Thursday, January 27, 2011

Mae West: Her First Romance

It was late January in 1927 when MAE WEST had some out-of-town tryouts for her new production "The Drag," a script with no role for her. The novice writer had been focusing her plots around one strong irresistible figure — — usually a female who attracts several admirers, suitors, and fellow adventurers. But even when there is one leading man who might win the lady's favor in the end, Mae was not interested in writing about a romance — — until "The Drag," with forbidden love at its heart.
• • Set in New York City and mentioning numerous sites [such as Broadway, Coney Island, Tenth Avenue, Hell's Kitchen, Brooklyn's Navy Yard, etc.], "The Drag" focuses on Rolly Kingsbury — — a judge’s son and the heir to the family ironworks business — — whose marriage is coming apart as he hides the secret of a past affair with David, a burning desire for Allen Grayson (an engineer), and an affiliation with a colorful drag community that is campy, preening, and happily outrageous.
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• • • • ROLLY: . . . You'll find "the boys" rather interesting, I think.
• • • • GRAYSON: You think so?
• • • • ROLLY: You've never met that particular type before?
• • • • GRAYSON: I can't say that I have.
• • • • ROLLY: Perhaps you have and didn't know it.
• • • • GRAYSON: [looks at Rolly]
• • • • ROLLY: Why do you suppose I've had you come here so often? Haven't you noticed the friendship I've had for you since the day you stepped into the office? All I could do was eat, drink, sleep, think of Allen Grayson.
• • • • GRAYSON: Why, Rolly, I'd hate to have you think of me in just that way. I've always looked at you as a he-man. God, this is — —
• • • • ROLLY: I — — I thought you had some idea of how I felt toward you — — my great interest in you.
• • • • GRAYSON: Yes, I did think it extraordinary — — but what about your wife? . . .
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• • Since "The Drag" will be offered at the end of this month in Orlando, a recent announcement appears below the dotted lines, written by Florida journalist Mathew Palm.
• • WHAT: "The Drag" by Mae West
• • WHERE: John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center, 812 E Rollins St., Orlando, FL 32803
• • WHEN: January 29th — 30th, 2011
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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • Controversial Mae West play ‘The Drag’ gets reading • •
• • John DiDonna’s Empty Spaces Theatre Co. will present a staged reason of Mae West’s gay-themed “The Drag” twice this weekend as part of its Dangerous Plays Series.
• • Originally written in 1926, West’s play was considered obscene in its time.
• • Previews in Stamford, Conn., were cancelled when the manager felt it was too risky to perform. The Society for the Prevention of Vice warned that if the play ever opened in New York they would move to censor all Broadway plays.
• • West was no stranger to controversy: A police raid of her play “Sex” in 1927 resulted in her entire cast being arrested. West served 10 days [sic] in jail on morals charges and paid a fine.
• • The play itself is strikingly contemporary in its view of hidden homosexuality and a general theme of how “wealth hides corruption,” DiDonna says.
• • The staged reading will be directed by Michael Wanzie and DiDonna. It features Janine Klein, Anitra Pritchard, Emily Killian, David Almeida, Wyatt Glover, Roger Floyd, Alexander Mrazek, Michael Colavolpe, Kevin Bee and Wanzie.
• • Showtimes are at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, January 29th — 30th, 2011, at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Each reading is estimated to take an hour; a talk-back session will follow each performance. . . . For reservations, call 407-328-9005.
• • Empty Spaces Theatre Co. plans the Dangerous Plays series to explore works that do not shock for shock value alone, but ask questions that challenge political, social, sexual, religious or philosophical mores. They do not necessarily reflect the personal opinions of those involved or the producers. The mission of the series is “Giving Breath to Dissenting Voices” — — the unasked question is the only one that offers no value. The Dangerous Play Series is privately funded in its entirety.
— — Source: — —
• • Article: "Controversial Mae West play ‘The Drag’ gets reading"
• • Byline: Matthew J. Palm
• • Published by: The Orlando Sentinel — — Orlando, FL
• • Published on: 25 January 2011

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• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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