Mae West: Dials Up Melodrama

Shocking and controversial in its time, a play by MAE WEST continues to be revived for open-minded audiences. This recent production was on the boards in Cape Cod. This is Part 8 of 9 segments.
• • Theatre Review: Doing the Time Warp in Mae West’s Play “The Drag” • •
• • Howard Karren wrote: Several performances are standouts:
• • Howard Karren wrote: Racine Oxtoby, as Clair, hits just the right tone as the depressed damsel at the center of everyone’s attention;
• • Howard Karren wrote: Eric Oxtoby, as an inspector investigating a shooting at Rolly’s second-act party, is an assuredly sober presence;
• • Howard Karren wrote: Scott Cunningham, a last-minute fill-in as Rolly’s friend Clem Hathaway, is smooth and engaging in and out of drag;
• • Howard Karren wrote: Alex Juchniewich, as Rolly’s friend Hal Swenson, is hilarious in a dress and hat,
• • Howard Karren wrote: as is Stephen Carey, who appears as a party guest named Hell’s Kitchen Kate;
• • Howard Karren wrote: and Jameson Redding, as the gay fling who won’t be discarded, dials up the melodrama of his situation without going too far.
• • “The Drag” by Mae West ― concluded on the next post • • …   
• • Source: The Provincetown Independent; published on Wednesday, 25 May 2022.
• • On Friday, 13 July 1934 • •

• • The Advocate (in Tasmania) printed an article on 13 July 1934 about Mae West's newest motion picture. "She Done Him Wrong" is a story of a section of New York during the "gay nineties," with its collection of cabarets, "tough" men and frivolous women.
• • July 2004: Mae West Blog launches • •
• • What are we up to, writing about the Brooklyn-born bombshell for eighteen years now?
• • We’re here to keep Mae mavens up to date, correct errors, celebrate each revival of a play she wrote, post the latest Westian stage and book reviews. And answer our fan mail!
• • The light’s still on. Come up and see Mae every day.
• • Overheard in Hollywood • •
• • Though Mae West held Bob Thompson in high esteem, they never even shook hands. "Mae West believed when you shook hands with someone, their spiritual forces could take over your being," said Paula, who trouped across the globe performing with Bob Thompson. "Mae did everything else with everyone. But she didn't shake hands."
• • In Her Own Words • •
• • Mae West said: "A book author had more freedom of expression than the stage permitted at that time."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • Time Magazine mentioned Mae West and a notorious 1970 film.
• • Cinema: Some Sort of Nadir • •
• • Pendulous Philosophy. • •

• • There is a little something here to set everyone's gorge a'gurgling. There is Mae West, grinding her ancient hips in a grotesque parody of bygone eroticism; her entire accomplishment consists of dreary one-liners about bed and phalli.
• • There is John Huston, demeaning himself as the slob-gutted, sagebrush sybarite.
• • There is Rex Reed, whose debut as an actor is on a par with the best line the scriptwriter could give him to scream: "Where are my tits?"
• • There is Raquel herself, who wanders about in virtual unemployment, spouting pendulous philosophy á la Vidal and a lot of pointlessly dirty words. She struggles desperately to parody herself but only sinks deeper and deeper into the bog around her.
• • Then there is Michael Same, Myra B.'s director and coauthor, who deserves special discredit …
• • Source: Time Magazine; published on Monday, 6 July 1970
• • The evolution of 2 Mae West plays that keep her memory alive • •
• • A discussion with Mae West playwright LindaAnn LoSchiavo — —
• • http://lideamagazine.com/renaissance-woman-new-york-city-interview-lindaann-loschiavo/
• • The Mae West Blog celebrates its 18th anniversary • • 
• • Thank you for reading, sending questions, and posting comments during these past eighteen years. Not long ago, we entertained 3,497 visitors. And we reached a milestone recently when we completed 5,000 blog posts. Wow! 
• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eighteen years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 5,036th blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • in 1933 • •
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