Charles Busch Biography (1954-)

Born Charles Louis Busch, August 23, 1954, in New York, NY; son of Benjiman (a merchant) and Gertrude (a homemaker; maiden name, Young) Busch. Addresses: Contact: Marc Click, Glick and Weintraub, 1501 Broadway, Suite 2401, New York, NY 10036.; Agent: Jeff Melnick, Eighth Square Entertainment, 606 N.Larchmont, Suite 307, Los Angeles, CA 90004.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, playwright
Birth Details: August 23, 1954; New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Stage Appearances
Esther, Sister Act, 1976
Title role, Myrtle Pope, the Story of a Woman Possessed, Chicago,IL, 1977
Kit, Old Coozies, 1977
Hollywood Confidential (one-man show), One Sheridan Square Theatre, New York City, 1978
David and Andreas, Before Our Mother's Eyes, Theatre for the New City, New York City, 1982
(Off-Broadway debut) Fauna Alexander, "Sleeping Beauty or Coma," Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, and A Virgin Sacrifice and Madeleine Astarte, "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom," [and] Sleeping Beauty or Coma (double-bill), Theatre-in-Limbo, Limbo Lounge, New York City, 1984, then Provincetown Playhouse, New York City, 1985-90, later Coronet Theatre, Los Angeles, 1990
Empress Theodoram, Theodora, She-Bitch of Byzantium, Theatre-in-Limbo, Limbo Lounge, 1984
Irish O'Flanagan, Times Square Angel, then Theatre-in-Limbo, Provincetown Playhouse, 1985-86
Maria Garbanza and Marquesa del Drago, Pardon My Inquisition, or Kissthe Blood off My Castanets, Theatre-in-Limbo, Limbo Lounge, 1986
Gidget Goes Psychotic, Limbo Lounge, 1986
Chicklet, Psycho Beach Party, Theatre-in-Limbo, Players Theatre, New York City, 1987-88
Gertrude Garnet, The Lady in Question (two-act), Theatre-in-Limbo,WPA Theatre, New York City, 1988, then Orpheum Theatre, New York City, 1989
Red Scare on Sunset, WPA Theatre, 1991
The Maids, Classic Stage Company, New York City, 1993
The Charles Busch Revue, Ballroom Theatre, New York City, 1993
Charles Busch's "Dressing Up," Town Hall, 1994
You Should Be So Lucky, New York City, 1994
Little Me, Birmingham Theatre, Birmingham, MI, 1994
Marian Ames, Swingtime Canteen, Blue Angel Theatre, New York City,1995
Angela A., Queen Amarantha, WPA Theatre, 1997
Flipping My Wig (one-man show), WPA Theatre, 1997
Mame Dennis, Auntie Mame (staged reading), American Place Theatre,New York City, 1998
Shanghai Moon, Theater for the New City, New York City, 1999
Die, Mommie, Die! Coast Playhouse, Los Angeles, 1999
Also appeared in the staged readings The Women, The Children's Hour, and The Miracle Worker, all Westbeth Theatre, New York City; and Hedda Gabbler and A Doll's House, both Theatre forthe New City.
Major Tours
Appeared in the one-man show Charles Busch Alone with a Cast of Thousands, which toured U.S. cities for six years.
Stage Associate Director
Ankles Aweigh (musical), Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT, 1988-89

Film Appearances
Voice of Gemmen, Light Years (animated; also known as Gandahar), Miramax, 1988
Cousin Aphasia, Addams Family Values, 1993
Timothy, It Could Happen to You, 1994
Ms. Ellen, Trouble on the Corner, Vision Films, 1997
Captain Monica Stark, Psycho Beach Party, Strand Releasing, 2000
Television Appearances
Series
Nat "Natalie" Ginsburg, Oz, HBO, 1999
Specials
Dragtime, HBO, 1998
Episodic
Appeared in The Life.
WRITINGS
Plays
Myrtle Pope, the Story of a Woman Possessed, produced in Chicago,IL, 1977
Hollywood Confidential (one-man show), produced at One Sheridan Square Theatre, New York City, 1978
Before Our Mother's Eyes, produced at Theatre for the New City, New York City, 1982
Vampire Lesbians of Sodom [and] Sleeping Beauty or Coma (double-bill), produced by Theatre-in-Limbo, Limbo Lounge, New York City, 1984,then Provincetown Playhouse, New York City, 1985-90, later Coronet Theatre, Los Angeles, 1990
Theodora, She-Bitch of Byzantium, produced by Theatre-in-Limbo, Limbo Lounge, 1984
Times Square Angel, produced in 1984, then by Theatre-in-Limbo, Provincetown Playhouse, 1985-86, published by Samuel French, 1985
Pardon My Inquisition, or Kiss the Blood off My Castanets, produced by Theatre-in-Limbo, Limbo Lounge, 1986
Gidget Goes Psychotic, produced at Limbo Lounge, 1986
Psycho Beach Party, produced by Theatre-in-Limbo, Players Theatre,New York City, 1987-88, published by Samuel French, 1987
The Lady in Question (two-act), produced by Theatre-in-Limbo, WPATheatre, New York City, 1988, then Orpheum Theatre, New York City, 1989
(Adapter) Guy Bolton and Eddie Davis, Ankles Aweigh (musical), produced at Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT, 1988-89, published by SamuelFrench, 1989
Four Plays by Charles Busch (contains Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, Sleeping Beauty or Coma, Psycho Beach Party, and The Lady in Question), published by Samuel French, 1989
Red Scare on Sunset, produced at WPA Theatre, 1991, published by Samuel French, 1991
(Adapter) House of Flowers, 1991
Three Plays by Charles Busch (contains Theodora, She-Bitch of Byzantium, Times Square Angel, and Pardon My Inquisition, or Kiss the Blood off My Castanets), published by Fireside Theatre Book Club, 1992
The Charles Busch Revue, produced at Ballroom Theatre, New York City, 1993
You Should Be So Lucky, produced in New York City, published by Samuel French, 1995
Swingtime Canteen, produced at Blue Angel Theatre, New York City,1995, published by Samuel French, 1998
Flipping My Wig (one-man show), produced at WPA Theatre, 1997
Queen Amarantha, produced at WPA Theatre, 1997, published by Samuel French, 1998
The Green Heart, produced at Manhattan Theatre Club, Variety ArtsTheatre, New York City, 1997, published by Samuel French, 1999
Shanghai Moon, produced at Theater for the New City, 1999, published by Samuel French, 2000
Die, Mommy, Die!, produced at Coast Playhouse, Los Angeles, 1999,published by Samuel French, 2000
The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, produced at Manhattan Theatre Club, 2000, then Ethel Barrymore Theater, New York City, 2001, published bySamuel French, 2000
Also wrote Charles Busch Alone with a Cast of Thousands (one-man show), which toured U.S. cities for six years, and Sister Act. Author of The Tale of the Allergist's Wife and Other Plays by Charles Busch.
Screenplays
Psycho Beach Party, Strand Releasing, 2000
Novels
Whores of Lost Atlantis, Hyperion Press, 1993
Other
Contributor to magazines, including Interview, New York Times Book Review, and Washington Post.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

Encore, 1999. January-February,
New Criterion, April, 2000, p. 41.
New York Times, July 23, 1989; October 29, 2000.
Vogue, September, 2000.

Electronic

Contemporary Authors Online, 2001. Gale,
The Official Website of Charles Busch, http://www.charlesbusch.com.

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