Theatre
Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte Makes its Community Theatre Debut at The Directors Circle Theatre
by Michael Weiss
When Steve Murray of Make It So Productions in San Francisco and Matthew Martin, who adapted it from the screenplay Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte revived this 1994 satire at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre last summer, they had no idea its effect would be felt somewhere as far away as Erie, Pennsylvania.
Local director and actress Jo Laurie and her husband happened to be in the audience one night and contacted Michael Weiss of the Directors Circle Theatre upon their return, with glowing reviews of what they had seen. When Weiss contacted Steve Murray and asked about production rights, he was met with dead silence. "I asked if he was still on the line", Weiss said, and Murray replied: " Well…. we hadn't expected this…" After several weeks of negotiations, Directors Circle was given the go-ahead to produce it this summer. Make It So Productions had had to prove to 20th Century Fox that their production was a spoof of the film, and not a literal copy from screen to stage.
The film, released in 1964, starred Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland , Joseph Cotton and Agnes Moorehead. In Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte, the main characters played by Davis and de Havilland are played by men in drag. In the San Francisco production, nationally and internationally known female impersonators Matthew Martin and Varla Jean Merman portrayed these parts.
For those unfamiliar with the storyline, Charlotte Hollis, a middle aged, wealthy spinster lives in a big house on a rural Louisiana plantation that has been in her family since the days of the antebellum South. The parish intends to demolish her plantation house and build a new highway through the property. This decision is met with opposition from Charlotte, who ignoring the eviction notice and refusing to leave, keeps the foreman, his crew and bulldozer away with her rifle as she shoots at them.
In 1927, Charlotte was in love with a married man, John Mayhew. Her father found out they were planning to run away together and insists that Mayhew put an end to the affair. During a ball at the Hollis plantation, John meets Charlotte in the summer house and breaks off their relationship and she runs from him crying. Later that night, he is found brutally slaughtered, missing a hand and his head. Though everyone believed Charlotte murdered Mayhew, her guilt was never proven.
Miriam Deering, Charlotte's cousin, arrives to help Charlotte with her dilemma. Strange things begin happening that threaten to drive Charlotte over the edge, as she begins her descent into madness.
While true to the original screenplay, add in two female impersonators, some outrageous costumes, and sight and sound gags, this hilarious production takes on an entire different attitude, while maintaining the integrity of the original story.
Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte opens July 6 and plays Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays thru August 5 at The Directors Circle Theatre, 1001 State St. on the second floor of the Renaissance Centre. All performances are at 8 PM and ticket prices are $11 general admission, $8 for seniors and students and include the 3% amusement tax recently imposed by City Council.
The production is directed by Michael Weiss and Caryl Unseld and stars Buddy Pacy as Charlotte, Jeff Rodland (The Mystery of Irma Vep) as Miriam, Barb Sambroak, Bobbi Kocher, Michael Weiss, Don Kirsch, Rick Liebel, Joe Spusta, Bob Sambroak as well as a supporting cast.
Directors Circle has also produced in the past Torch Song Trilogy, Beyond Therapy, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, Boys in the Band, Bent and Twilight of the Golds. You don't want to miss what is sure to be a summer smash hit. Call the Box Office to make reservations at 814-451-1153.
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Co-editors Michael Mahler and Deb Spilko