This is all about playwright and performer, Charles Busch. His play, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, is the longest running Broadway comedy of the past 25 years. But his career path has been unconventional, to say the least. “I didn’t pursue the normal route,” Busch explained in the webinar. “I always thought it was an adventure to put on a play in a strange place and just do it.” In a frank and witty lightening round of Ten Questions LIVE, Busch revealed, that he is terrified “of the blank page or the blank screen.” He confronts his fear by writing down copious notes, and then arranging them. “Suddenly, I’m not so scared anymore,” he revealed.
Three of Charles Busch’s longtime collaborators joined The Dramatist LIVE to participate in a panel discussion about what it’s like to work with him. Wig designer Katherine Carr has been collaborating with Busch since the early 1980s. Carr also designed Busch’s website [www.charlesbusch.com]. Director Carl Andress has collaborated with Busch for nearly 25 years. Their first show together, Queen Amarantha, was also Carl’s directing debut. Actress Jennifer Van Dyck is a frequent performer in Charles Busch’s plays. She was a recipient of the 2020 Outer Critics Circle award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in Busch’s The Confession of Lily Dare. “Careers are made up of accidents, every step of the way,” Van Dyck said, reflecting on her longtime professional relationship with Busch. “You just don’t know what’s going to happen.”