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Red Scare on Sunset

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  4w, 5m

"You have to champion the ingenuity of Busch's writing which twirls twist upon twist and spins into comedy heaven." - Newsday

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    4w, 5m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Parody / Spoof
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
The time: the fifties; the place: Hollywood, where film star Mary Dale finds the Red Menace invading her own Beverly Hills backyard. When she discovers that her husband has been lured into the local Communist party by way of a method acting class and that there is a left wing plot afoot to abolish the star system, Mary wages a private war to save her husband, her country and billing over the title. The McCarthy era is turned on its head in this novel take on a serious subject.
History

Red Scare on Sunset originally opened at The WPA Theatre in March, 1991 (Kyle Renick, Artistic Director). It subsequently opened at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in June, 1991. It was directed by Kenneth Elliott.

RALPH BARNES
JERRY
PAT PILFORD
FRANK TAGGART
MARY DALE
MALCOLM
MARTA TOWERS
SALESGIRL
MITCHELL DRAKE
BERTRAM BARKER
R.G. BENSON
GRANNY LOU
OLD LADY

There was much doubling of roles. The central role of Mary Dale was performed by the author, Charles Busch, in drag, but that is not necessary.

  • Time Period 1950s
  • Setting Hollywood, CA, 1951
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Physical Comedy, Stage Combat, Drag Performance
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Drugs
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

REVIEWS

"You have to champion the ingenuity of Busch's writing which twirls twist upon twist and spins into comedy heaven." - Newsday

"Mr. Busch is a first-class satirist and farceur and Red Scare on Sunset is definitely Busch at his best." - The New Yorker

Videos

  • Red Scare at Sunset youtube thumbnail

    Red Scare at Sunset

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

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Authors

Charles Busch

Charles Busch is the author and star of such plays as The Divine Sister, The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset, The Confession of Lily Dare and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom; one of the longest-running plays in the history of off-Broadway. His play The Tale of the Allergist’s ...

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