Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte

In the summer of 2005, I had the pleasure of working on the production of "Hush Up, Sweet Charlotte". A side-spliting parody of the original book & cult film "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (1964) which starred Bette Davis and Olivia DeHavilland.

Our larger-than-life production starred two of the biggest (literally) drag personalities working today - Matthew Martin and International Drag Super-star Varla Jean Merman. I played Stan, a construction worker and John Mayhew, the murdered lover. I was very excited to be making my professional theatre debut as well as sharing the stage with some of my favorite performers in the world!

From Press Release: The time is 1927 and Charlotte Hollis (Matthew Martin) is a young woman having the time of her life at a party thrown by her father, rich plantation owner Big Sam. Charlotte's happiness is cut short when she is rejected by lover John, who shortly thereafter finds himself without a head, a hand, or a life. Moving to the present day, we find Charlotte aged, crazed and shunned by the locals who think she murdered her lover those many years earlier.

Charlotte's disheveled maid, Velma (Sandy Schlecter), is her sole companion...at least until cousin Miriam (Varla Jean Merman) shows up to “help” with things. Cousin Miriam fails to offer any assistance other than bringing in the family physician (Michael Sousa) to have her troubled relative committed. As the nightmares of her fiancé continue to haunt her, Charlotte ends up fighting not only for the Hollis estate, but for her sanity and for top billing as well.

The talented cast includes André C. Andrée as Harry Willis (Black Nativity); Michael Sousa as Dr. Drew Bayliss (Broadway Bound); Sandra Schlechter as Velma Cruthers (Lavendar Lockerroom); Erika Atkinson as Jewel Mayhew (Les Liaisons Dangereuses); Vince Calvarese as Foreman / Ensemble; Woody Clark as Luke Standish (Black Nativity); and Kai Brothers as John Mayhew (The Normal Heart). Set design is by Clay David and Nathan Berneman.