Mae West: March 2003

MAE WEST continued to revise her play "Pleasure Man," hoping to get her 1928 "comedy drama" produced.
• • Of course, as Mae-mavens know, she never did. However, a staged reading in New York City five years ago dragged the dusty script back into being for two hours on Bleecker Street — — amid shamrocks, shillelaghs, and serpents on St. Patrick's Day.
• • Female impressionist Charles Busch starred as "The Bird of Paradise" at a benefit reading on 17 March 2003.
• • The production notes for that one-night-only event described the narrative: "Set backstage in a third rate vaudeville house, 'The Pleasure Man' is a comedy-melodrama about the exploits of a Lothario whose dalliances lead to his death. Along with acrobats, comedians and dancing girls, the play features a troupe of female impersonators. The original October 1928 Broadway production ran for three performances, two of which were raided by the New York City vice squad. The police arrested the cast of nearly 60 (still in costume) on obscenity charges and West bailed the entire company out of prison both times. The show trial that followed resulted in a split jury and West was acquitted."
• • Directed by Elyse Singer, with music direction by Jeff Stock, the cast of "The Pleasure Man" includes performances by over 40 actors drawn from the Broadway, downtown, indie film and drag communities. Drag performers scheduled to appear are Flotilla deBarge, Sunrize Highway, Murray Hill, Brini Maxwell, and Cashetta, the magician. . . .
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West after she was arrested • • 2 October 1928 • •
NYC
Mae West.