PSYCHO BEACH PARTY to be Presented at Out Front Theatre Company in May

Out Front Theatre Company - Georgia's only LGBTQIA+ professional theatre company - is celebrating the start of summer in Atlanta by closing their acclaimed eighth season with PSYCHO BEACH PARTY by Charles Busch, running May 2-18.

A manic party-mix of 50's psychological thrillers, 60's beach movies, and 70's slasher films, Psycho Beach Party follows Chicklet Forrest, a teenage tomboy, desperately wanting to be part of the surf crowd on Malibu Beach in 1962. One thing getting in her way is her unfortunate tendency towards split personalities. Her most dangerous alter ego is a sexually voracious vixen named Ann Bowman who has nothing less than world domination on her mind.

Charles Busch is the author and star of over twenty-five plays including The Divine Sister, The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset, The Tribute Artist, The Confession of Lily Dare, and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom; one of the longest running plays in the history of Off-Broadway. His play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife ran for 777 performances on Broadway, won the Outer Circle Critics' John L. Gassner Award for playwriting, received a Tony nomination for Best Play and is the longest running Broadway comedy of the past twenty-five years. He also wrote and starred in the film versions of his plays, Psycho Beach Party and Die Mommie Die, the latter of which won him the Best Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

One of Busch's most well-known plays, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, was staged at Out Front in 2017 as a part of the theatre's inaugural season.

"Charles Busch is truly one of the crown jewels of queer theatre, and his writing has been making audiences roar with laughter for decades," says Director Paul Conroy. "Breaking ground and pushing the boundaries of camp comedy, he has mastered the art of creating larger than life characters that can bring smiles and tear-filled laughter to the stage. I have a deeply personal connection with 'Psycho Beach Party' as it was actually the very first queer-focused show that I was ever a part of - which was 20 years ago in Boston. It opened my world to so many wonderful people in the LGBTQIA+ community and possibilities, even allowing me to be a part of my first ever Pride parade and festival. Saying that I am excited and honored to bring this hilarious show to our stage when what we all need right now is a good laugh."

The cast consists of Jack Caron as Yo-Yo, Corey J. Finley as Nicky, Tim Colee as Provoloney, Josh Hudson as Star Cat, Andi Stanesic as Chicklet, Branden Hembree as Kanaka, Hope Clayborne as Berdine, Marissa Garcia as Marvel Ann, Blake Fountain as Mrs. Forrest, and Emily Nedvidek as Bettina Barnes. Kirstyn Sanders and TJ Ruth serve as the Swings.

Psycho Beach Party is directed by Paul Conroy, who is also the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Out Front. He is joined by David Reingold (Lighting Designer), Jay Reynolds (Costume Designer), Brady Brown (Sound Designer), and Mahala Dawn (Production Stage Manager).

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