
Michelle Begley stealing the show in her honest and believable portrayal of the
close minded, mean spirited radio talk show host, celebrity, and best friend,
Pat Pilford. Also commendable was Dane Whitlock’s appealing and spirited
portrayal of several characters.
Author Charles Busch, wrote and starred in such plays as The Lady in Question,
Psycho Beach party, and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, one of the longest running
plays in Off Broadway History. He truly entered the spot light with his
play The Tale of The Allergist’s Wife which won him the Outer Circle Critics
John Gassner Award and received a Tony nomination for Best Play. He
also wrote and stared in the film version of his play, Die Mommie Die. Unfortunately, the second act of Red Scare fares less favorably than the first.
It loses all restraint and sinks into a silly, over done, camp,
ridiculous, empty show with no attempt whatsoever made to maintain a semblance
of reality and so the accompanying pathos real characters can engender is
missing. The director could have helped here, but the writing also left much to
be desired.
Again, if this is your kind of thing, have at it.
Red Scare On Sunset is one of those zany, delightful send-ups of all things Hollywood.
Drama Desk Award winning playwright Charles Busch sets his farce in the 50’s era of the Red Menace, when suspect actors cowered and reviled snitches spilled their guts to the House Un-American Activities Committee. Fodder for serious drama, nevertheless Busch piles on the laughs via double entendres, triple entendres, noir-spoofing hi-jinx and who’s-doing-whom infidelity while we incongruously question all things capitalist and communist.
Sorta.
Mostly, it’s about the laughs, the glaring stereotypes of a bygone era and the foibles and quirks of actors and their ilk, magnified one thousand times and served up live before the Attic Theatre patrons and the radio show audience of one Pat Pilford, stalwart of all things great here in the U.S. of A.
When the red menace permeates her popular broadcast, we feel for this patriot, especially now that communism has been once again largely discredited as a route to despotic governance. As Pilford, Michelle Begley plays the humor large and in your face. It’s pitch perfect, as is the spot-on performance of Chris Tarantino as Frank Taggart. Tarantino makes a most appealing 40’s era lead watching the fifties swirl around him and overrun his glamorous persona. Tall and elegant, Taggart is that odd combination of mannish fop, if there is indeed such a thing. Another role in Tarantino’s ongoing quest to, as his bio says, “build his characters around every possible permutation of facial hair,” his Taggart is truly sublime.Our diva Mary Dale is well played in that great flourish style of drag performers through the ages, and Drew Droege’s role as Mary is a hoot.
Given the best lines, adding a vogue pose as accent after each witty barb, Droege gives the show that extra ooompf! that keeps us waiting, waiting for more. Also of special note is the closeted character Malcolm, one of three roles by Dane Whitlock. The humor of his Malcolm role is infused with a sympathy expressed with great feeling and remorse. The rest of the cast perform ably.A small theatre, The Attic is just the right size for an intimate production like this, although the show is certainly strong enough- and deserves- a bigger venue. Under the direction of Cindy Gendrich, Red Scare On Sunset moves along at a brisk-albeit occasionally uneven-pace.
There’s a lot happening here, and one would not be surprised to actually see a kitchen sink traipse across the footlights. A major scene with the lead characters in masks, a drug induced hallucination is, while fun, not quite worked out. Meanwhile, the running gags on the Russian influenced school of (gasp) "method acting" are one of the show’s true highlights, well conceived and acted.Kudos on a fun night at the theatre, filled with yucks and groans and even a little sexy edge.
Filled with insider jokes and broad comedy, Red Scare On Sunset is well worth a trip back to the fading Golden Age of Hollywood.